The Plantech Challenge
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dgx8goyms/images/w_1024,h_419,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1716850437/cpc-website/Connected-Places-Mission-to-China/Connected-Places-Mission-to-China.jpg?_i=AA)
Connected Places Catapult is bringing together local planning authorities to partner and co-invest in the digital transformation of planning and build a digital planning system – so that local government can fix things together, faster, cheaper and more effectively than alone.
![PlanTech; Net Zero; Green Technology](https://res.cloudinary.com/dgx8goyms/images/w_824,h_666,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1716861890/cpc-website/CoWorking/CoWorking.png?_i=AA)
What is it?
Through our work on innovation projects over the past four years, the Connected Places Catapult’s Plantech team have demonstrated the need and value of a more digital planning system. Yet the pace, quality and scale of digital transformation of the planning system is often constrained by:
- Cuts in local authority budgets
- Lack of digital skills and capacity
- Resources to invest in innovation particularly discovery projects to help truly understand users and explore pain points, and ensure the real problem is being solved
- Difficulty in scouting and engaging suitable suppliers
- Complexities in procurement.
How it works
- Connected Places Catapult selects a challenge based on regular feedback from local authorities.
- We promote the challenge, identifying and engaging local authority partners to co-invest. Participants contribute £25k to the collective budget for one challenge.
- Partners enter into the Catapult’s Plantech Collaboration Agreement, setting out ways of working for the challenge.
- The Catapult engages and procures a supplier to deliver the discovery project. Partners can participate in supplier assessment.
- The Catapult manages the full discovery project on behalf of partners.
- A detailed discovery report is delivered to partners, covering aspects such as user needs, pain points, challenges, user experience wireframes, and a roadmap for onward development and prototyping
- The Catapult helps to engage partners for onward development.
The Catapult’s Plantech Challenge programme is a platform for public sector planning services to pool resources to explore, develop and adopt new planning innovations that suit their needs – delivered via the Catapult’s proven model.
![PlanTech; Net Zero; Green Technology](https://res.cloudinary.com/dgx8goyms/images/w_822,h_748,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1716862165/cpc-website/Network_Rail_Innovation/Network_Rail_Innovation.png?_i=AA)
Why sign up?
- One-to-many approach: the pooled resource means a smaller and lower risk investment to achieve the same objective.
- Domain expertise: we bring wide-ranging experience of delivering digital planning projects to your challenge.
- Human-centred approach: the Catapult’s experience in Insight & Service Design means we can ensure that any supplier takes a user-led approach to each challenge, so that any solutions truly meet your user and stakeholder’s needs.
- Neutrality: our neutral position means we will ensure the shared challenge meets the specific requirements of all local authorities.
- Project management: we will effectively manage the process from discovery to delivery – ensuring the project delivers to the brief, handling payments, and keeping the process simple for all participants.
- Proven collaboration agreement: the Plantech Challenge contract mechanism clearly sets out the roles of different partners in a challenge. Collective funds are can be applied to a shared challenge without complex contractual arrangements.
Get Involved
Connected Places Catapult is currently running two live challenges:
• Local Plans Challenge – Apply Online Here
• Viability Challenge
If you’d like to participate, or to propose a challenge of your own, get in touch:
Nissa Shahid, Built Environment Directorate
E: plantech@cp.catapult.org.uk
T: +44 (0)7917 977431