Open Call
Public Realm Innovation Lab – Open Call
As part of the Public Realm Innovation Lab, this open call is offering up to £25k inc VAT in funding and trial support for innovators with ideas to improve public spaces and support the health of young people in Barking. Delivered in partnership with the River Roding Health Corridor consortium and funded by Innovate UK, the lab will test interventions in the public realm to help shape healthier placemaking and influence future urban regeneration.
Application support webinar
On 15 October at 10am, Connected Places Catapult will be holding a webinar to help you learn more about the programme. The session will cover the programme offering, challenges, application process, scoring criteria, and assessment process.
We’ll also be joined by NHS North East London Trust and Makower Architects, who will provide context on the River Roding Health Corridor, the location of the trial sites, and share insights into the local community and health needs.
Overview
The River Roding in Barking & Dagenham has been chosen as a testbed to show how public spaces can support healthier lives. As one of London’s fastest-growing boroughs, it offers a unique opportunity to demonstrate how regeneration can put health and wellbeing at the centre.
The River Roding Health Corridor Consortium has identified the River Roding as one of London’s most undervalued natural corridors. Along the river lie pockets of green space and other open areas overlooking mud banks and tidal reed beds. The consortium believes there is vast potential for these spaces to support community health, yet they remain largely invisible and inaccessible to most local people.
The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham has the highest proportion of under-18s in England and Wales, with almost 29% of its residents aged under 18. It also faces one of the most significant childhood obesity challenges in the UK, with more than 31% of Year 6 children classified as obese.
In the first year, three sites along the corridor have been selected for trials. We are looking for practical, innovative solutions that can be delivered quickly and show real impact for the local community. Please review the competition handbook for full details of the sites, trial expectations and the challenges.
Up to four successful applicants will receive funding of up to £25,000 inc VAT each for 3-month trials, along with expert support from Connected Places Catapult and the River Roding Health Corridor consortium.
The Public Realm Innovation Lab sees Connected Places Catapult working in partnership with the River Roding Health Corridor consortium: Arup, Be First (London Borough of Barking and Dagenham’s wholly-owned regeneration delivery agency), Care City, Makower Architects, and NHS North East London. The project is funded by Innovate UK and will benefit from the consortium’s time and expertise. The Public Realm Innovation Lab project aims to shape healthier placemaking practices and influence planning policy within broader urban regeneration efforts.
By joining this programme, you will have the chance to help turn this hidden sanctuary into a place that improves wellbeing, brings the community together, and showcases how public realm innovation can make a real difference to the public.
Helping children and young people to achieve a healthy weight by making public spaces more inclusive, inviting and connected
How can we support more children and young people in Barking and Dagenham to achieve a healthy weight by transforming underused River Roding spaces into places that promote health and wellbeing?
Barking and Dagenham has the highest childhood obesity rate of any London borough, driven by wider health factors such as deprivation, food inequality, and limited access to safe, active public spaces. The borough’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023–2028 prioritises early intervention, community resilience, and place-based care to address these systemic challenges.
The River Roding Health corridor presents an opportunity to create a health-promoting environment that enhances wellbeing, fosters community pride, and supports thriving, nature-centred neighbourhoods. Sites such as Harts Lane Estate, Barking Barrage and Town Quay Wharf could become places where children and young people are active, eat well and spend more time outdoors.
We are looking for creative and sustainable ideas that encourage play and active travel while bringing the community together, ensuring improvements are meaningful and long-lasting.
You can find more detail in the Open Call Handbook.
Who should apply?
To apply for this open call, you must:
- Be a UK-registered public, private, or third-sector organisation considered to be of SME size (to see how an SME is defined, please use the link here), meaning smaller than 250 employees, less than £44m in turnover and a balance sheet of equal to or less than £38m.
- Charities can apply for this opportunity, however the funding provided is pre-commercial funding which means you must be able to conduct this project on a commercial basis. You must decide for yourself whether this is suitable.
- Consortia are welcome, but only a single organisation may act as lead, and you must distribute the funding accordingly to your consortium partners.
- Consortia partners can be of any size.
- Applicants must submit proposals which are considered novel – either by implementing in a new environment, targeting a new audience or incorporating new elements into their solutions
- Demonstrable alignment of the proposed solution to the programme challenge, with a solution of TRL 6+
- Commitment to create a full trial plan between and 1st and 12th December as part of the application process for up to 6 chosen applicants, which will be unpaid work. There will be an expectation to attend workshops and the site visit day
- Commitment to undertake travel to the River Roding when required, including the initial site day on Wednesday 3rd December 2025 in Barking, London.
Applications open
Application support webinar
Applications close
Interviews
Trial design stage
Site visit
Single day
Contracting
Trial commences
Trial ends
Final report due
Mar
Payments and project close
Application process
Interested SMEs should carefully review all supporting documentation before submitting their application.
Applications close 10am, 3 November 2025.
Supporting documents
Point of contact
If you have any questions about the programme or application process, please contact the Innovation Funding team: innovation_funding@cp.catapult.org.uk
Partners
