A LOCAL authority has been given a share of £1.25m to come up with innovative solutions to help with delivering local services.

Durham County Council was one of five councils to be given the funding as part of the GovTech Catalyst fund, to give technology businesses the chance to come up with ways of capturing and analysis data.

The project in County Durham will enable residents to collect and report data regarding highway maintenance, aimed at getting accurate information on location and severity of defects.

Councillor Brian Stephens, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local partnerships said: “The GovTech Catalyst Fund competition is a fantastic way to drive innovation in our economy and provide more opportunities for businesses to access public procurement and funding.

“We have a wealth of technology expertise in the region that we look forward to showcasing through this competition. We are excited to see the applications and the development of an innovative, bespoke solution that will enable us to deliver even better public services based on the use of real-time data.”

Businesses will be able to apply for funding from Monday, September 24.

Busines Durham is holding a briefing event for applications at NetPark, in Thomas Wright Way, Sedgefield. on October 8. Visit www.businessdurham.co.uk to register.