Innovate UK is to invest up to £2 million to support feasibility studies looking at innovative ways to improve the user experience in the digital economy.

We are looking for projects that use the increasing amount of personal data generated by individuals to gain insights into user needs and behaviours.

The competition is open to small and medium-sized enterprises singly or in collaboration. Proposals must be led by a business.

Small businesses could receive up to 70% of their eligible project costs, medium-sized businesses 60%.

We expect projects to last 6 to 12 months and to range in size from total costs of £90,000 to £120,000.

This competition opens on 16 March 2015. The deadline for registration is noon on 29 April 2015, and the deadline for applications is noon on 6 May 2015.

Proposals should explore new ways of using personal data to enhance users’ experience of a product or service.

We are interested in projects that:

• harness personal data to develop or improve products
• employ innovative methodology to explore opportunities arising from analysing personal data

Successful applications will demonstrate understanding of the commercial benefits of user-centred-design and use personal data to design innovative products that provide a great user experience.

Projects should focus on one or more of the three components of user experience outlined below.

Utility: Gain detailed insight into user needs and requirements in a specific sector area and design a new product or service that fulfils this need.

Usability: Gain detailed insights into user behaviour when using a specific product or service. Use them to design a new product or design improvements to an existing product, which can anticipate this behaviour, making it more inclusive and easier to use.

Desirability: Understand what data to capture, how to analyse it, and how to use these insights. Ensuring that a specific product or service can adjust to changes in user needs, behaviour and desires.

Successful projects can be focused on large user groups or on personalised solutions for individuals.

Please click here for further details https://interact.innovateuk.org/competition-display-page/-/asset_publisher/RqEt2AKmEBhi/content/enhancing-user-experience-using-personal-data

If you are interested and require support please contact Naomi Arblaster in ECD: N.Arblaster@staffs.ac.uk, Tel: 01785 353519