NESTA encourages collaboration between local authorities and digital agencies
A new project by NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) is offering local authorities the opportunity to collaborate with digital media developers to provide their communities with innovative, web-based services.
The ‘Make it Local’ project aims to encourage authorities to grant access to publicly-owned data – such as transport, carbon emissions, population and crime data – to help power a range of useful, digital services.
NESTA is looking to broker three authority/developer partnerships, selected on the basis of the impact projects will have on local communities, to illustrate to local authorities the value of releasing this data to developers.
NESTA’s Philip Colligan explains that, with radically reduced budgets, “technology can deliver effective public services for less”.
“Through this project we aim to show how powerful partnerships between local authorities and digital businesses can lead to the opening up of local data for the benefit of the community,” added Colligan.
The project will make available to three local authorities up to £30,000 to spend with a digital media business, and proposals must be submitted with a digital business partner already onboard.
Digital agencies are encouraged to approach local authorities with ideas for new applications. To qualify, applications/web services will need to:
• Address a specific need identified by local residents
• Allow users an opportunity to update and augment the data with their own content
• Use real-time local public data
Applications can be submitted from 15 July to 20 August 2010, and must be ready to go live by 1 January 2011.
Applications can be made via NESTA’s website.