Benesse UK to help digital start-ups bid for OpenActive funding
Support is now available from Benesse UK to help digital start-ups that are bidding for the OpenActive funding programme.
This month, the Open Data Institute (ODI) opens for applications from start-ups keen to get funding to support ideas for the digital transformation of the activity sector.
The ODI is working together with Sport England to fund ten start-up programmes through their six-month funding accelerator which starts in May.
Companies needing support should contact Benesse UK for support and guidance.
Background
The ODI is working together with Sport England on a big drive to get the nation more active through the use of open data.
Now is the time to gather partners together who want to be a part of supporting this vision and Benesse UK are assisting in identifying potential bidders.
This month, the ODI will open for applications from hundreds of start-ups keen to get a place on the 6-month accelerator that starts in May.
Only ten teams will be chosen to take part but they’ll have an opportunity to be a part of the digital transformation of a sector.
If this interests you, let’s talk about how Benesse UK can get involved and guide you through the process.
OpenActive
OpenActive is an ambitious, community-led initiative for change across the sport and physical activity sector which promotes the use of opportunity data to help people get active. It is being coordinated by the ODI, an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organisation.
Its goal is to make data on what, where and when physical activity sessions happen, openly available. This “opportunity data” includes details of a yoga class (“how much will it cost?”) through to badminton court availability (“where and when is a court available?”).
It is bringing together sports and physical activity organisations from across the sector to open up their opportunity data, from leisure operators to National Governing Bodies, local sports clubs to event providers, walking groups to fitness instructors. It is also helping other organisations to use this opportunity data to build interesting tools and experiences for consumers.
OpenActive is supporting these organisations to:
Open up data – helping them to share and publish data with an open licence.
Innovate with data – helping them to use opportunity data to engage their audience.
Learn about data – providing ODI-certified training to ensure organisations understand what open data is and how publishing data can benefit them.
Create data standards – collaborating to create common standards for consistent, reliable data, which fuels innovation.
Build momentum – spreading the message within the sector, and contributing to supporting materials that anyone can use.
The OpenActive community was started by a group of enthusiastic sports and physical activity organisations who wanted to reach new audiences with better opportunities to get active, using data and smart technology. The ODI is calling on all organisations interested in using opportunity data to get more people active, to join the community.
