Open Data Challenge series

What was the Open Data Challenge series?

The Open Data Challenge Prize Series was a series of seven challenge prizes to generate innovative and sustainable open data solutions to social challenges. It was funded by the Technology Strategy Board,(now known as Innovate UK) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, now known as the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Why did we do this?

Open data has the potential to power tools that provide solutions to real problems. Although the UK is the world leader in releasing open data, its use in informing real world solutions has been limited and fragmented, with innovative start-ups lacking support and data expertise to scale to a sustainable business level.

This series of challenges aimed to galvanise a new community to use open data as the key ingredient in helping solve social problems. The challenges helped SMEs and start-ups to work with data providers, industry experts and business leaders to develop new ways to reuse available data, creating sustainable business opportunities.

What did we do?

• A series of seven challenge prizes supported the development of innovative solutions to social challenges using open data.
• For each challenge, projects competed for a potential £40,000 grand prize. Winning projects were those with the best solution combining open data expertise with a credible plan and market.