Innovation Accelerators
Turn your biggest challenge into solutions that work in the real world.
Finding promising innovation is only the beginning. The real challenge is identifying the right solutions, proving they work and creating a route to adoption.
We design and deliver accelerator programmes that help infrastructure owners, operators, places and government organisations solve strategic challenges, reduce the risk of innovation and accelerate adoption.
From defining the challenge and scouting the market to real-world trials, commercialisation and impact measurement, we bring together the expertise, networks and delivery capability needed to move innovation to proven impact.
Innovation that delivers measurable results
We combine challenge discovery, innovation scouting, rigorous selection, real-world testing, tailored business support and impact measurement in a single end-to-end service.
£50m
Cost savings enabled
Through accelerator-supported innovation on HS2.
£18m
Savings potential identified
From a National Highways innovation trial.
150+
Real-world trials delivered
Helping organisations test before they invest.
85+
Industry partners engaged
Bringing challenge owners and innovators together around real-world problems.
Infrastructure owners, operators & places
For infrastructure owners, operators and places
Solve strategic challenges faster
Whether you’re looking to improve productivity, reduce costs, accelerate decarbonisation, improve safety or enhance services, we help turn your priorities into innovation programmes with measurable outcomes.
Speak to us about your challenge-
Access solutions beyond your existing supply chain
Our extensive innovator networks and specialist scouting capability give you access to emerging technologies and innovative businesses with solutions capable of addressing your challenge.
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De-risk innovation before procurement
Structured pilots, trials and demonstrations allow you to evaluate solutions in real-world environments and build the evidence needed for procurement, investment and adoption decisions.
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Reduce the burden on your organisation
We can manage the accelerator journey end-to-end, from challenge definition and market engagement through selection, trials, business support and impact evaluation.
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Create a route from trial to adoption
We work with innovators and challenge owners to address commercial, procurement and implementation barriers and create clearer pathways towards adoption and scale.
Innovative businesses
For innovative businesses
Get your solution in front of real customers
Work directly with infrastructure owners, operators, local authorities, government organisations and industry partners seeking solutions to real challenges.
Explore current opportunities-
Prove your technology in the real world
Test and demonstrate your solution in operational environments, building evidence and credibility that can support future customer conversations.
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Build commercial readiness
Receive tailored support around commercialisation, procurement readiness, investment and growth, focused on the barriers preventing your solution from reaching the market.
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Turn trials into commercial opportunities
Our programmes are designed to create routes beyond the accelerator, helping businesses build relationships, partnerships, investment opportunities and potential routes to contract.
Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. It takes the right challenge, the right solution and the right people around the table.
Connected Places Catapult brings them together, combining expertise, networks and delivery capability to move innovation from testing to real-world adoption and scale.
Challenge owners
- Government & places
- Infrastructure owners
Connected Places Catapult
Innovators
- SMEs & technology
- Investors & partners
- Test
- Prove
- Adopt
- Scale
From challenge to adoption
- Define the challenge
- Find the right innovators
- Select the strongest solutions
- Test in the real world
- Build the route to adoption
- Measure the impact
Success stories
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Birmingham accelerator leads software firm to contract win
Novoville secured contracts with Birmingham City Council and WMCA after Accelerator programme participation.
Read the story: Birmingham accelerator leads software firm to contract win -
Article
Bus software contract awarded to scaling Catapult-backed company
Alchera Technologies secured a local authority contract following participation in the Rural Accelerator programme.
Read the story: Bus software contract awarded to scaling Catapult-backed company -
Article
Multi-year contract for firm behind new airport digital assistant
Hello Lamp Post expanded adoption through contracts with multiple UK airports.
Read the story: Multi-year contract for firm behind new airport digital assistant
Featured Innovation Accelerators
From infrastructure productivity and sustainable construction to freight, rail and aviation, we’ve designed and delivered accelerator programmes that turn industry challenges into real-world innovation and measurable outcomes.
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HS2 Accelerator
Driving productivity and cost savings
Connecting HS2 with technologies capable of improving construction productivity, reducing cost and transforming infrastructure delivery.
Read more about HS2 Accelerator£30m
cost savings enabled
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Freight Innovation Fund
Accelerating cleaner, more efficient freight
Supporting freight innovators to develop and test solutions addressing decarbonisation, efficiency and logistics challenges.
Read more about Freight Innovation Fund -
Station Innovation Zone
Improving passenger and station performance
Testing innovative solutions in live rail environments and building evidence for wider adoption.
Read more about Station Innovation Zone -
Connected Airport Living Labs
Transforming the airport experience
Testing new technologies in live airport environments to improve operations, passenger experience and accelerate adoption.
Read more about Connected Airport Living Labs -
Clean Futures
Driving clean growth in the West Midlands
Accelerating clean transport technologies while creating jobs, attracting investment and strengthening regional supply chains.
Read more about Clean Futures
For infrastructure owners, operators & places
Do you have a strategic challenge?
Work with us to design an accelerator that finds, tests and scales the right solutions.
For SMEs & innovators
Do you have a solution to test?
Find open calls and get your technology in front of real customers.
