University student or recent graduate with a business idea in GovTech or CivTech you want to develop?
Then this is for you.
Bringing the benefits of digital disruption to government and public services
What is the GovTech Challenge?
The GovTech Challenge is a competition for new GovTech, CivTech and CivicTech businesses led by UK based students or recent graduates.
All new businesses or business ideas that see the government or public sector as their main or largest potential customer are eligible.
Winners will also build a useful network of expert contacts in this space and work with likeminded individuals wanting to bring about change.
Why GovTech?
Government is the biggest industry on the planet. For an entrepreneur that should be sexy in itself. But this is an industry that is also broken (Q: Do you think government is good enough?) and ripe for the same kinds of digital disruption that have transformed almost every other industry in recent years. This is going to be big. Really big.
This programme is about getting young, talented, ambitious entrepreneurs in to the new sector of GovTech (it's like FinTech was, about seven-ten years ago) just as it's getting going. And the UK is the best place in the world to be doing this.
So really, why not GovTech?
Who Can Apply?
Businesses led by students graduating in 2018, or who have graduated in the last three years, and are looking to start a GovTech or CivTech business will be considered eligible.
Applications are made as a business or with the intention of starting the business. Businesses do not need to be formally registered in order to enter but participants must commit to starting the business and working on it full time for a minimum of six months.
It's also vitally important that everyone on the team has a sense of humour and is not an arse. Warning: These things may be tested during the application process.
“Many projects starts small,the important thing is they start.”
Timothy Barnes, Founder, The Rain Gods, and GovTech Academy Mentor
.