The Scottish Government-run CivTech programme has unveiled the second set of new challenges designed to “create solutions to public sector problems as quickly and effectively as possible”, and provide entrepreneurs the opportunity to win contracts for technologies that can also be sold worldwide.

Following the launch of the first set of new challenges last week, CivTech has now announced the second set.

The new set of challenges are sponsored by NHS NSS, The Scottish Government Digital Directorate, The Scottish Government Digital Planning and Young Scot.

“Across the country there are problems public sector organisations would like solved,” said CivTech in a statement. “With budgets under pressure and increasing demand, the need for smart, efficient and effective products is ever greater. And the public sector is increasingly aware that innovation is a good way to create them.

“The Scottish Government is also committed to ensuring that a large part of its tech spend goes to smaller, innovative businesses. This is where CivTech comes in.

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“The CivTech ‘Innovation Flow’ is designed to create solutions to public sector problems as quickly and effectively as possible. For you – whether you’re an individual, team or company – it’s an opportunity to take a challenge, solve it, and win contracts with a blue-chip public sector organisation.”

New challenges

NHS NSS
Many NHS resources such as crutches, wheelchairs and sleep-apnea machines are used on a temporary or single use basis. Afterwards they’re often either not returned or refurbished, or are simply disposed of – at a cost of 700m a year. However, some 70-80% of them could be refurbished and reused by NHS Scotland. Key to this is a way to keep track of the assets and this does not currently exist. How can we transform refurbishment hubs, and the re-use of products for NHS Scotland?

NHS NSS
The NHS has an important requirement to manage the demand and supply of treatment at a local, regional and national level effectively. It puts great demand on these services and even greater need to manage them well. Matching available health service capacity to demand is a long-recognised challenge that affects health boards in Scotland. We need a team that can bring a completely new point of view to the problem and bring a product or technologies that have the potential to scale across Scotland.

Digital Directorate, The Scottish Government
Staff engagement is a key performance of the Scottish Government.  We want and value happy, motivated staff, who have a clear understanding of how their work contributes to the objectives of the Scottish Government. Until now we have relied upon an annual, online survey.  Consideration has been given to repeating all, or key elements, of that survey on a more regular basis, but nothing has been procured to date. So how can we improve the monitoring of staff satisfaction, happiness and engagement.

Digital Planning, The Scottish Government
Scotland is determined to create a world leading digital planning system. The current system is in need of development to take advantage of all the advances in technology over the past decade. This Challenge is focused on supporting engagement, particularly at the early stage when local plans are being developed and there is the greatest opportunity to influence the outcome of the process. There’s the opportunity to enhance understanding of the planning process, and encourage collaboration from the outset. So, how can we use technology and data to improve the reach and quality of public engagement in the planning system?

5 Rights Youth Leadership Group
5Rights is a UK-wide initiative that seeks to enable young people to access the digital world creatively, knowledgeably and fearlessly. It aims to ensure the rights young people are already entitled to offline are also realised online.These are not easy things to achieve given the online world is a multiplicity of ever-evolving platforms and channels. As much as the use of tech has created these issues, tech can also enable solution. So how can we help young people review and manage their digital footprints?