Augment The City Challenge Competition
Thu, 18 Apr 2024 09:00:00 GMT → Thu, 18 Apr 2024 10:00:00 GMT (d=1 hours, 0 seconds)
Augment the City Challenge Competition
Register for our online information session on 18 April 2024 and hear about a new £575,000 XR challenge funding competition which will bring together innovators from the creative industries sector with leading tourism organisations to explore how immersive technology will enhance future visitor attractions across the Belfast region including the landmark Belfast Stories.
The Augment the City Challenge competition, led by Belfast City Council’s City Innovation Office and funded by the Belfast Region City Deal, will enable local businesses to develop ideas, proof of concepts and prototypes using immersive technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality to enhance visitor attractions.
Challenge
Belfast City Council is designing a new tourism landmark - Belfast Stories - which will open in Belfast city centre in 2029.
Belfast Stories will reflect the unique spirit of Belfast through a variety of media and a mix of immersive experiences. Celebrating Belfast’s people and places, this new attraction will enable visitors and local people to connect with the city and one another through stories, screen, and social spaces.
We are looking for creative technology innovators to develop concepts and proposals which use innovative immersive and digital technologies to gather, curate and present stories about Belfast and its people.
The full challenge brief will be published at www.smartbelfast.city on 15 April 2024.
What are we offering innovators?
Successful applicants will benefit from:
- funding to support innovation and R&D to develop ideas, proofs of concepts and prototypes in immersive technologies,
- access to a venue in Belfast, with state-of-the-art advanced wireless digital connectivity, to develop, trial and showcase their innovative ideas and prototypes,
- user testing and feedback from visitors to help improve and enhance their product,and
- a better understanding of the future needs of those creating new visitor attractions in Belfast and across Northern Ireland.
Funding
The funding competition will be delivered across three phases:
Phase 1: Up to ten companies will be offered up to £10,000 each to develop their concepts. This will include an in-person presentational pitch in Belfast at the end of phase 1.
Phase 2: Up to five companies will be offered up to £35,000 to further develop their proposals.
Phase 3: Up to three companies will be offered £100,000 each to develop prototypes.
More information
Full competition details, criteria and application form will be available on 15 April 2024.
For more information, visit the Smart Belfast website.