Successful applicants will be given an opportunity to pitch to the Challenge Holder, Transport for London, with a project proposal. Following this, TfL may procure services from the applicant to test and trial selected solutions. Successful applicants may be chosen to run a product trial, which would test a solution to define and implement a location-driven data collection process with TfL customers. The successful  applicants will work with TfL on a service to test and trial selected solutions with TfL customers. 

Transport for London (TfL) is looking for applicants to demonstrate the best use of mobile device location data and develop a standard process for data collection and processing that enhances data sets already available in TfL to give high value insights into how the people of London travel and where optimisation can be achieved.&nbsp;
TfL is responsible for the day-to-day running of the capital's transport system. TfL must cater for more than 3.2 billion passenger journeys made each year.
To aid customer experience, the TfL Go app was launched in 2020 and (as of September 2024) has over 7m downloads and more than 900k monthly users. TfL Go includes a digital version of the Tube map, network status, a multi-modal journey planner and live bus arrival times.
What is the motivation or need for this challenge?
TfL would like to learn how they can improve their services by analysing users&rsquo; location data to understand journey patterns at both an individual and aggregated level.
<ul>
<li>
Understanding an individual user&rsquo;s movements and better identifying the modes of travel they use across public transport, walking, cycling and driving, can help to build a customer profile and provide tailored journey advice to improve user experience. TfL has no plans to use data from this challenge for any charging or pricing models.
</li>
<li>Capturing and applying privacy enhancing technologies and techniques (including, but not limited to, anonymisation and pseudonymisation) to large-scale data can help to gain a proper picture of movement in London and advise on solutions to drive efficiency and net zero, without the identification of individuals.</li>
</ul>
There has been some work completed to date. In 2019, alongside the pre-launch development of TfL Go, a small-scale location data exploration was run with c.20 members of TfL staff. It used an in-house test app that captured GPS data at different levels of granularity and allowed for some initial research into journey mapping and mode detection.&nbsp;
TfL would now like to look at expanding and building on earlier work to understand how to define and implement a location data collection standard process and generate a suitable trial dataset.

Background

TfL would like to better understand how they might make use of tools and methods built into smartphone hardware and available to an app, to collect mobile device location data at an appropriate level of granularity, and process that data to prepare it for analysis. This will help TfL to understand travel patterns at an individual and aggregated level, providing customer and business insights that can drive future user experiences.
There are two main aims:
<ul>
<li>To quickly understand the potential of collecting high quality location data and understand how it can be used to deliver greater customer and business value to TfL.</li>
<li>Using the succesful applicants' method for data gathering; to generate a trial dataset to achieve the above, with a sizeable and representative dataset to explore and test hypotheses against.</li>
</ul>
To reach these aims it is expected that a trial will need to be undertaken to demonstrate:
<ul>
<li>data collection,</li>
<li>data processing and management,</li>
<li>data validation,</li>
<li>data analysis and insight&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
The succesful applicant will also be responsible for trial recruitment and management, subject to input and approval by TfL. The size and duration of the trial is to be determined based on the required outputs.
In parallel to this innovation challenge, TfL is also undertaking research into customer perceptions around location data sharing via mobile apps, and specifically attitudes to sharing data with TfL. The outputs of this research will be shared with the successful applicant to help guide and shape the trial. Challenge &ndash; Part 1: &nbsp;How might we define a location data collection standard process that maximises the opportunity for TfL to generate network insights and power customer-facing features, whilst minimising personal data collection?&nbsp;
Capture specification including but are not limited to:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>When to start capturing, when to stop capturing location,</li>
<li>Top/tail journey (privacy zones),</li>
<li>Location data capture underground on the TfL network,</li>
</ul>
Challenge &ndash; Part 2: How might we process, transform, and maintain the dataset defined through part 1 to ensure it is ready for analysis by TfL?
Areas to be covered include but are not limited to:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>inferred mode of travel,&nbsp;</li>
<li>Identification of end-to-end journeys including multi-modal travel,&nbsp;</li>
<li>implementation of privacy enhancing technologies and techniques (including, but not limited to, anonymisation and pseudonymisation processes),&nbsp;</li>
<li>demographic inference,&nbsp;</li>
<li>ensuring separation of the aggregated and personalised datasets,</li>
</ul>
TfL would also like to understand more about the system architecture, data processing rules, and data storage, management and retention rules that a live service would require.
&nbsp;

