CCODR wins significant grant from Innovate UK for innovation

Following its recent launch to the UK and Ireland market, the Belfast-based team behind the Consumer Code for Online Dispute Resolution (CCODR) has secured funding in a competitive process to the value of almost £50,000 from UK Research and Innovation’s Innovate UK grant scheme.
By Claire Cartmill
Published 9th Jul 2020, 06:00 BST
Updated 9th Jul 2020, 09:47 BST
Gary Lyons, Mediator and Co-founder of CCODR, Aaron Moore, Director of CCODR and John Keers, Co-founder of CCODR celebrate the announcement that the recently-launched Consumer Code for Online Dispute Resolution has secured funding of almost £50,000 from UK Research and Innovation’s Innovate UK grant schemeGary Lyons, Mediator and Co-founder of CCODR, Aaron Moore, Director of CCODR and John Keers, Co-founder of CCODR celebrate the announcement that the recently-launched Consumer Code for Online Dispute Resolution has secured funding of almost £50,000 from UK Research and Innovation’s Innovate UK grant scheme
Gary Lyons, Mediator and Co-founder of CCODR, Aaron Moore, Director of CCODR and John Keers, Co-founder of CCODR celebrate the announcement that the recently-launched Consumer Code for Online Dispute Resolution has secured funding of almost £50,000 from UK Research and Innovation’s Innovate UK grant scheme

A welcomed injection of funds which will better equip CCODR to provide an innovative online solution for alternative dispute resolution practitioners across the UK and Ireland, the grant will be used to develop the Code and platform to facilitate easier online dispute resolution.

Organised with the aim of supporting UK businesses to focus on emerging or increasing needs of society and industries during and following the Covid-19 pandemic, Innovate UK will invest up to £20 million in innovative projects across the UK, with the objective of fast-tracking innovation to ensure the UK will be better placed to maintain employment levels, a competitive position in global markets and become more resilient to similar disruption.

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As a direct consequence of the Covid-19 lockdown and social distancing measures, the growing UK dispute resolution industry – a traditionally face-to-face industry – has been severely impacted.

Launched at the perfect time to help ADR practitioners get back to work, CCODR’s secure online platform has provided an immediate solution to difficulties caused by social distancing and travel restrictions. Whilst enabling practitioners to seek out work beyond their geographical locations, reducing costs and commute times, the platform has also enabled parties to participate in Online ADR remotely following the easing of restrictions.

CCODR offers the only online dispute resolution, industry-specific, technological platform which is partnered with a Consumer Code benchmarked to the standards of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. Unique features of the platform include end to end encryption (E2EE), a full suite of case management tools, encrypted uploading and file sharing, and integration of digital billing, amongst other features purpose-built into the platform to facilitate a highly secure experience.

CCODR is also promoting a unification of existing industry standards.

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By subscribing to their platform, ADR practitioners will demonstrate their adherence to an industry leading set of unified standards, providing peace of mind to those using their service.

Reflecting on the catalysing impact of Covid-19 on the ADR profession John Keers, Co-Founder of CCODR and Course Director of LLM in International Commercial Law & ADR at Ulster University said: “Dispute Resolution practitioners have found themselves plunged into a world where they can no longer travel nor meet clients. In a desperate attempt to work, practitioners have resorted to the only medium available – non-compliant, inadequate and security compromised “social media” platforms.

“Covid-19 has inadvertently created an environment in which transformational change can be embedded, as the industry now understands the consequences of the overreliance it previously placed on face-to-face practices. We are delighted to have learned of our success in the Innovate UK funding application. We hope that this investment in our recently-launched project will enable us to reach mediators and ADR practitioners across the UK and Ireland to ensure they are adopting best practice as they take their work online.”

Prior to the pandemic, the industry was experiencing significant challenges including a high variation in the delivery of dispute resolution outcomes, a lack of standardisation of approach, and drawn-out, time consuming, and costly processes driven by outdated working practices.

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For more information on the Consumer Code for Online Dispute Resolution and the organisation’s secure online dispute resolution platform visit www.ccodr.com.

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Related topics:Northern IrelandCovid-19Belfast