FAQs

Q1: Is this programme open to councils across the UK?
A1: No, this programme has been developed to test with Scottish councils only.

Q2: Can I collaborate with another Scottish Council? 
A2: It can be a collaborative entry from a number of councils in Scotland who are interested in the same issues and have similar data, or from a single Scottish council. The council(s) need to have identifed the digital developer they wish to work with and name them on the application form. The application needs to come from a local authority in Scotland to be eligible.

Q3: How much funding is available?
A3: We will award up to £25,000. Up to £20,000 to cover the costs of the digital developer and up to £5,000 for you to market the new service to ensure the local community know about the new service and can benefit from it.

Q4: How will the ideas be selected?
A4: We will select the ideas on the basis of:

• The data which is being made open by the council- being genuinely newly available to the public in a format that is useful
• The digital service allowing the public to interact with the data and add their own data to enhance the web based service
• The innovation potential of the new service
• Evidence of the demand for this new service in the local community and the benefits this will potentially give both the council(s) and their communities
• The potential for this new service to be replicated or supported and joined by other councils to create a larger community service

Q5: When does the service need to be ready?
A5: We are asking that the service is up and running by 30 September 2012 at the latest. This allows around seven months for the design and development. The sooner the better however, so if you can have the service created before this timeline, that's good.

Q6: What format does the data need to be in? 
A6: Your data will need to be in RDF format (or similar).  However, you will need to discuss this with the digital developer so that they are aware of what information you own and in what format and what other data you need to access through others (eg. Google maps or third party suppliers). We are making it a requirement of the programme that the code for the digital service is  'open sourced' by the developer so that others could potentially re-create this.

Q7: Who will own the new service?
A7: This will be owned by the council. NESTA will take no ownership of the service - we simply wish to support its creation and be able to promote the innovation.

If your question hasn't been answered, please contact our NESTA office in Scotland on 01382 229521