This year we are looking for ideas and innovations that make people feel more safe during cycling, in order to make cycling more attractive.

Because cycling is not always experienced as enjoyable in all situations. Think for instance about cycling in the dark, being called after, aggression between road users…. You may have had unpleasant experiences on the bike yourself.

On this page, you can read all about the requirements and criteria that your submission must meet.

Do you have a good solution for improving social safety for cyclists? Develop your idea according to the guidelines below and mail your idea between February 15th and March 30th to bikecity@amsterdam.nl.

Basically, all ideas are welcome, whether they are big or small. For what situation, target group or location you find a solution is entirely up to you! However, the idea should fit within the topic of social safety.

Anyone with an innovative idea is welcome to participate! Whether you are a student or a start-up, a commercial party or consultancy firm, or a cyclist with a brilliant idea. Group participation is also possible (maximum four people). If you have more than one innovative idea which meets the criteria, send them in both!

It is a good idea to elaborate on your target group in your entry. Are you for instance thinking about children cycling to school, tourists who are in Amsterdam for the first time or sports persons who cycle home after their training in the dark? Make this explicit – and subsequently describe the situation in which the target group experiences problems with social safety. You are completely free in choosing the situation and target group. However, your entry should meet a number of requirements.

1. A PDF document containing:

• A title/slogan for your idea. We will post this slogan on the website for the public vote.
• A summary of the problem and your solution (200 words maximum). We will post this summary on the website for the public vote.
• Description of the problem: For what problem have you invented a solution? Describe the situation / the target group for you solution / the location. (half an A4 page maximum).
  On this page you describe what problem in the region of Amsterdam you want to tackle. How does this problem manifest itself? What data support that this problem exists? And how big is this problem?
• Description of the solution: What have you invented to make cycling more enjoyable in that situation, or to make cyclists feel safer? (1,5 A4 page maximum)
  In 1,5 page maximum you explain your idea as concretely as possible. Convince us about how we can reach the right people, about what problem your idea will solve and what its benefits are, and why it’s going to work. Take notice of the criteria the jury will use.

1. A visualisation / image / illustration of your idea in PDF/Word/JPEG/JPG. (1 A4 page maximum, 5 MB maximum).

• We will use the visualisation for publication on our website. Ownership and copyright belong to the submitter.

The jury will assess the submissions according to several criteria. Therefore take note of the following points:

1. Innovative and original

• To what extent is the idea innovative in the region of Amsterdam?

2. Prove positive impact

• How can you prove that traffic safety will improve on the basis of this idea?

3. Relevance

• Do many cyclists recognize themselves in the problem the submitter poses?
• Does the solution contribute to a better feeling of social safety on bicycle lanes?

4. Feasibility

• Has the idea already been developed into a concept that is immediately executable, or is it an idea that still requires lots of thought?
• Can the inventor play a role in the development of the pilot?
• Can the idea be executed in the region of Amsterdam – within the boundaries of the implementation budget of €15,000,- and within the timespan of approximately one year?
• Is the idea legally/ethically feasible and executable?

5. Scalability

• Can this idea be executed in more places in the Amsterdam Transport Region?

The assessment process of the submissions consists of several phases.

1. After the deadline, submitters can promote their idea within their network. The public gives votes for the best ideas. A top 5 of best ideas is selected from the public vote.
2. An official guidance group – consisting of staff of the municipality of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Transport Region – will also select a top 5 with the most appealing ideas. They use the same criteria as the jury does.
3. The top 5 of the public vote and the top 5 of the official guidance group form the top 10 of best ideas*. The inventors of the ten best ideas are invited to present their idea on May 10th to a jury consisting of leading professionals.
4. The jury determines which idea is the best and announces this at the awards ceremony on May 31st!

You can find the Bicycle Innovation Lab 2023 - timeline below.

On this page you can read the General Terms and Conditions that apply to participants.

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Do you have questions about the Bicycle Innovation Lab?

Please send an e-mail to bikecity@amsterdam.nl. We aim to respond within two working days. All answers are deliberately made public so that everyone has access to the same information.

Good luck!