This grant will be used to extend the scope and reach of the initial pilot phase of the Rocket Fund crowdfunding platform to develop into a sustainable model with marketplace features where teachers can gather information from a range of options, learn from the experience of other teachers and crowdsource relevant funds. Nesta aims to support improvements in classroom learning and pupil digital skills and help support growth of the UK EdTech business sector.

Background

BEIS is working to support the growth of innovative technological sectors. EdTech in the UK is a vibrant, fast-growing sector, with technological innovations enabling new ways of teaching and learning. There are around 1000 edtech businesses in the UK (including four of the fastest-growing in the world), with the potential to galvanise an education sector worth £900m domestically and $2tn globally. In August the Secretary of State for Education, Damian Hinds MP challenged the tech industry to launch an education revolution for schools, colleges and universities.

However, the nature of the marketplace makes it harder for UK edtech companies to scale and grow. There are over 25,000 unaffiliated state schools in the UK procuring individually, and currently no platform exists for EdTech businesses to reach school decision makers at scale.

It is also difficult for teachers to access impartial and credible evidence for ‘what works’ in edtech. There is no overarching, agreed approach for EdTech companies to validate their products or services – randomised control trials are expensive and time consuming, and their product may be superseded by the time it’s complete. The outcome is that schools struggle to understand what solutions exist to address their problems, to assess comparable solutions against each other and to know what price to pay.

Nesta’s Rocket Fund scheme offers educators the opportunity to access trusted, expert and impartial advice on new technology solutions via reviews left by teachers, and enables schools to experiment with new technology without risking money from other budgets. BEIS has part-funded this experimental initiative, to assess whether it can encourage educators to innovate with classroom technology, and whether it is an effective means of gathering evidence on the impact of different edtech solutions.

• Funding is only available for innovative school and classroom EdTech solutions, and is not an alternative to mainstream funding for core school activities
• The limit of £1500 on fundraising is insufficient to make a difference to overall school budgets.
• To raise further funds, schools are required to leave reviews on their experience of adoption and use of the technology. Failure to do so means the school would not be able to use the site to raise further crowdfunding.