Future Industries Demonstrator
What is the Future Industries Demonstrator
Based at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London’s living testbed and Innovation District, FID accelerates the development of technologies and ideas tackling the city’s most urgent challenges.
FID aims to:
- Foster innovation diffusion and clustering
- Support the acceleration and scaling of innovative solutions
- Grow the impact economy and support climate resilience
FID is funded by the Mayor of London and UK Government through by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF)
What does the programme involve?
Trial Design Hackathon
25 SMEs will be invited for a full-day Hackathon at Plexal on Wednesday 1st October. SMEs will be given expert support in iterating their solution design and trial development. They will have access to industry-relevant organisations and experts.
Trial Design Support
Five SMEs will receive four fortnightly in-depth workshops to support Innovation Trial design and planning, as well as grant funding of up to £16,000 each to support trial and scaling activities. These workshops will take place between October and December.
Trial Deployment
Three-month trial period (January-March), with ongoing support from Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Innovation District. Culminating in the 2026 Innovation Forum. The Forum is a showcase of the best local innovation for buyers, policymakers, and SMEs.
Challenge 04: Building Better
FID is seeking bold innovators working on a healthier and more sustainable city.
For this challenge, applicants are asked to respond to the detrimental impact that poor indoor air quality, overheating, damp, and energy inefficiency within buildings has on health and wellbeing.
Submissions should be both culturally and environmentally sensitive with a focus on combatting the above issues, while prioritising positive health outcomes for everyone living and working in London.
What’s in it for you?
— Funding to accelerate your innovation
— Expert mentorship and support
— Access to a network of industry leaders and potential partners
— The chance to make a real difference in the lives of Londoners
Key dates
4 August 2025, 12:00 BST
Application window opens
Wednesday 27 August 2025, 11:00-12:00 BST
Application Guidance Webinar
Sunday 14 September 2025, 23:59 BST
Application window closes
1 October 2025
FID Hackathon at Plexal
Please read the full Application Guidance HERE and apply HERE.
Applicants will need to confirm that they are available to:
- Attend and participate in the FID Hackathon, 1 October 2025 at Plexal.
- Participate in all four Trial Design Workshops delivered in-person at Plexal on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The sessions are due to begin on 23 October 2025 and due to conclude 11th December 2025.
- Attend and participate in the 2026 Innovation Forum, 17 March 2026.
- Report on progress and impact following completion of the programme
Please see the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Innovation District website for more information about the Future Industries Demonstrator.
Previous challenges
Challenge 01: Natural Cities
The Natural Cities Challenge called for businesses who focus on:
🌊 Safeguard our Water Systems: Reducing risk from flooding and drought, restoring natural water bodies and protecting water resources
🌬 Clean our Air: Reducing air pollution from existing sources and removing pollutants
🌳 Halt and Reverse Biodiversity Loss: Promoting biodiversity and the wellbeing of natural spaces
♨ Fight Rising Temperatures: Combatting the urban heat island effect
🏙 Create a Capital Without Waste: Minimising waste and its impacts
For the first time on a Plexal innovation programme, successful applicants had the opportunity to receive:
- £20,000 grant to supplement scaling plans
- £5,000 budget to support testbed deployment
In addition to:
- Best in class Stratford workspaces
- Expert support from our specialist innovation team as well as subject matter experts at University College London
- 1:1 coaching with a circular business specialist
Applications are closed for this challenge.
Meet our first cohort
We supported five London-based SMEs to find new partnerships, stress-test their go-to-market strategy and devise a plan to trial their innovative solutions in East London.
LEAP Micro AD, Rokiah Yaman
FibreLab, Kaela Katz and Claudia Gandhi
GoodMine, Nikki Gaddo FRSA, Inês Liberato and Kath Mora
Alive Labs, Nik Naidu and Will Hunt
Yomodo, Sophie Dhaliwal
We’re excited to see these ventures grow and help build natural cities!
Challenge 02: Sustainable Structures
This challenge was an urgent call out to all of the London innovators working to reimagine buildings and energy systems for a net zero future.
East London is one of the fastest changing urban locations in the UK and presents the ideal opportunity to demonstrate solutions that make urban areas more sustainable. By reshaping our skyline for a more resilient future here, we can set the standard for resilient cities worldwide.
We looked for bold, systemic responses that consider the complexity of how different aspects of our built environment connect and interact, by targeting SMEs working on a solution that addresses one or both of our challenge areas.
This challenge was open to all types of solutions that support the transition to a resilient capital. As well as new tech, we wanted to uplift innovators who are: building new services and business models; using digital tools to monitor and manage the environment; thinking about climate justice; supporting behaviour change; driving opportunities for new economies; and more.
Applications are closed for this challenge.
Meet our second cohort
Meet Material Index, Seastex, Carbon Cell, MapMortar, and Shaded
Over a five-month programme, the cohort will build, test and showcase their innovative solutions to making urban areas more sustainable.
With east London being one of the fastest-changing urban locations in the UK, the next five months are the ideal opportunity to set the standard for building and energy systems for cities across the world.
Challenge 03: Food Systems
Calling all London innovators, entrepreneurs, and change-makers! Are you passionate about building a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable food system for our city? Then the Food Systems challenge is for you.
This challenge sought bold, innovative solutions that address the pressing challenges facing London’s food landscape:
📉 Food insecurity: Rising costs and unequal access are leaving too many Londoners behind. We need your help to create a food system that nourishes everyone.
🍟 Unhealthy diets: Poor nutrition is a leading cause of preventable illness. Let’s work together to promote healthier choices that are accessible and culturally relevant for all.
♻️ Environmental impact: Our food system has a significant footprint. We need your sustainable solutions to reduce waste, protect our planet, and build resilience for the future.
For the first time on a Plexal innovation programme, successful applicants had the opportunity to receive:
- £20,000 grant to supplement scaling plans
- £5,000 budget to support testbed deployment
In addition to:
- Best in class Stratford workspaces
- Expert support from our specialist innovation team as well as subject matter experts at University College London
- 1:1 coaching with a circular business specialist
Applications are closed for this challenge.
Meet our third cohort
Meet Caribeats, Made Sweetly, East London Mushroom Collective, Sages, and Sitopia Farm.
Over a five-month programme, the cohort will build, test and showcase their innovative solutions to making food systems more sustainable.
Full details about the Future Industries Demonstrator
Delivery Partners
Supporting Partners
