Open software, hardware and data solutions are proven to increase quality, speed of development, security, improve customer protections and reduce costs with the principals of open collaboration and transparency.

Open approaches can accelerate digitalisation whilst prioritising system security and protecting customers.

You must demonstrate that your open approaches and solutions can:

• help citizens and organisations accelerate to a net zero energy system
• stimulate collaboration across the energy sector to accelerate the development of shared and open digital resources
• increase the transparency of digital solutions in the energy sector to improve security, quality, and value
• create business growth opportunities based on supporting and adopting open principals and solutions
• drive interoperability across organisations and solution providers

Your project must:

• develop original open software, hardware or data solutions that accelerate the transition to net zero energy in the UK
• embrace open principals including appropriate open approaches such as the Open Source Definition stewarded by the Open Source Initiative (OSI) and have suitable open licensing, such as OSI approved licences.
• actively foster the development of a community to support and adopt the open solution
• include a first user as part of the project
• demonstrate a credible and practical route to industry adoption

Your project must also:

• use high quality user research and user experience techniques
• use state of the art analytical techniques and methods for enriching data to gain information and insight, for example: data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence or statistical mathematics techniques
• identify and design solutions that best utilise digital information exchange across the energy industry data ecosystem, and other sectors
• foster innovation and lower information-related barriers by increasing visibility of data and data processing methods, and ease of data access
• follow energy data best practice guidance
• demonstrate how you are utilising diversity and inclusivity, both in your project delivery team and the users group you are designing a solution for

This programme will not fund any proprietary development, however you can pursue business models and development outside of this funding such as open core approaches.

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