Contract for the design, build and operation of a 5G Application Accelerator

This procurement is for partners to create a proposition for a 5G Application Accelerator.

Accelerators are organisations that help innovative start-up and scale-up business to grow more successfully. Over the last decade accelerators have been credited with driving the lift-off of some of the world's most successful tech businesses such as AirBnB, Dropbox and Reddit.

5G will be one of the biggest drivers of technology innovation in the next decade and the UK is well-placed to lead 5G innovation as the 5th country in the world to have launched commercial 5G networks. To turbo-charge the development of exciting new 5G services, WM5G Limited (WM5G) is launching a tender (SSQ) for a partner to build the UK's first commercial 5G Application Accelerator in the West Midlands.

The role of the 5G Application Accelerator will be to demonstrate the benefits of 5G to organisations of all sizes and types across the region and then to work with innovative scale-up businesses to test and prove new 5G services that deliver transformative benefits to citizens, public services and businesses.

Unlike 5G R&D incubators, the role of the 5G Application Accelerator will be to help real companies & public sector organisations engage with 5G and to collaborate with scale-ups to develop & test new 5G services that can be scaled in a real-world environment. However the region is currently under-represented for accelerators in general and given that WM5G is creating the UK's first region-wide 5G testbed - as part of the 5G Tests & Trials programme led by DCMS - it is the perfect location to launch the UK's first 5G Application Accelerator.

WM5G is looking for a partner to design, build and operate the 5G Application Accelerator. This partner will need to provide access to a facility which includes office, event and demo space. Full details are set out within the Instructions to Applicants.

In order to access the documents and submit a bid please do so through BravoSolution, WM5G's e-tendering portal (https://wmca.bravosolution.co.uk).

Bidders are requested to complete the Standard Selection Questionnaire and Mandatory Undertakings, via BravoSolution, by 1200 noon on Monday 16 September 2019 and the deadline for any clarification questions, also via BravoSolution, is 1200 noon on Friday 30 Aug 2019.

Additional information: In order to access further information and express an interest in this opportunity, please register on our e-tendering portal (Bravo Solution). project_288- Contract for the design, build and operation of a 5G Application Accelerator