opportunities

National centre for accessible transport expression of interest

The National Centre for Accessible Transport (ncat) is a consortium, formed with the mission to shape the future of accessible transport for disabled people across the UK. Funded by the Motability Foundation, ncat brings together experts from the academic, industrial, policy and charitable sectors and places the voices and experiences of disabled people at the heart of its research and partnerships.

The centre actively engages with industry partners, transport authorities, operators and policymakers to translate their research findings into tangible improvements within the transport sector. Their initiatives aim to create a transport ecosystem that works for everyone, with a specific emphasis on addressing the unique challenges faced by disabled people.

Central to their approach is involving disabled people directly in research to identify the most critical issues they encounter when seeking to access transport services.

This insight drives targeted product development and research initiatives that aim to respond to the specific challenges disabled people experience, and in doing so, improving access to transport for all.

As a partner in the ncat consortium, Connected Places Catapult is launching ncat’s Innovation Funding Programme in Autumn 2024. This initiative will provide funding to entrepreneurs and organisations working on solutions that tackle identified transport accessibility challenges. This competition is an excellent opportunity to contribute to enhancing transport accessibility.

Ahead of the competition’s launch, we are keen to hear from individuals or organisations active in (or those who would like to enter) this area of work to help us tailor our programme.

We will ask three brief questions about your idea and your experience within the sector.