Competition Alert: Revolutionising water quality and resource efficiency in Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Environmental Land Management with Space Technology

Welcome to the Future of Agri and Environmental Technology Applications!

WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE

We are looking for visionary entrepreneur with a ground-breaking idea to enhance water quality and efficiency in agriculture, aquaculture, or environmental land management.

Does your idea leverage space technologies such as Earth observation, communication (including 5G), navigation and positioning? We want YOU to apply to our exciting competition and stand a chance to win a paid for package of support on our new Environmental Space Living Lab (ESLL) worth up to £15,000!

APPLY NOW
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

The winner of this challenge will secure a fully funded support package to use the ESLL at Petroc, valued at up to £15,000! This support gains you access and can be a mixture of multiple elements of our resources. We will create a bespoke package according to the needs of your business in order to provide maximum impact to your business growth. Our resources and support services available include:

  • User Research
    • User centred design Strategy
    • User engagement workshops
    • Demonstration opportunities
    • Stakeholder networking opportunities
  • Commercialisation Strategy
    • Business modelling
    • Market analysis and prioritisation
    • Competitive analysis
    • Scale-up guidance
  • Technology Development Facilities and Expertise
    • 5G Communications
    • Earth Observation
    • Additive manufacturing
    • Robotics
    • IoT
  • Prototyping and real-world Testing
    • Prototype roadmap development
    • Access to 5G test network
    • Access to sensors
    • Access to data aggregation and visualisation software
    • Network of real-world test environments

Along with the £15k challenge prize, as a winner you will also be provided our ESLL Challenge 2023 winner badge / artwork for 2023, to be used on your socials and website.

Illustration of a smart farming landscape with drones, sensors, and data integration visible across fields and vehicles.
WHAT IS THE ESLL?

The Environmental Space Living Lab is a new initiative launching at Petroc College on the 21st of September 2023 as the first of our three planned sites. funded by the Heart of the South West LEP and led by the Satellite Applications Catapult, in collaboration with academia and technology providers. The ESLL is designed to support UK-based innovators whose services are tackling key environmental and agricultural challenges with space technology.  It combines access to cutting edge technology, expertise, end user communities, and real-world test environments, to help you accelerate your idea to market.

APPLICATION PROCESS
  • Fill in the competition form using the link provided highlighting your idea, target market, technology development state and support that would be valuable.
  • Once the competition has closed, the Catapult team will do an initial review based on the assessment criteria to progress applicants to the next stage.
  • Successful applicants will be invited to a 1.5-hour diagnostic session with the Catapult and our relevant Environmental Living Lab partners to get a better understanding of the business and identify the areas of support that they need.
  • Applicants will then be reviewed and scored based on the assessment criteria by our expert panel. Applicants will then be informed whether they have been successful.
  • Applicants will be sent scope of works to review and agree on, before delivery of the project takes place.

The applicant confirms that were it to be awarded funds under this competition, this would not cause any breach within the Subsidy Control Act 2022.

Apply Now
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Applications will be scored by the selection panel on their application. Applications will be evaluated and graded in the follow categories and graded in each category of a score between 1 (poor) and 5 (excellent):

Aerial view of dense, lush green rainforest with varied tree canopies and vibrant foliage.

Innovation, Impact and Market Potential: Level of innovation, impact and commercial potential:

  • 5-, Excellent innovation potential with demonstrated impact and route to commercialisation.
  • 4-, Good innovation potential with demonstrated impact and route to commercialisation.
  • 3-, Innovative idea with a clearly articulated route to impact and commercialisation.
  • 2-, Innovative idea with uncertain impact and commercial potential.
  • 1-, Not innovative or no commercial potent.
Golden wheat field bathed in warm sunlight as the sun sets on the horizon.

Feasibility: Project Feasibility:

  • 5-, Very feasible with a clearly articulated execution plan that is achievable within the available resources.
  • 4-, Feasible with a clearly articulated execution plan that is achievable within the available resources.
  • 3-, Feasible with a clearly articulated execution plan that may be limited by the available resources.
  • 2-, Feasible but resources needed require clarification.
  • 1-, Project not feasible with available equipment/resources.
Aerial view of a flooded landscape at sunset with partially submerged trees and fields.

Suitability: Relevance and likely impact of the Environmental Living Lab to the business aims:

  • 5-, Environmental Living Lab can make major impact on the potential success of the business.
  • 4-, Environmental Living Lab can make a very good impact on the potential success of the business.
  • 3-, Environmental Living Lab can make a good impact on the business aims but are not central to it.
  • 2-, Environmental Living Lab can make an impact on the business aims but are not critical.
  • 1-, Project is not suited to Environmental Living Lab.

The 3 assessment criteria are weighted equally, and applications are scored out of 15. The 2 applicants with the highest average score will be awarded the project. Please do note, if there are more than 2 high quality applicants there may be flexibility around additional awards.

Once the competition has closed, the Catapult team will do an initial review based on the assessment criteria to progress applicants to the next stage. Successful applicants will be invited to an online 1.5-hour diagnostic session with the Catapult and our relevant Environmental Living Lab partners to get a better understanding of the business and identify the areas of support that they need

Applicants will then be reviewed and scored based on the assessment criteria by our expert panel. Applicants will then be informed whether they have been successful.

Successful applicants will then be sent a specific statement of works for the programme in an agreement between applicants and the Catapult.

KEY DATES AND TIMESCALES

The competition has two stages. The first is applying via the form link below. Following on from that the top 5 applicants will have follow-up conversations with our Innovation Team to do a final assessment of suitability.

  • Competition Launch: 21/09/23
  • Closing date for online applications: 21/11/23 (Midnight)
  • Follow-up calls with Innovation Team 30/11/23-10/12/23
  • Decision made and award to winning business: 18/12/23
APPLY NOW