Mark Wild, HS2 Ltd’s Chief Executive, is currently leading a comprehensive review of Britain’s biggest infrastructure programme – ensuring the railway can be built efficiently and to the lowest reasonable cost.
Now a call is being made to small technology specialists to bring their own expertise to HS2’s reset – coming up with innovative ideas to streamline the railway’s delivery, improve productivity and deliver value for money.
Working in partnership with the Connected Places Catapult, HS2’s Innovation Accelerator programme creates opportunities for start-ups and tech innovators to design and implement new solutions to help resolve complex challenges. Innovations driven by the project, which was first launched in 2020, have already led to significant cost savings for HS2, created hundreds of jobs and driven investment into small and medium-sized companies.
Today (23, September 2025), applications have opened for the eighth round of the programme.
This round focuses on HS2’s reset, with three initiatives that align to getting Britain’s new railway back on track. This means that tech specialists from outside the rail industry will have a unique opportunity to support this programme of work. They are invited to develop products and solutions that will help HS2 to address the specific challenges of:
- Improving value for money
- Enhancing site visibility and productivity
- Strengthening safety management
Solutions devised by the specialists will drive best practice and ensure a culture of cost control, efficiency and high performance is embedded as the project progresses over the coming years.
HS2 Ltd’s senior innovation manager, Jon Kelly said:
“Getting HS2 back on track is our number one priority and this is a unique opportunity for the country’s very best innovators to get on board and help us to achieve our goal.
“2025 has been a huge year for the project, with both the longest bridge and longest tunnel reaching completion. There is, however, still a vast amount to do. We must continue exploring new tech and innovative solutions to help us complete major construction milestones quickly, safely and efficiently.”
Since launching in 2020, the HS2 Innovation Accelerator has supported 37 small tech firms who have collectively secured 31 pilot projects across the rail project, realising more than £50M in cost-savings.
More than 40% of alumni firms now work on other projects and contracts across the supply chain. They have subsequently raised over £240 million in investment and funding, and more than doubled their team headcounts, creating over 580 new jobs.
Alan Peters, Rail Director at Connected Places Catapult said:
“Digital technology promises major gains for large rail projects such as HS2, and I am delighted to announce that the eighth iteration of this successful accelerator programme is now open.”
Applications for the eighth round of the HS2 Innovation Accelerator programme open today and will close on 31st October 2025. Twelve finalists will be whittled down to six firms who will be given the opportunity to accelerate and scale-up their demonstration into a trial project with HS2.
For more information, visit https://cp.catapult.org.uk/opportunity/hs2-accelerator-8-0/
