United Kingdom Smart Tender

Government awards 400000 to tech companies to track waste through the economy.Five companies working across the UK have been awarded up to 80000 to develop innovative digital solutions to tackle the challenge of tracking waste from its source through its treatment and final disposal.The UK generates more than 200 million tonnes of waste a year with individual waste transactions estimated at above 20 million. However the subsequent transport and disposal of this waste can be complicated and at times fragmented.In November 2017 the Cabinet Office announced a 20m Innovate UK fund to encourage tech firms to deliver innovative solutions to public sector challenges like the improvement of waste tracking and action against waste crime.Government wants to know more about how this waste is generated handled and disposed of in the UK. By helping UK regulators take action against waste crime and spot opportunities for companies to join up their waste operations this will help to maximise the value of waste as a resource and minimise damage to the environment.The successful projects include research into tracking waste through electronic chips and sensors the use of blockchain looking at common reporting platforms and new data analytics.Environment Minister Thrse Coffey saidWe want to move towards a more circular economy where waste is valued as a resource and reused. We are also committed to cracking down on waste criminals who exploit the system.Congratulations to the winning projects. I look forward to seeing their innovative waste tracking solutions which will help us to meet these ambitions and play their part in helping us achieve zero avoidable waste in the UK by 2050.Minister for Implementation Oliver Dowden saidThe GovTech Catalyst is a great example of collaborative working between the Government and innovative start-ups.The effective management of waste will help improve the environment and boost this emerging industry clearly highlighting how our investment in smarter technologies is crucial to tackling public sector challenges.At the end of a three month feasibility stage up to two projects may then be selected and funded up to 500000 each to develop and field test a prototype in a second phase of GovTech Catalyst expected to open later this year.The 400000 funding follows an independent review into serious and organised waste crime commissioned by Environment Secretary Michael Gove last year. The review found that the lack of digital record-keeping in the waste industry is frequently exploited by organised criminals who mislabel waste to avoid landfill tax or illegally export it.Todays announcement builds on governments recently published Resources and Waste Strategy which sets out governments intention to clamp-down on illegal movements of waste at home and abroad including by introducing compulsory electronic tracking of waste.Further informationBlockchain is a way of recording data more securelyCommon reporting platforms refers to new ways of reporting data in one placeAbout GovTech CatalystGovTech Catalyst is a 20 million fund to help tech firms deliver innovative solutions to public sector challenges.It encourages small emerging technology businesses to create and develop innovative solutions to public services that once proven can move to scale both to the advantage of markets and society.GovTech Catalyst is run by the GovTech Catalyst team at Government Digital Service with support from Innovate UK.Funding for the competition is under SBRI the Small Business Research Initiative which aims to bring together government and businesses to find innovative solutions to public sector challenges.250000 was provided from the GovTech Catalyst fund secured by Defra working with the environment agencies in England Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland with an additional 150000 provided by Defra.There were 5 different challenge competitions awarded funding in the first GovTech Catalyst round Identifying Daesh still imagery tracking waste through the waste chain tackling loneliness and rural isolation cutting traffic congestion and deploying smart sensors on council vehicles to improve services.About the winning projects1. Anthesis Defra Smart Waste Tracking ProjectAnthesis is a global specialist sustainability services and solutions provider founded on the belief that sustainable business practices are at the heart of long-term commercial success.Their project will design and test the feasibility of an innovative waste tracking system called Vastum.It is expected that the system will reliably and securely record all waste movements in the UK allowing waste to be effectively tracked to its final destination. The system will provide a powerful tool in helping to protect the environment. It will also make sure that waste producers and managers comply with waste regulations and help regulators identify and take action against illegal waste crime.The new tracker will also help to bring together the many forms of waste data that are currently being collected into one new system. Anthesis will undertake a feasibility assessment for the waste tracking concept based on a blockchain approach applying proven technology mainly used in the finance sector. Blockchain securely records transactions into a distributed ledger on a time stamp basis. The tracker can be expanded to replace the myriad of existing reporting and compliance data systems used by waste producers collectors and the regulators.Importantly recording waste movements at source by the waste producer will also address the current data gaps that exist.2. DsposalDsposal is a clean-tech start-up working towards a world where all waste is treated as a resource.They build easy-to-use tech to connect all waste producers to licensed waste services and make compliance simple.