Thirteen companies will start preparing their products and solutions to public sector challenges for market following the conclusion of this year’s Scottish Government’s CivTech programme.

Having delivered successful pitches at the end of the year-long programme, the companies have now entered the pre-commercialisation stage. They have the opportunity to access up to £7 million in funding to further develop their products and solutions for the public sector, which range from reducing teacher workload to improving firefighter safety.

Since the programme began in 2016, around 100 businesses have progressed through CivTech, with just over £25 million of public sector funding leveraging a further £125 million of private funding.

Many are already driving enhancements across the public sector. CivTech 4 participant Tape4Trees has delivered a revolutionary tree germination and planting system which is saving Forestry and Land Scotland millions of pounds a year while CivTech 9 business Netcompany is developing an innovative digital communication channel which, when fully operational, could save the public sector an estimated £100 million per year.

More start-ups than ever before applied to take part in CivTech 10, which invited business solutions to 12 public sector challenges. Two specific challenges aimed at harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) were included for the first time.

“I want Scotland to be a global digital technology leader. Properly harnessed, we have an opportunity to unlock unprecedented benefits that will have a profound, positive impact on our society and our economy,” business minister Richard Lochhead said.

“CivTech is recognised internationally as the world’s first successful public sector-focused innovation Accelerator, and as a leader in the rapidly expanding GovTech sector – set to be a trillion-dollar worldwide market.

“Through CivTech we are not only driving economic growth and stimulating the high-growth start-up community, but unlocking solutions that are already delivering benefits and millions of pounds of savings across Scotland’s public sector.”

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The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) sponsored two CivTech 10 challenges and will continue to work alongside companies in the next phase of product development. UK company Rowden is developing software to improve real-time risk monitoring of incidents while FireHazResearch has set up in Scotland to take forward its software identifying and measuring firefighter exposure to contaminants.

“SFRS have found the CivTech programme hugely beneficial in allowing us to consider and begin to develop innovative solutions for two difficult problems we have been facing,” dead of governance, strategy and performance at SFRS Richard Whetton said.

“Both of our challenges are now progressing towards the pre-commercial stage and we are excited to work with our challenge companies to develop minimum viable products intended to enhance firefighter safety and benefit communities of Scotland.

“The CivTech programme team have been exceptional in supporting SFRS to achieve these positive outcomes and we look forward to continuing our work on this innovative programme.”