Design Age Institute: Mobility Pathfinder
Overview
About the Programme
Funded by the UKRI Healthy Ageing Challenge, part of Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, Design Age Institute’s Mobility Pathfinder Innovation Programme invites innovators, businesses and entrepreneurs from across the UK to propose personal mobility solutions at ideation stage or beyond that are commercially viable, demonstrate creativity and innovation, and can be supported towards market by investment in good design.
Maintaining personal mobility is essential to preventing loss of ability and ensuring we can live independently and stay connected as we age.
There is a pressing need for innovation and scalable approaches that can meet the increasing demand for multiple transport options that are safe, affordable, sustainable and desirable.
Whether on foot or on wheels, seated or standing , good design has the potential to help transform how we socialise, work, and navigate the cities, towns, offices, neighbourhoods and homes of our future selves.
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What Design Age Institute provides
The Mobility Pathfinder Innovation Programme, builds on Design Age Institute’s successful Pathfinder Innovation Programme, which supports innovators to find a route to market for products and services using seed-funding for design interventions alongside design management support and mentoring.
Awardees will receive:
- Funding of between £50k - £70k* to support projects towards market
- Design management support and mentoring (not project management) from our team of experts in design for healthy ageing. The role of the Institute's Design Management team is to advise, scope and facilitate the design process. They are from a design background but do not provide design services on the programme. Your proposed budget must allocate funds for design activities including any design consultancy required.
- Access to existing research, exclusive insights into the healthy ageing marketplace, and peer-networking
- Skills development and training opportunities
- Support to run two research development sessions with end users
* Note that while £70k is the maximum that can be applied for, we are looking for a breadth of entries on cost, and value for money will be a key assessment criterion.
** Note that VAT is excluded from the seed funding and cannot be claimed by awardees.
Who can apply
If you are a business, innovator or entrepreneur with an idea that has the potential to positively impact personal mobility for an ageing population at scale, and help to change the narrative on ageing, Design Age Institute can help you to successfully tap into the UK’s growing healthy ageing marketplace.
They are keen to work with companies, organisations, entrepreneurs and start-ups based in and operating in the UK. They welcome applications from people in all sectors and backgrounds regardless of a track record in business or entrepreneurship.
What is the difference between personal mobility and transport?
- Personal mobility is something you have.
- Transportation is something you do.
Personal Mobility: the ability of a person to move or be moved freely i.e. personal mobility can be supported by devices like a walking stick, shoe, app, stairlift or wheelchair.
Transport: moving things and moving people i.e. trains, buses, taxies, planes, boats, cars, as well as systems like roads, tracks, airports, and the ways we navigate them whether using a bus schedule or an app.
No matter our age, whether on foot, wheels or rails, good design has the potential to transform how we socialise, work, and navigate the cities, towns, offices, neighbourhoods and homes.
REQUIREMENTS
Design Age Institute will fund and support design interventions for proposals at ideation and proof of concept stage onwards that meet the following criteria:
- Individuals or enterprises applying for funding must be based in and trading in the United Kingdom.
- Proposed projects must be suitable for the healthy ageing marketplace.
- Applicants must be able to demonstrate the ability to find a pathway from ideation or prototype towards market.
- Applicants will be asked to demonstrate that receiving the award, and working with the Institute, would form a critical part of their success.
- Applicants should aim to start proposed projects by 31 July 2023 in accordance with our funding from Innovate UK.
- Applicants should aim to have completed proposed projects by 31 Jan 2024.
- Applicants must be able to demonstrate how they meet at least one of our key objectives linked to the UK Grand Challenge on an Ageing Society.
- Enjoy five extra healthier, independent years of life at home
- Support people to retain their mobility, transport and social connections.
8. Applicants must be able to demonstrate how they address one, or more, of the following factors which can impact the support for personal mobility in later life. The following factors are based on research and evidence from Barriers and facilitators of older adults’ usage of mobility devices: a scoping review by Dayeon Lee & Sunghee H. Tak, 2022.
a. Environmental factors
How does the context and environment contribute to, or block effective use of personal mobility aids. Things within the home like steps, thresholds, handrails, lighting. Externally these are also important and additionally things like signage, flat or gently sloping, non slippery or reflective floors
- Negative examples: uneven and poorly lit areas, narrow doors and aisles in public spaces, limited and uncoordinated transport, personal weather protection
- Positive examples: curb ramps, provision of public seats and well maintained toilet facilities, signage and wayfinding
b. User perceptions
Many devices or products that are clinically prescribed for improving personal mobility perform well. However they carry a stigma which prevents people choosing them when they could be a benefit. Users only use them when they cannot manage without. Too many people view a personalmobility device as a sign of disability and dependence with a product aesthetic far removed from one's daily/household/personal choice.
- Negative examples: walking frames and rollators, electric mobility scooters, support shoes and lower limb joint braces
- Positive examples: tablet pcs, cross chest shoulder bags, rear entry trainers
c. Products - emotional responses
Products can often be engineered to perform without due consideration of their aesthetics or emotional fit into a household. They can also carry a high selling price for individual units, with a lack of choice, colour and materials that reinforce negative stigmas
- Negative examples: household handrails, shower seats and bathing accessories
- Positive examples: multi generational kitchens, lightweight folding wheelchairs,
d. Other exclusion factors as applicable:
They are interested in projects that are based on demonstrable evidence of need. If your project meets a need not outlined above please select this theme and provide evidence in your application.
9. Design Age Institute aims to fund and support proposals from idea and proof of concept stage onwards that meet the following criteria:
- Towards market ready and launch
- Commercially viable inventions
- Demonstration of creativity, innovation, distinctive from other ideas in the market.
10. Funding must be used to support design interventions and design related activities including external design consultancy, user insights and evaluation, which should be reflected in the proposed budget.