Council wins global award for supporting innovative companies

Dorset Council has gained international recognition for a ground-breaking system which supports innovators looking to work in the county.

The council has been named a Startup Ecosystem Rising Star 2024 by the International Chamber of Commerce and Mind the Bridge in the Visionary Public Procurement category.

The global award comes after the council introduced its Digital Innovation Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) which aims to reduce the barriers to smaller companies looking to innovate in the county.

The online platform allows companies of all sizes to register and bid for opportunities to work with the council. Within 30 days of its launch, 80 businesses had signed up.

Rikesh Shah, Head of the Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre (IPEC) which sponsored the award, said:

“The Judging Committee were particularly impressed by Dorset Council’s strategic initiatives and achievements in stimulating innovation and economic growth. Its efforts serve as a model for emerging ecosystems worldwide.”

“The UK public sector spends over £300bn a year buying goods, services and works from the private sector. By buying more innovative solutions, the public sector can be a driver of new ideas, providing innovative firms with the foothold they need to succeed, fuelling the scale-up ecosystem and encouraging wider adoption of new tech services.”

Since creating the DPS in March 2024 the council has used it to buy products and services from SMEs for groundbreaking connectivity projects it leads.

These include the Dorset Open Network Ecosystem (DONE) project which features large industry players like ARM and Keysight. The DPS was used to buy critical equipment from SME Acceleran. The investment provides cutting edge capabilities at Dorset Innovation Park enabling research into lower power and more affordable mobile connectivity for rural areas.

The DPS was most recently employed to enlist SME Excelerate Technologies in just 16 days to help create the UK’s first WiFi connected steam train on the Swanage Railway using hybrid Low Earth Orbit satellite and cellular connectivity.

In both cases the funding came from the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation & Technology.

Richard Biggs, Dorset Council Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Property, Assets & Economic Growth, said:

“This international recognition highlights our commitment to fostering innovation and economic growth in Dorset. The DPS is not only streamlining procurement but also helping us and the UK government address connectivity challenges that hinder rural economic development.

“Dorset Council looks forward to building on its reputation as a place that supports cutting-edge digital innovation. It shows industry that ours is a county that welcomes and supports innovation and the investments, jobs and economic growth that can go with it.”