£4.3m regional programme to help councils identify important service challenges and work with the market to develop innovative solutions.

The Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) Contracts for Innovation (CfI) Programme is a £4.3 million initiative that is helping local government to identify important service challenges and work with businesses to develop innovative solutions.

Running from 2026 to 2029 and led by Belfast City Council on behalf of the six BRCD councils, the programme uses challenge-led procurement to stimulate innovation, improve public services and create opportunities for businesses to develop and test new solutions.

What is Contracts for Innovation?

Contracts for Innovation is a competitive procurement approach that enables BRCD councils (Antrim and Newtownabbey, Ards and North Down, Belfast, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Mid and East Antrim, and Newry, Mourne and Down) to work with businesses to research, develop and test innovative solutions to real-world challenges.

Rather than specifying a predetermined solution, challenge owners define the problem they are seeking to address and invite the market to develop new approaches. This creates opportunities for innovation while reducing risk for both councils and suppliers.

How can suppliers get involved?

The CfI Programme provides suppliers – SMEs, start-ups, social enterprises and established businesses – with a unique opportunity to work directly with BRCD council challenge owners and develop solutions for real, identified needs.

By participating, suppliers can:

  • Access funded research and development opportunities.
  • Work directly with BRCD councils to understand operational and service challenges.
  • Develop, test and validate innovative products and services in real-world environments.
  • Explore opportunities across local government and the wider public sector.
  • Collaborate with challenge owners to shape solutions that deliver measurable outcomes for communities.

To stay informed about forthcoming challenge competitions, supplier engagement events and tender opportunities, follow this page and Belfast City Council’s social media channels for the latest programme updates.

What are the challenges?

BRCD councils have completed the Contracts for Innovation Readiness Module to prepare council officers to become Challenge Owners and equip them with the tools and methods required for challenge-led innovation.

Councils have undertaken a structured challenge discovery process to identify and explore service, operational and place-based challenges where innovation could deliver meaningful improvements.

The CfI programme team is now working with councils to refine a pipeline of challenges that will form the basis of upcoming Contracts for Innovation funding competitions between 2026 and 2029.

Challenge 1: Predicting Demand – Managing Tomorrow’s Visitors, Today

Delivered by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council

 “How can local authorities anticipate and manage visitor demand and movement across key destinations, while understanding the factors driving these changes, so they can proactively mitigate potential impacts before they become a problem.”  

This competition is seeking innovative solutions to help transform the way visitor destinations are managed, using Castlewellan Forest Park as a real-world test environment. As visitor numbers continue to grow and demand becomes increasingly difficult to predict, destinations face mounting pressures on parking, transport, visitor services, waste management, biodiversity and wider infrastructure. This challenge is looking for innovative, technology-neutral solutions that can help anticipate demand, improve planning, and support better decision-making for destination managers.

Join Newry, Mourne and Down District Council for an information session on 18 November 2026, 11am-12noon.

More information

For more information, please contact the CfI Programme Manager Adam Wallace at smartbelfast@belfastcity.gov.uk.