TRIG: Accessibility winners announced

Winners announced for the Department for Transport’s first Accessibility Transport Research and Innovation Grants Programme

The Department for Transport is delighted to be supporting five promising demonstrator projects through the 2021 Accessibility Transport Research and Innovation Grants Programme TRIG: Accessibility. The programme is the first of its kind and has been designed to enable small businesses to develop technology that will make our transport systems more inclusive, removing the barriers that prevent disabled passengers from travelling confidently, safely and with ease.

Each company has been awarded up to £120k as part of an open call to deliver their highly innovative project, which will culminate in an operational demonstration later this year. This funding will form a steppingstone towards advancing promising new products and services that have the potential to significantly improve access to transport services while increasing passenger confidence.

The winning projects and companies are:

• Briteyellow – BriteWay – journey planning and station navigation system for impaired passengers
• Chrome Angel Solutions – Accessible Travel Virtual Reality Simulation for Passengers
• Ostrum Tech – Purple Flow platform for disabled air travellers
• SightCall – TravelAssist
• You Smart Thing - Travability

Nicola Yates OBE, CEO, Connected Places Catapult said:

“It is great to be working alongside the DfT’s Accessibility Policy Team to deliver an expanded TRIG programme to the world of transport accessibility.

The funding that the five winners will receive as part of the TRIG: Accessibility programme, alongside technical and commercial guidance from the Catapult will enable them to demonstrate their innovative solutions in September.

It is our aim that these solutions will enable access to England's transport services for passengers who may need support when travelling to connect with the places around them.”

Chris Heaton-Harris Accessibility Minister said:

"These 5 innovative projects will help make our transport network more open, stress-free and simple for disabled passengers, and I’m proud that we’re investing in unique technology to improve accessibility across the UK.

We’re committed to making transport accessible for all and this investment, along with the Inclusive Transport Strategy, will build a better, fairer network for the future."

 The projects began in March 2021 and technology will be presented to the DfT and its partners at the programme’s Demo Day later this year. Please download the TRIG: Accessibility brochure to find out more about each project.