The Challenge

The solution should:
Use an App with IOS and Android versions to collect data
<ul>
<li>Any trial will not be run through TfL Go,&nbsp;</li>
<li>If successful, the technology/solution could be licensed for integration into TfL Go,&nbsp;</li>
<li>Data should be corroborated with travel diaries,</li>
<li>Integrate with a collection Application Programming Interface (API) or similar, to be specified during the trial,</li>
<li>There must be facility to port data directly into TfL's datastore so that TfL can use the data for further analysis,</li>
</ul>

Functional Requirements

The solution should:
<ul>
<li>Determine what the suggested accuracy of location data should be to reach desired outcomes, TfL want to understand how granular this must be, to achieve required performance,</li>
<li>Identify individual trips, including information such as start and end point, time taken, inferred mode, trip type etc,</li>
<li>Provide options for TfL to access algorithms and models used for analysis at the end of the trial,</li>
</ul>

Technical Requirements

The solution should:
<ul>
<li>Process data in accordance with UK data protection legislation,</li>
<li>Provide pseudonymised data or anonymised and cleaned/store in appropriate way,</li>
<li>Provide a subset of the data (to be agreed with TfL) in the data&rsquo;s raw form,</li>
<li>Delete Data in line with the retention rules defined as part of the project in collaboration with TfL's Information Governance team,</li>
</ul>

Operating Conditions

The trial solution should not:
<ul>
<li>Require integration into TfL Go or be another travel app/Journey planning application,</li>
<li>Include a full insights analysis of the data,</li>
<li>Deliver app features for TfL Go or propose specific uses of the location data for personalisation of customer-facing features or business insight ,</li>
</ul>

Out of Scope

Successful applicants will work with TfL to trial their solution (s)with the possibility for further adoption if trials are successful.
The benefits package for a successful applicant may also include:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Support from Innovate UK Business Connect,</li>
<li>Support in the development of a prototype or pilot ,&nbsp;</li>
<li>Technical support,&nbsp;</li>
<li>Invitation to attend or present at Innovate UK Business Connect events,&nbsp;</li>
<li>A potential business collaboration,&nbsp;</li>
<li>Investor introductions (if investment is required),&nbsp;</li>
<li>Support if any Innovate or similar competitions are relevant,</li>
</ul>

Rewards & Market Opportunity

Applicants should outline the expected costs for this trial including development costs, trial running, and if appropriate IP licensing costs.&nbsp;

Cost Requirement

<ul>
<li>Launch of the Challenge Statement/Market Sounding Questionnaire: 2nd of september 2024</li>
<li>Deadline for respondents: &nbsp;17th of october 2024</li>
<li>Succesful applicants will be notified on:1st november 2024</li>
<li>Successful applicants will be invited to a competition pitch day: week commencing 17th november 2024.</li>
</ul>

Timescales

The successful applicants must be:&nbsp;
Established businesses, academic institutions, start-ups, SMEs, or individual entrepreneurs.&nbsp;
UK based or have the intention to set up a UK base.&nbsp;
Applicants invited to the competition will be assessed on:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Relevance to the defined challenge</li>
<li>Benefit of implementation&nbsp;</li>
<li>Feasibility/economic viability&nbsp;</li>
<li>Innovative nature</li>
<li>Ability to launch a trial in line with expected timescales determined by TfL</li>
<li>Credibility of applicant company</li>
<li>Coherence of the proposed business model&nbsp;</li>
<li>Development potential&nbsp;</li>
<li>Maturity of the solution&nbsp;</li>
<li>Suitability for the intended geographic market</li>
<li>Understanding of, and compliance with, UK data protection legislation</li>
<li>Following any tender stage, the successful applicants must adhere to TfL&rsquo;s Cyber Security, Privacy and Network requirements.Applicants are expected to be International Organization for Standardization (ISO) compliant and submissions should indicate ISO 27001, 31000 or any other certification. At pitch stage, applicants will be provided with Cyber Security and Privacy questions and expected to submit written evidence of compliance alongside the pitch.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Eligibility & Assessment Criteria

Existing background IP associated with a potential solution will remain with the successful applicant. Any successful applicant will be required to give TfL a perpetual royalty-free ground IP license to utilise applicants background IP for the purpose of the trial. Where any new IP generation is envisaged, it will be subject to the mutual IP agreement of the successful applicants and TfL.&nbsp;
Any commercial deployment of a transferred solution or newly developed solution, through licensing, joint venture, partnership, or direct investment, will be subject to the commercial agreement between the successful Solution Provider(s) and TfL.&nbsp;
Where necessary, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be signed to uphold confidentiality in the engagement between the successful applicants and Innovation Challenger. This would be expected to be after company selection. All entries are treated as confidential and only shared with Innovate UK and the challenge holder, however if the applicant is concerned about sharing IP, it is suggested that details of IP are not disclosed. Instead, focus on the outcomes of the technology proposed.&nbsp;
Innovate UK and Innovate UK Business Connectdo not take any share of IP ownership or enter commercial ventures through the iX programme.
The contract between TfL and the successful applicant will contain appropriate data protection provision.

