RSSB2701 - Innovation Programme Promotional Content Promotion of the RSSB Innovation Programme and Client Generation

Introduction and Background The railway industry in Great Britain is undergoing a significant period of change, with growth in passenger and freight custom to levels not seen for many years. In response to this, the industry is investing in trains, stations, infrastructure and service provision. In turn the industry seeks to improve its financial performance and efficiency, so railway users and taxpayers get better value for money. It became clear that the growing demand for services within the constraints faced required new and innovative ways to meet the expectations of rail customers. To support this drive for improvement, the industry developed the Rail Technical Strategy, which describes a range of solutions to its main technical challenges over the next thirty years. Parallel to this the RSSB Innovation Programme (IP) was developed providing access to opportunities and funding for organisations and innovators. The IP supports the industry and the supply chain in the development of innovation capabilities, networking and partnership. The IP stimulates the market for railway innovation through the delivery of competitions, grants, commercial pilots and demonstrators.

Project Context

At present the IP are expanding their current service offering to include a full-service consultancy for innovation support that can be tailored to the client's needs. As a result the IP are seeking to appoint an external consultant to develop new promotional digital media content. The objectives of this would firstly be to highlight the existing success of the IP and to explain the function of the programme. To date the IP have initiated 340 projects with approximately 220 companies. Secondly the IP would like to showcase how some of these success stories have successfully transitioned from other sectors and are pushing the boundaries of innovation within the rail industry.

Proposed content must:

1) Endorse RSSB IP as the spearhead for innovation and change and as a gateway to the industry. 2) Promote awareness of the IP and capability available. 3) Showcase some existing successful projects delivered by the IP. 4) Highlight that future opportunities within the rail industry are vast. 5) Embody the vision of future technology and the realms of possibility, inspiring new entrants into the industry. 6) Garner input from all industry sectors and show that their potential solutions are crucial and desired and that proven technology from other industries could potentially be applied to rail. 7) Demonstrate that companies of all sizes have a part to play and so proposed content should also seek to motivate SMEs. 8) Ultimately generate business and a client base for the IP consultancy.