Warwickshire Town Centres Tech Challenge

In common with the rest of the country, Covid -19 has had a significant, impact on our town centres. However, one of Warwickshire’s strengths is our incredibly strong digital creative community.

We have allocated funding for the Town Centres Tech Challenge as a way of harnessing that strength and supporting the collaboration between our town centre businesses, and our vibrant digital sector.

The project aims to identify and support up to four scalable digital initiatives, that can be implemented across the county focusing on supporting and promoting our town centres as places to visit, enjoy and engage with safely. This will encourage the recovery of our town centres, and help to stimulate the local economy.

If you have an idea for a digital project that will support our town centres then you are in the right place.

Fund - up to £80k

Funding is available for projects within the range of £10,000 to £80,000 and can be a mixture of new or existing solutions. If you have an achievable project idea we want to hear about it. However, it must clearly demonstrate it can successfully address at least one of the goals highlighted below.

We are open to everything, from start-up ideas to using the fund for an existing initiative which just needs to be scaled or accelerated.

The total value of projects can exceed £80k, however evidence of match funding being secured must be detailed. The total pot could be awarded to a project, but only if it can demonstrate impact across the entire county and can address all of the challenges outlined below.

Goals

The Town Centres Tech Challenge fund will support initiatives that address one or more of the following goals:

  • Help create a town centre’s sense of place, why should people visit, how and when.
  • Help consumers feel confident about visiting their favourite businesses in the town centre.
  • Support the promotion of businesses both individually and as a whole town experience.
  • Increase engagement between the local community and the town centre businesses.
  • Increase engagement between a wider audience and the town centre businesses.

Process

  • Applications will be appraised by an expert panel made up of Local Authority and Industry representatives.
  • All applications need to be a collaboration between at least 2 local businesses or organisations (within the Warwickshire geography).
  • We would like applicants to demonstrate partnership working with town centre businesses and organisation for which they are seeking to provide a solution for.
  • All successful applicants will be required to work with WCC & CWLEP to provide a case study at the end of the project to showcase the impact of their project.
  • All projects must be completed by the 31 March 2021.

Application documents

Submission

All applicants need to complete an application form. These applications must be received by Friday 20 November. All applicants should receive a decision by early December.

Please ensure you have included any supporting documentation with your application. Failure to do so may cause a delay in appraising your project.

Further details

If you require any further details or wish to discuss your project further, please contact:

Warwickshire County Council

Economy and Skills
Communities Group
PO Box 43
Shire Hall
Warwick
CV34 4SX

Telephone: 01926 418001
Email: stacyoconnor@warwickshire.gov.uk