A new research and development hub has opened to create and test digital products that could be launched to raise money for Comic Relief throughout the year.

Sidekick Studios has created the Exploralaboratorium through its Sidekick School programme and aims to create and pilot six different apps over six weeks. The team is currently looking for suggestions from staff at the charity.

Amanda Horton-Mastin, director of innovation at Comic Relief, said: “It’s fair to say that we are really excited at Comic Relief about the idea of testing new digital products in a really accelerated lab process with Sidekick School.”

Comic Relief is contributing £20,000 to set up the project and Sidekick Studios is providing development services with a commercial value of £150,000.

The Sidekick School programme was launched by Sidekick Studios earlier this year with a £300,000 (£75,000 per charity) grant from the Nominet Trust to provide four charities or social enterprises with an ‘incubation service’ that will quickly develop new digital products and services.

Carers UK was the first successful applicant and is developing a mobile app to help carers co-ordinate tasks with each other.