The Scottish Government will provide £6 million of funding to public sector tech innovation accelerator CivTech.

With the new cash injection, the programme will fund small to medium businesses in the private sector as they work to find ways to improve public sector services.

The CivTech accelerator aims to drive innovation across the public sector to improve the lives of Scottish citizens and support a new generation of technology businesses and entrepreneurs.

Thanks to the funding, the accelerator will significantly increase the number of challenges it sets, ensuring a wide range of problems can be solved in collaboration with increasing numbers of public and third sector organisations.

Entrepreneurs and organisations from the tech sector compete to help find new digital solutions to these challenges, set by public sector bodies ranging from parts of the Scottish Government through to local councils and national charities.

For the first time, it will provide opportunities for private investors and the Scottish Government to co-fund the high growth potential businesses coming out of CivTech.

Ivan McKee, Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise said: “CivTech’s Accelerator Programme creates a hub for government and industry to come together and develop transformational technologies to tackle problems faced by local communities.

“CivTech clearly demonstrates that the public sector can innovate, and that innovation can contribute to the economy. It is regarded both in Scotland and across the globe as a world leader in GovTech – the application of technological solutions, expertise and technical ability across our public services – a market that will grow from $400 billion (£298bn) in 2018 to $800bn (£597bn) in 2023.

“This funding will allow CivTech to realise its growth ambitions and support the success of businesses taking part on the programme, which in turn allows us to build better public services and drive our economy.”

Recommended

• Opinion | The cyber skills shortage may not be quite as it seems
• Online Safety Bill to include additional offences
• Digitisation impact study on minority ethnic communities launched

The current CivTech cohort will unveil their solutions for the first time at the Demo Day 6, taking place today (February 8th). Twelve teams will showcase innovative technologies that will help to tackle climate change, support social care services and improve educational facilities.

Sponsored by Amazon Web Services, Harvey Nash and Sopra Steria, participating companies include Environment Systems, which, in partnership with Tweed Forum and Land Habitat, has created a technology that uses satellite data to help land managers restore our peatlands, and Digiflec, which has developed sensing technology to better manage road infrastructure in rural communities.

Demo Day also gives the challenge winners the unique opportunity to engage with key public sector industry partners and explore potential for future contracts.

Since inception in 2015, CivTech has set 60 challenges for tech entrepreneurs and companies, with 178 teams taking part in its Exploration Stages, and 67 teams going through to the Accelerator Stage.

Get the latest news from DIGIT direct to your inbox 

Our newsletter covers the latest technology and IT news from Scotland and beyond, as well as in-depth features and exclusive interviews with leading figures and rising stars. 

We will keep you up to date on the pivotal issues impacting the sector and let you know about key upcoming events to ensure that you don’t miss out on what’s going on across the Scottish tech community. 

To subscribe, click here.