IP & Potential Commercial Route

At the pitch day, a selected panel of assessors will review and score your application. The panel of assessors will meet and agree a consensus score. Successful solutions will be selected by the Challenge holder. Success will be based upon total consensus scores, a portfolio approach and capacity within the challenge holders to carry out the projects.

Terms & Conditions

This Challenge Statement/Market Sounding Questionnaire (MSQ) is asking applicants to provide company information and answer 3 questions - Idea Summary, Technology Readiness and Intellectual Property &ndash; each with a limit of 300 words.&nbsp;
Optionally, supporting documents can be attached to the MSQ. We recommend that supporting documents are limited to those which are directly relevant to the MSQ. Examples of useful additional documents include product images or short specification sheets, slide decks detailing the solution and/or company background, or solution case studies.
We recommend that you complete this in Google Chrome as other browsers may have compatibility issues. The MSQ does not need to be completed in one session and can be saved for future edits. Please ensure that you toggle &ldquo;Stage Complete&rdquo; for each section before submission. Note that you will no longer be able to edit your submission once you have clicked &ldquo;Submit Idea&rdquo; at the bottom of the Summary page.
Legal Notice
Information provided within this Challenge Statement/MSQ and the associated PIN/EME (&ldquo;the Early Market Engagement documents&rdquo;) does not purport to be comprehensive or verified by TfL or its advisers. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be given by TfL or any of its officers, employees, servants, agents or advisers with respect to the information or opinions contained in the EME documents. Any liability in respect of such representations or warranties, howsoever arising, is hereby expressly disclaimed but nothing in the EME documents shall exclude or restrict liability for fraudulent misrepresentations.
TfL reserves the right without prior notice to amend the information provided, including, but not limited to, changing the timetable, the scope and nature of the procurement and the procurement process. In particular, TfL reserves the right to issue circulars to interested parties providing further information or supplementing and / or amending the procurement process. In no circumstances shall TfL incur any liability in respect of any changes. This will be subject to the requirements of public law, the UK and EU procurement rules and Treaty on the functioning of the European Union rules and general principles.
TfL reserves the right without prior notice not to follow up the EME documents in any way or with any interested parties. TfL also reserves the right to terminate this process at any time without awarding a contract. TfL will not enter into a contract based solely on the responses to the EME documents and no information contained within the EME documents or in any communication made between TfL and any interested party in connection with the EME documents shall be relied upon as constituting a contract or representation that any contract shall be offered.
Direct or indirect canvassing of the Mayor, any members of the Greater London Authority, employees, directors, board members, agents and advisers of TfL and any of its subsidiaries by any person concerning the EME documents or any related procurement process and any attempt to procure information from any of the foregoing concerning the EME documents may result in the disqualification of the person and / or the relevant organisation from consideration during the market engagement or for any associated procurement. This exercise does not part of any formal procurement process. All responses will be carefully considered but will not bind TfL to any particular approach to the procurement, nor will responses be treated as conveying any promise or commitment on the part of the respondent.
Freedom of Information
TfL is committed to open government and to meeting their legal responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Accordingly, all information submitted to a public authority may need to be disclosed by the public authority in response to a request under the Act. TfL may also decide to include certain information in the publication scheme, which TfL maintains under the Act.
If an interested party considers that any of the information included in their Challenge statement responses/ Market Sounding Questionnaire (MSQ) response is commercially sensitive, it should identify it and explain (in broad terms) what harm may result from disclosure if a request is received, and the time period applicable to that sensitivity.
Interested parties should be aware that, even where they have indicated that information is commercially sensitive, TfL might be required to disclose it under the Act if a request is received.
Interested parties should also note that the receipt of any material marked &lsquo;confidential&rsquo; or equivalent by TfL should not be taken to mean that TfL accepts any duty of confidence by virtue of that marking.

Define and implement a location data collection process and generate a test data set to help improve multi-modal journeys

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Define and implement a location data collection process and generate a test data set to help improve multi-modal journeys