Bristol 2015, the company established to facilitate Bristol’s year as European Green Capital, is asking Europe’s brightest minds to identify new ways that software can be used to tackle environmental challenges in cities in the European Green Capital Digital Challenge.
This will include a 48-hour Digital Challenge Hack Weekend on the 6-8 February, which will be hosted during Digital Bristol Week and forms part of the International GreenTech Festival
£50,000 prize
This two stage challenge will see teams of developers together with digital and environmental experts compete for the chance to scoop cash prizes of up to £50,000 to stimulate innovation in the development of software applications and games, addressing five environmental challenges: energy, transport, food, resources and nature.
Andrew Garrad, Chairman of Bristol 2015, commented: “The Green Capital Digital Challenge is about bringing together creative digital experts to generate innovative thinking that facilitates change.
“We hope this challenge will create software applications and games that enable businesses and many different people to make positive changes in their everyday lives”
He added: “We hope this challenge will create software applications and games that enable businesses and many different people to easily engage with and think about our environmental challenges and make positive changes in their everyday lives. This challenge will be a key component of Digital Bristol Week and sits within a wide-reaching programme of activities and events that will showcase Bristol’s achievements and ambition in green technology.”
What happens when?
Stage 1: 48-hour Digital Challenge Hack Weekend, 6-8 February
Stage 1 begins in January 2015 and culminates in a 48-hour Digital Challenge Hack Weekend in which teams of up to five people will come together over the weekend of 6-8 February at Bristol’s Watershed to create apps/games, competing for a prize of £50,000 to develop the full product to launch.
At this stage judges will select between three to six finalists, each of whom will receive £5,000 to develop their ideas further.
Stage 2: Digital Challenge Final and Awards Ceremony, 20 April
Stage 2 will see one of the shortlisted finalists receive £50,000 to develop a full product and see another team win a Peoples’ Choice Award of £10,000 for further development work.
The Digital Challenge Final and Awards Ceremony will be hosted at the Youth Summit on 20 April 2015 in Colston Hall.
How to get involved
Teams can find out more information and register to express their interest in being selected to attend as a team. The organisers will select the best teams with the requisite skills to give the Challenge the best chance of success.
The deadline for expressions of interest will be 1 January 2015 and the selected teams will be notified by 16 January 2015. To keep up to date on all the latest news and events from Bristol 2015 you can also follow @Bristol_2015 on Twitter or join the conversation on Facebook. You can see more about the reasons for the challenge in the infographic below.
