Innovation thrives when the right data, tools and environment come together. That is exactly what the Smart Data Sandbox, delivered by NayaOne, is designed to provide for finalists of the Smart Data Challenge Prize.
The sandbox is a dedicated, secure digital space where selected teams can explore Smart Data concepts, experiment with cross-sector datasets, and build functioning prototype solutions. It acts as both an innovation environment and a launchpad, giving finalists everything they need to turn ideas into tangible, testable products that show how Smart Data can transform services across industries.
A Cross-Sector Data Ecosystem Built for Innovation
At the heart of the Smart Data Sandbox is a rich, multi-sector synthetic data ecosystem. This data has been carefully constructed to reflect real-world patterns while avoiding privacy risks, enabling teams to experiment freely.
Participants will have access to synthetic consumer and SME datasets spanning:
- Banking and Finance
- Retail
- Transport
- Energy
- Residential Property
These datasets model the activity of 5,000 individuals and 100 small businesses over a full year timeline. Because this data is synthetic and not derived from real individuals, it allows innovators to prototype safely while still working with realistic, complex, interlinked information.
Key things to know about the datasets:
- Each dataset contains linking variables and arrows that show how entities can be connected across sectors.
- Data is distributed across multiple synthetic organisations (for example, four synthetic banks hold different sets of transaction data).
- Unique identifier variables are included to simplify linking records between sectors. These can be ignored if participants prefer to simulate real-world record matching techniques.
- Data across sectors is standardised, reducing unnecessary data handling friction so teams can focus on bringing ideas to life.
Participants may also bring their own data into their secure environment, provided they have the rights to use it.
Best-in-Class Security and IP Protection
Security is central to the Smart Data Sandbox. All datasets, tools and workspaces operate within a robust, fully secured environment. Each team receives a private, isolated zone where they can work confidentially, safeguard their intellectual property, and test their solution without the risk of external access or interference.
Teams will also have a dedicated egress-restricted environment where full datasets can be accessed. This ensures sensitive information never leaves the secure platform, while APIs provide controlled access for certain tasks.
How the Synthetic Data Is Created
The sandbox’s synthetic datasets are generated using aizle, Smart Data Foundry’s advanced synthetic data platform based on Agent Based Simulation.
Aizle combines:
- Deep domain expertise
- Behavioural modelling
- Thousands of input parameters
- Guidance from the Smart Data Challenge Prize advisory group
This approach creates rich, linked, high-utility datasets without relying on any real training data. The result is synthetic data with the fidelity needed for credible prototyping, machine learning experimentation, scenario analysis, and solution testing - all without compromising privacy.
Inside the Smart Data Sandbox: Architecture, Tools, and Developer Environment
The Smart Data Sandbox, powered by NayaOne, brings together the full set of components needed to design, test, and demonstrate Smart Data solutions in a secure and scalable environment.
1. Unified Platform Architecture
Each finalist is provided with a private, isolated secure team workspace where they can work safely with the synthetic datasets, develop prototypes, and test ideas end to end. These team zones operate within NayaOne’s egress-restricted environment, ensuring full protection of data and intellectual property while enabling high-velocity experimentation.
All cross-sector datasets are accessed through NayaOne, which acts as the central hub for synthetic data and APIs. This reflects how Smart Data ecosystems would operate in practice, giving innovators a realistic environment to test portability, interoperability, and consent-based data flows.
2. APIs for Cross-Sector Smart Data
Through the platform, teams can access APIs that extend the principles of Open Banking into new sectors such as transport, retail, and energy. These APIs allow participants to integrate data programmatically, model real user journeys, and prototype services that rely on secure, permissioned data access.
3. Developer and Data Science Tooling
Within their secure environment, each team has access to a suite of tools to help them build, analyse, and iterate quickly, including:
- Data wrangling and visualisation tools
- Python and R environments for modelling
- Machine learning and analytics libraries
- API clients for testing data flows
- Workspace tools for documentation and versioning
These tools are pre-configured in the platform, meaning participants can start exploring and building immediately without setup delays.
4. Showcase spaces
Each team will have a dedicated area where they can present their solution, documentation and insights directly to the Smart Data Challenge Prize team and judges.
A Purpose-Built Environment for Real Innovation
The Smart Data Sandbox gives finalists not just datasets, but an entire ecosystem for innovation - secure workspaces, datapipes, APIs, analytics tools, collaboration spaces, and a high-fidelity Smart Data environment through NayaOne. It enables teams to move from idea to prototype quickly, safely and credibly, while accelerating understanding of how Smart Data can unlock new value across sectors.
For questions about the datasets, you can contact smartdata@challenges.org
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Next Steps
If your organisation is exploring Smart Data innovation or building cross-sector solutions, we’d be happy to share insights from the Sandbox and NayaOne’s broader work on secure data experimentation.
