The selection process

Shortlist stage

During the first sift the CivTech team and Challenge Sponsors select up to six potential solutions per Challenge to take forward to interview. To do this we use your application form to assess:

1. How well the idea solves the Challenge

2. The level of new innovation

3. The commercial potential of the proposed solution

4. The applicant’s commitment to the CivTech process and schedule

The second sift whittles these six applicants down to those that will be invited onto the Exploration Stage. Normally we will select three per Challenge — though in exceptional circumstances this might vary. The second sift will be scored based on a half-hour interview, during which you will have the opportunity to present your proposal and expand on and clarify the original application. The interviews will be carried out remotely via Microsoft Teams.

In addition to further examining the four criteria above, the interview will also be used to understand:

1. The team’s skills, experience, culture and ethos

2. Your approach to equality and diversity

3. Your commitment to environmental sustainability

The CivTech Scorecard clearly sets out the criteria being used to assess all potential solutions and the businesses behind them. (You can download a sample of the scorecard at the bottom of this page.)

Exploration Stage

Up to three potential solution providers per Challenge are selected to take part in the Exploration Stage. This is a contract with the Challenge Sponsor, for which each participating team is paid £5,000 (plus VAT if applicable) to work over a three week period. 

During this stage teams work closely with their Challenge Sponsor and the CivTech team to develop their potential solution further and address any issues that have been brought up. There will be a small number of workshops during this stage for which attendance is mandatory.

Accelerator Stage

At the end of the Exploration Stage teams will submit a revised written application, and take part in a final pitch/interview session — both of which will be used to select the one proposed solution per Challenge that will be taken through to the Accelerator, for which each participating team is paid £30,000 (plus VAT if applicable) to work over an 15-week period. If all parties agree to negotiate a Pre-Commercial Agreement after the Accelerator Stage, an additional payment of £5,000 (plus VAT if applicable) will be paid when negotiations are complete, regardless of the outcome.

The main criteria for the Accelerator Stage:

1. Assessment of the revised applications

2. Project plan for the Accelerator

3. The quality of the pitch/interview session

4. Other relevant items brought forward for consideration, for example a mock-up of the concept/prototype (if available at that stage)

The combination of the Challenge Sponsor’s sector knowledge along with the CivTech team’s tech and business development expertise provides the basis for informed decision-making. 

The scorecard

Below, you can download the scorecard we use to assess all proposed solutions and the teams behind them. We’ve made it available so you can better understand how we'll be doing the scoring, and the process we’re committed to. Each scoring area correlates to a question on the application form. Please note:

• With each question, the criteria for each scoring ‘band' is as clear as we can make it.

• The criteria allows for a degree of flexibility so that proposals with positive elements we might not have automatically thought of beforehand can be fairly assessed.

• We don’t score the team during the initial sift of written applications.

• Stages 2 and 3 are further clarifications of what went before: this means at each stage scores can stay the same, go up, and go down — for example in the case of a promising solution that reveals flaws when developed at the Exploration Stage.

Click here to download a sample CivTech Scorecard