ADD2599 Challenge LDN – Branding

1.1.    The GLA manages Challenge LDN, an open-innovation programme (MD2286 established the initial pilot), which brings innovators together with London’s public, private and third sectors to co-design solutions to the city’s complex challenges. Over 20 challenges have been delivered to date, across priorities such as climate change, community resilience, crime, planning, affordable housing and regeneration. This has leveraged £2m to support delivery, and includes over 1,000 hours of expert support through working with partners such as the Design Council, Social Tech Trust, Microsoft, National Grid, the NHS and London’s universities. Further details can be found in the case studies detailed below and https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/business-and-economy/supporting-lon...

1.2.    To date the programme has:

• shaped the direction of innovation to better meet the needs of the city and Londoners 
• leveraged expertise and resources from a diverse range of sectors – from global corporates and philanthropy to higher education institutions and community organisations 
• supported new forms of collaboration across sectors and systems, including between community groups, boroughs, innovators and private-sector partners
• enabled the innovation process to be more inclusive, bringing communities directly into the innovation process, ensuring collaborators are diverse and representative of relevant lived experiences.

1.3.    The GLA’s ambition is to scale up the approach (MD2921) to drive innovation across London’s public and third sector to help make our city greener, fairer, cleaner, healthier and easier to get around. Building a coherent brand will enable: 

• peer-to-peer sharing of resources, networks and investment to scale new tools, mechanisms, ways of working and policy innovations to boroughs, third-sector partners, academia, investors and Londoners
• support of design and mission-led approach to solving the city’s most complex problems by pooling knowledge and expertise, sparking ideas and creativity across ecosystems.

2.1.    Approval for expenditure of up-to £10,000 is sought to enable programme delivery of Challenge LDN during 2022-24 as the GLA’s innovation service for London’s public and third sectors. The objectives are to:

• create a strong, cohesive brand identity for the Mayor’s Innovation Challenges
• develop a suite of creative assets to showcase and promote the work of the Mayor’s Innovators to create jobs and good growth
• nurture an innovation community of diverse Londoners to provide advisory support within, and outside, the GLA 
• reflect the ambition of the Mayor to invest in knowledge, skills and opportunities for larger-scale change.

2.2.    In order to deliver the above benefits, the following expenditure is proposed:

3.1.    Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the Mayor of London must have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation; and to advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations, between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not. 

3.2.    Evidence has shown that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Londoners have been disproportionately impacted by the current crisis, in terms of both the health impact and often facing barriers to accessing support available from the government. Additionally, the economic impact on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Londoners is expected to be higher. 

3.3.    The priorities to enable London’s recovery as outlined in the London Recovery Programme and the Economic Recovery Framework (ERF)  aim to address issues that disproportionately impact Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Londoners; and will be the focus of the innovation projects. 

3.4.    Challenge LDN will ensure that the opportunity to participate in the programme reaches diverse innovators, including those who do not typically participate in this type of activity. 

3.5.    Challenge LDN will work with community partners to reach diverse community groups and access harder-to-reach communities, including those with lived experience of the challenges being addressed. This will enable both the innovation process to be inclusive, and the product to better meet diverse needs.

4.1.    Key risks and issues:

4.2.    Links to Mayoral Strategies and priorities:

• Economic Development Strategy: the programme meets the Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy objectives to stimulate innovation in response to London’s challenges, to support the adoption of innovation across the economy and society, and to enable the benefits of innovation to be more widely shared. 
• The London Recovery Programme/ ERF for London: the London Recovery Programme has identified a grand challenge to restore confidence in the city, minimise the impact on communities, and build back better the city’s economy and society. The London Recovery Board has agreed nine missions to help meet that grand challenge. The programme will work with boroughs, affected communities and wider stakeholders to identify challenge statements aligned to the priorities set out by the Board and in the broader Economic Recovery Framework. 
• Smarter London Roadmap: the Smarter London Roadmap has identified six priorities for the second Mayoral term, based on the Recovery programme and Mayor’s 2021 Manifesto. One of the six priorities is Grand Open Calls. Expertise in open calls enables challenges to be set by City Hall to the tech sector and anchor institutions; this allows for design thinking, rapid prototyping and innovation in delivery beyond the current capabilities of the public sector.

4.3.    There are no conflicts of interest to note from any of the officers involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision form.

5.1.    This expenditure will be funded by the approved Technology and Innovation Programme budget for 2022-23 which exists within the Economic Development Unit.