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Legal Access Challenge

Technology Frontiers
Prize amount: £500000
03/05/2019 - 09/04/2020
A legal document being reviewed and signed|Solicitors Regulation Authority logo|Anna Bradley smiles at the camera|Julie Bishop faces the camera|Juliet Oliver smiles at the camera|Matthew Briggs faces the camera|Roger Smith faces the camera|Sidonie Kingsmill smiles at the camera

What was the Legal Access Challenge?

The Legal Access Challenge called for legal tech start-ups, law firms, alternative legal providers, advice organisations and law schools to develop ambitious direct-to-user products, services and platforms. Its aim was to make legal services more accessible and affordable for individuals, families and small businesses. Delivered by Challenge Works in partnership with the Solicitors Regulation Authority, it awarded £50,000 grants to eight finalists along with an expert support programme to develop their solutions, with two winners receiving an additional £50,000.

Why did we do this?

In many sectors digital technology has made life easier for customers, giving them more choice and control. In legal services though, technology has made less of an impact. The Challenge had three aims:

  • Accelerating the development of products, services and platforms that will help individuals and SMEs understand and resolve their legal problems with greater ease
  • Developing a community with a shared interest in using technology to improve access to legal support
  • Learning whether there are regulatory barriers to the development and adoption of mass market legal technology solutions and, if so, what adaptations to the SRA’s approach might reduce these barriers

What happened?

  • Each finalist had until April 2020 to develop their solution
  • Two of the most promising finalists were then awarded additional £50,000 prizes to bring their solutions to market

    • Impact of the Challenge

    • 7 out of 8 finalists agreed that the Challenge accelerated development of their solution, with 5 of 8 strongly agreeing
    • 5 out of 8 finalists agreed that the Challenge allowed them to experiment with new functionality that they would not have otherwise pursued
    • 6 out of 8 finalists agreed that the Challenge provided them with support that they would have not been able to access otherwise
    • 6 out of 8 finalists agreed that the Challenge helped them to clarify the objectives of their solution
    • The Challenge secured 80 pieces of media coverage, reaching a print circulation of 899,000 and online readership of 26.8m, including in national broadsheets The Times and The Sunday Times
    • 7 out of 8 finalists agreed that they were introduced to new and useful contacts throughout the Challenge
    • 5 out of 8 finalists have built new partnerships as a result of the Challenge