National Highways Launches Open Call for Innovative Solutions to Road Safety and Customer Experience Challenges

National Highways has announced that it will open submissions this week for an innovation call aimed at addressing some of the organisation’s most pressing challenges — from improving road safety to enhancing the customer experience.

Beginning Monday, the five-week open call will be part of National Highways’ Innovation and Research Designated Fund, inviting proposals and creative solutions to five key challenges:

1. Improving the customer experience of journey times

2. Increasing safety on A-roads

3. Reducing risks associated with live traffic

4. Maximising safety while strengthening asset resilience

5. Reducing occupational health risks for road workers

   
   

Claire Hamar, Head of Innovation at National Highways, said:

“We want to be more transparent about the business challenges where innovation can make the biggest difference. Our goal is to find ideas that make roads safer for everyone — drivers, passengers, and workers alike — while improving the overall experience for our customers.“That’s why we’re inviting our colleagues, supply chain partners, and other innovators to collaborate with us in shaping the future of our road network.”

National Highways explained that the initiative will follow a multi-phase process designed to support both the identification and delivery of opportunities.

In the initial phase, submissions will be reviewed against set criteria before a Pre-Market Engagement (PME) notice is published via the Find a Tender Service. Depending on the quality and number of responses, opportunities may then proceed either through direct award (if only one suitable proposal is identified) or via a competitive tender process if multiple strong submissions are received.

The Five Innovation Challenges

1. Improving Customer Experience of Journey TimeNational Highways is seeking creative ways to improve how travel information — such as delays, incidents, and roadworks — is communicated to drivers. The focus is on reducing congestion, minimising disruption during maintenance, speeding up incident clearance, and using customer data to create smoother, more predictable journeys.

2. Increasing Safety on A-RoadsThis challenge aims to reduce the number and severity of collisions, particularly shunt incidents, and to lower the risk of deaths or serious injuries. National Highways is looking for innovative safety solutions that benefit all users of both single and dual carriageway A-roads.

3. Maximising Safety Benefits While Enhancing Asset ResilienceIdeas are sought that improve the durability and reliability of infrastructure while keeping road users and workers safe. This includes gathering better asset data, minimising the need for on-site inspections, and ensuring that investment decisions take into account long-term safety and environmental outcomes.

4. Reducing Risks of Working Next to Live TrafficNational Highways wants to find new methods that reduce or eliminate the need for workers to operate near moving traffic. The aim is to limit exposure to high-risk environments, encourage safer working practices, and promote better behaviour from both road workers and drivers.

5. Reducing Occupational Health RisksThis final challenge focuses on improving worker wellbeing by reducing long-term health problems and absenteeism. Proposals should include strategies for early identification of health risks, preventive hygiene measures, and integrating safer practices into design and planning from the outset.