Cycling Challenge prizes

3rd September 2012

Whether as a means of getting around locally for individuals and families, or for the daily commute, cycling presents a healthy, environmentally friendly, low cost form of transport. Nesta aim to increase the use of cycling as mode of transport by finding the innovations that best tackle security issues and increase the numbers and frequency of employees cycling to and from work.

It has been estimated that road transport currently contributes around 70% of air pollution in UK towns and cities damaging the local environment, climate and biodiversity. Cycling is a pollution-free form of transport that creates no harmful emissions. For each adult that switches from a car to a bicycle for a commuting journey of 2.5 miles each way, for 80 days a year, there would be a reduction in the cost of traffic emissions by £69 each year. In addition there would be significant health benefits. According to the British Medical Association, cycling just 20 miles a week can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 50%.

Now is a good time to act! 2012 represents an exciting year for cycling, with the Olympics and the Summer of Cycling along with a range of other campaigns.

The Hands Off My Bike Challenge Prize is calling on people from all over the UK to come up with breakthrough innovations to make it more difficult to steal bikes and have the potential to increase numbers of people cycling in the UK.

The winning innovation will be the one that requires the longest time to steal the bike. The innovation will be also judged on the impact on the environment, cost and potential for commercialisation and/or implementation at scale. The winner will receive a prize of £50,000.

Deadline: 18 January 2013.

Details on timeline, entry and judging critera here.

The Workplace Cycle Challenge prize is calling on all UK workplaces with more than 10 employees to come up with new ways of increasing the number of employees cycling to and from work. Launched by Nesta, Challenge for Change and Cycling Touring Club (CTC), the prize is to increase the number of people cycling to and from work in the UK.

Since 2008 Challenge for Change and CTC have run 34 workplace cycling programmes engaging with more than 50,000 people from 2,100 organisations. These programmes are proven to be highly successful at:

• Encouraging non-cyclists to take up cycling
• Encouraging occasional cyclists to start cycling regularly and
• Encouraging more people to cycle for transport

The winner will receive a prize of £25,000. Deadline: 12 noon on 12 October 2012.

Details on timeline, entry and judging criteria here.