Green Capital Digital Challenge

An international competition for teams to develop Cleanweb mobile apps or environmental awareness raising games.

Bristol 2015 is asking Europe’s brightest minds to identify new ways that software can be used to tackle environmental challenges in cities in the European Green Capital Digital Challenge. This will include a 48-hour Digital Challenge Hack Weekend during 6 – 8 February hosted during Digital Bristol Week, produced by the BBC.

This two stage challenge will see teams of developers together with digital and environmental experts compete for the chance to scoop cash prizes of up to £50,000 to stimulate innovation in the development of software applications and games posed to address the Bristol2015 themes: energy, transport, resources, food and nature.

The Challenge judges have wide reaching and complementary expertise and some of them will be available to mentor the finalists. The full panel is:

• Ed Parsons, Geospatial Technologist at Google and previously CTO at Ordnance Survey
• Siobhan Reddy, Studio Director and co-founder of Media Molecule, creators of the multi-award-winning Little Big Planet franchise and a member of the BAFTA games committee
• Sonny Masero, Entrepreneur, Investor, Advisor in Cleantech & Webtech
• Tim Kay, Director of KPMG Enterprise which is focused on supporting UK tech SMEs and start-ups
• Nick Appleyard, Head of Digital at Innovate UK
• Stephen Hilton, Bristol City Council’s Future Cities Director

Stage 1: 48-hour Digital Challenge Hack Weekend, 6-8 February
Stage 1 began in January and culminated in a 48-hour Digital Challenge Hack Weekend in which teams of up to five people came together with related businesses at Bristol’s Watershed to develop an initial proposition for shortlisting by the Challenge judges.

The six successful projects selected to go through to the Stage 2 final include:

• Power Up Bristol, an energy puzzle game
• Crocodile, a “walking bus” travel app for parents & their children at school
• Super Trash Heroes, a retro food-waste game from PlayWest / UWEGames
• SnapCycle, an app to make it easy to reuse and recycle from Nudge Digital
• By-product Synergy platform for B2B waste exchange from Ecodesk
• Future City Simulator, a green happy city natural resource management game 

Stage 2: Digital Challenge Final and Awards Ceremony, 20 April
Stage 2 will see the judges select the winner of a £50,000 prize as well as a £10,000 Peoples’ Award voted for by the Youth Summit attendees at Colston Hall.