Bicycle Association secures €400,000 grant for data service expansion into Germany

The Bicycle Association (BA) has announced a significant funding boost following the successful acquisition of a €400,000 grant from the European Commission's Horizon Europe initiative, through the EIT Urban Mobility’s Targeted Open Call 2025. This funding will facilitate the expansion of the BA’s market data service into Germany and contribute to the development of new software tools aimed at benefitting all BA members and subscribers.

The grant is part of a collaborative effort that involves the BA, Edinburgh Napier University Business School, and the German Cycle Industry Association (ZIV). The funding is sourced from EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative related to the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, which operates under the EU’s research and innovation programme Horizon Europe, covering the UK as well.

Commencing immediately, the project will unfold over a twelve-month period, building on the world-leading Market Data Service (MDS) pioneered by the BA in the UK since its launch in 2020. The collaboration with ZIV seeks to extend the market data service into the German context while tailoring it to accommodate distinct user needs. The MDS platform aims to assist businesses operating across different regions, enabling comprehensive comparisons and multi-market analysis.

In an interview with BikeBiz, the BA provided insights into how the German data would specifically assist UK-based businesses. The BA noted that the service will serve as a critical tool for understanding the German market in detail for those businesses that are either based in Germany or have market interests there. Scott Cain, who leads the BA's innovation programmes, explained that the data will allow businesses to analyse market performance by various metrics, including category, sales channel, price points, brand, and market segment. He highlighted the potential for UK businesses to draw comparisons with the German market, particularly noting the difference in e-bike sales, which constitute over 50% of bike unit sales in Germany as opposed to just 9% in the UK.

Additionally, the initiative entails new software tool development, funded in part by the EIT grant, in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University. The BA intends to enhance the management of stock data received from UK bike shops, previously challenging to integrate into the MDS. The goal is to derive valuable supply chain insights, thereby improving demand forecasting, stock ordering processes, and overall efficiency in working capital management.

The MDS platform will continue operating on a not-for-profit basis, owned and managed by the cycle industry for the cycle industry. To oversee this initiative, the Bicycle Association plans to establish a wholly-owned non-profit subsidiary and has strengthened its board by appointing Daniel Gillborn, a digital product and technology expert, to focus on technical governance.

This project is part of the BA's broader strategy to diversify its funding sources in support of industry innovation and growth, particularly relevant amid challenging market conditions. Executive Director Steve Garidis underscored the importance of gaining public innovation funding for the cycling sector, noting that strategic industries such as cycling should benefit similarly to the automotive industry to enhance growth amid current economic challenges.

Burkhard Stork, CEO of ZIV, expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with UK partners during these difficult times, asserting the need for improved insights into retail sales figures, benchmarks, and customer experiences across Germany and Europe.

In addition to this European funding, the BA has garnered support from the UK innovation agency, Innovate UK, in previous projects focusing on e-bikes and battery technologies. The acquisition of this European grant marks a milestone for the BA, coinciding with the UK’s rejoining of the Horizon Europe programme in January 2024.

Prospective attendees at the BA Member Conference in Birmingham in March 2023 will have the opportunity to explore public innovation funding themes. Additionally, cycling brands and retailers interested in the newly developed German Market Data Service are encouraged to register their interest with the BA.