Improving connectivity in rural areas
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File size: 66.72Mb
case studies
IMPROVING
IMPROVING
CONNECTIVITY IN RURAL
COMMUNITIES
Connected Place Catapult delivered the Rural Transport Accelerator from November 2023 to March 2025 with nearly £2 million funding from the Department for Transport.
Rural areas in the UK are diverse, and their needs and challenges vary from place to place.
In November 2023, the Department for Transport (DfT) published the Future of Rural Transport guide, which sets out transport challenges including:
- Rural road maintenance
- The transition to sustainable vehicles
- Rural bus and rail services
- Agricultural transportation
The Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned Connected Places Catapult to deliver the Rural Transport Accelerator, in partnership with Transport East.
The Accelerator provided eight projects with up to £150,000 each in funding to undertake a series of demonstrator trials that developed potential solutions to challenges set out in the DfT’s Future of Transport Guide.
“Through our funding, these projects will shake up the way rural transport is delivered, using the latest innovations to help residents see their friends and family, do their weekly food shop or attend hospital appointments.””Lilian Greenwood, Future of Roads Minister
The Accelerator Programmes in numbers
Eight consortia projects, comprising eight SMEs, five local authorities, and two subnational transport bodies, were selected to receive a total £1.2 million in pre-commercial funding through the Accelerator (£150,000 each) to undertake a series of demonstrator trials that developed potential solutions to five key challenge areas.
Our collaborative approach
Community engagement is essential to the success of rural transportation innovation.
Overall, this accelerator involved 24 organisations across England and Scotland. Across trials, more than 800 rural residents were engaged or surveyed.
Six SMEs stated that the Accelerator facilitated connections which were essential to accelerate the development of their product/solution, with the remaining two claiming this was potentially the case.
Interested to hear more about how we delivered impact with the Department for Transport? Download the full Case Study below!
Improving connectivity in rural areas
File type: pdf
File size: 66.72Mb
Download the full case study to explore SMEs' success stories and learn how we can support your business too.
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