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London - SHIFT Challenges

SHIFT-London presents two challenges during the third round of CommuniCity Open Calls. Open and Agile Smart Cities & Communities (OASC) will award grants of up to 12,500 Euros to a maximum of three applicants. You can find the challenges below, along with evaluation criteria and details about the pilot hosts. If you have any questions, please join the Info Events or check the Q&A section. Furthermore, before submitting your application, review the tips for a successful application on the “Read this first” page. 

London SHIFT Challenge 1: Enhancing collective intelligence for social and environmental innovations

East London’s diverse communities possess valuable insights into urban challenges, but barriers like communication issues, cultural misunderstandings and marginalisation can hinder this intelligence from being effectively harnessed in the creation of social and environmental innovations.

SHIFT seeks innovative digital solutions that can unlock and leverage the collective intelligence of east London’s diverse communities to tackle the complex social and environmental challenges facing marginalised communities.

The solutions could bridge linguistic and cultural gaps, fostering participation from diverse community members in social and environmental initiatives. The solutions could prioritise transparency and build trust, ensuring marginalised communities are genuinely included in decision-making processes. They could facilitate the effective exchange of diverse knowledge and ideas among local residents, community leaders, NGOs, and policymakers. Ultimately, these solutions should support the co-development of innovative approaches to address social and environmental challenges and drive lasting, positive changes in the urban environment, driven by the collective intelligence of local communities.

London Legacy Development Corporation hosts up to two pilots in collaboration with East London’s marginalised communities.

Minimum scores and weightings:

1. Impact

Minimum score: 2 | Weighting:30%

2. Implementation quality and efficiency

Minimum score: 1 | Weighting: 15%

3. Excellence

Minimum score: 1 | Weighting: 15%

4. Co-creation

Minimum score: 2 | Weighting: 25%

5. Technology

Minimum score: 1 | Weighting: 15%

London SHIFT Challenge 2: Enhancing accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities

East London’s public spaces, including the 560-acre Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (QEOP), serve as crucial hubs for community interaction, leisure, and transport. However, for people with disabilities, these spaces often present significant barriers that hinder their full participation. Despite efforts to improve accessibility, challenges such as inaccessible infrastructure, and a lack of real-time information continue to limit the opportunities for people with disabilities to engage with and navigate these spaces.

SHIFT seeks digital solutions to identify and address barriers that hinder equitable access and participation for all.

Digital solutions could provide accessible travel information and real-time updates or help people with disabilities report accessibility issues and suggest improvements. Collecting data on how people with disabilities navigate public spaces would be valuable, and engaging individuals with disabilities in the co-design of public spaces and solutions could ensure that these spaces are not only accessible but also safe and comfortable.

SHIFT London will host one pilot in collaboration with local residents in East London.

Minimum scores and weightings:

1. Impact

Minimum score: 2 | Weighting: 30%

2. Implementation quality and efficiency

Minimum score: 1 | Weighting: 15%

3. Excellence

Minimum score: 1 | Weighting: 15%

4. Co-creation

Minimum score: 2 | Weighting: 25%

5. Technology

Minimum score: 1 | Weighting: 15%