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Connected Places Catapult, in collaboration with Network Rail and funded by Innovate UK, is excited to announce the fourth year of the Station Innovation Zone (SIZ) Competition. The SIZ programme supports SMEs to develop and trial new ways of improving various aspects of the passenger experience, with Bristol Temple Meads as the testbed site.
The SIZ funding programme takes a two-phase approach. Phase One, starting in November 2025, consists of up to 8 SMEs receiving up to £4,000 each to develop a trial plan for their solutions at Bristol Temple Meads, working closely with colleagues at the Catapult and Network Rail.
Upon completion of these trial plans, up to three SMEs will then be chosen to proceed to Phase Two where they will move forward to live trials over a six-month period at Bristol Temple Meads, each receiving up to £45,000 to support deployment at the station.
All successful applicants will also receive business development and technical trial support as well as the opportunity to showcase their technology at relevant industry events.
The Station Innovation Zone competition aims to reduce barriers to innovation and serves as a showcase for rail technology innovators, buyers and investors. The aim is to craft a station of the future that embodies local identity, fosters inclusivity, and improves transport for all.
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Required:
- Open to UK-registered small, medium or micro-sized businesses.
- Innovations must be at least TRL (Technology Readiness Level) 5 or higher.
- Solutions must address one of the identified challenge areas.
- Applicants must be willing to travel for meetings in Bristol.
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Station weather resilience:
Predicting, preventing and responding to surface condensationInnovations to help combat condensation on station floors that can lead to slips and falls. Solutions should reduce the need to place matting on the ground, and making public safety announcements.
In certain weather, air condenses and reaches ‘dew point’, resulting in station floors getting damp; reducing slip resistance.
Solutions should consider the heritage status of the station building, and the accessibility needs of all passengers. Multiple solutions may be required to address the issue in full, so applicants are encouraged to show willing to collaborate with other innovators.
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Improving the interchange experience:
Addressing passenger rushing, and reducing anxietySolutions that enable passengers to feel relaxed, prepared and in control if there is a change to their service, a delay or cancellation when interchanging between trains or moving to another mode of transport.
Systems should ensure that conflicts between the needs of those stationary versus those moving both fast and slow can be reduced, when a designated platform changes shortly before a train arrives.
Solutions aimed at changing passenger behaviour to help reduce anxiety could include physical innovations at stations—such as the use of light, sound, or other visual stimuli—or digital approaches, including augmented reality.
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On Wednesday 30 July (11am-12:30pm), Connected Places Catapult will hold an Application Support Webinar to give applicants to the Station Innovation Zone Competition the opportunity to find out more about the programme offering, challenges, application process, scoring criteria, and the assessment process. Register for a webinar place.
Drop-in session
Connected Places Catapult will also be hosting two drop-in sessions with Network Rail for applicants to ask questions about the challenges and competition.Drop-In Session with Network Rail & Challenge Designers: 13 August
Drop-in Session with Network Rail & Challenge Designers: 10 SeptemberRegister for drop-in session(s)
Key dates
- 16 Jul 2025: Applications open
- 30 Jul 2025: Application support webinar
- 24 Sept 2025: Applications close
- Oct 2025: Notification to shortlisted applicants
- Oct 2025: Interviews
- Nov 2025 – Jan 2026: Phase one
- Feb – Jul 2026: Phase two
- Jul 2026: Phase two project end date
- Late Summer: Showcase at Bristol Temple Meads
If you have any questions about the programme and application, please contact innovation_funding@cp.catapult.org.uk.
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