Thursday 27-04-2017 - 11:36

NUS, the Environmental Association forUniversities and Colleges,and Love to Ride are piloting an initiative to get more universitystudents and staff cycling.

TheUniCycleproject is funded by the Department for Transport’s Innovation Challenge Fund, and will adaptLove to Ride's successful model, which uses smart phone and Fitbit data toincentiviseparticipation.

To date,the model has engaged over 250,000 people in other sectors, achieving significant and lastingbehaviourchange. The project will work with six universities in England over the next year to co-develop and adapt the model for universities, building on progress made through established engagementprogrammeslike Green Impact.

The pilot will look to quantify benefits, including:

• Happier and healthier individuals;
• Reduced transport carbon emissions;
• Financial savings through reduced sickness absence and Employer National Insurance Contributions when staff buy bikes through the Cycle to Work Scheme;
• Making a concrete contribution to the Government’s target to double cycling by 2025.

NUS are now looking for six universities to join this flagshipscheme. To be eligible your institution must:

• Be a university in England;
• Have a clear commitment to promoting sustainable travel and, specifically, increasing levels of cycling amongst students and staff;
• Be willing to contribute £2,500+ VAT match funding to the pilot, which will last from May 2017to May 2018.

If you are interested in being one of the six pilot institutions, please contactJamie Agombar, Head of Sustainability at NUS. The deadline to express your interest is Friday 12 May 2017.