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The government’s Technology Strategy Board has today announced the winner of a £24m UK government grant intended to demonstrate how a city of the future might work.

In November 2012 it was announced that Peterborough was one of only four UK cities to be shortlisted for interview as part of the Future Cities Demonstrator competition, along with Glasgow, Bristol, and London.

Today’s announcement identifies Glasgow as the overall winner of the competition. However, the judging panel were impressed with Peterborough’s bid and the city’s track record for delivering innovative projects, particularly in relation to sustainability and the environment.

Steve Bowyer, head of economic development at Opportunity Peterborough, said: “This has been a complex competition, but one that has provided a great insight into how the city functions and the innovative companies that are here. Of all the UK cities bidding for this funding, I’m really proud that Peterborough was one of just four that made the final shortlist. This is testament to the city’s ambition and our commitment to sustainability and innovation. It also further embeds our growing reputation for environmental business and technological solutions.

“A great deal of work went into developing our bid using only local expertise, and the support from the public, private and third sectors has been incredible. The whole process was invaluable in terms of new intelligence, ideas and momentum. We don’t want to lose any of that so we’ll be working with partners to see how we can continue to bring forward some of the solutions, and build on our relationship with the Technology Strategy Board.”

Peterborough’s bid was developed and presented by Opportunity Peterborough and Peterborough City Council, in conjunction with local consultancies (Royal HaskoningDHV, Environmental Advantage and Green Ventures) with support from business, universities and other organisations.