Innovation Fund
The Innovation Fund is a grant opportunity funded by the Philadelphia City Fund and managed by the Public Technology and Innovation Team in the City’s Office of Innovation and Technology.
The Innovation Fund provides grants to launch pilot initiatives proposed by City employees that have the potential to improve the services and functions of municipal government.
The application process is coordinated by the Innovation Advisory Group, a cross-departmental advisory team of City employees who are trained and invested in seeding innovation. All final funding decisions are made by the Philadelphia City Fund’s Board of Directors. The process is unique and is meant to be inclusive, equitable, and accessible to any City employee who would like to request funding for a pilot or proof of concept project.
Only employees of the City of Philadelphia are eligible to apply on behalf of a City pilot project for this grant opportunity. This opportunity is not open to the public.
Funding Priorities
The Innovation Fund prioritizes proposals for ideas and projects that:
- Have never been tried before in Philadelphia
- Pilot something that is a new and different approach for a given department
- Push Philadelphia to be the first city to solve a broader problem in a unique way
- Leverage partnerships and stakeholder collaboration, either internal or external to City government
- Focus on delivering services more effectively, equitably, and efficiently to all residents
The Innovation Fund is only open to employees of the City of Philadelphia who seek support for City pilot projects. This grant program is not open to the public.
Application Process and Timeline
The application period for the Fall 2024 Innovation Fund cycle is now closed.
Applications were accepted from August 5 thru September 6, 2024. Applicants were required to fill out a short application, which served as a letter of intent.
Optional information sessions were held on August 13 and August 15. View the slide deck from the information sessions.
Applicants will be notified if they advance to the second round (Pitch Sessions) by the week of September 23. Mandatory pitch sessions will be held virtually between October 7–10.
All applicants who advance to the final stage must submit a final proposal by November 15. Final funding decisions will be made by the Philadelphia City Fund’s Board of Directors in mid-December.
The Innovation Fund has $25,000 to award as part of the Fall 2024 cycle. Projects can receive up to $10,000, with most awards ranging from $6,000–$8,000.
Please direct any questions about the Innovation Fund to Tara.Woody@phila.gov.
2023 Grantees
In 2023, the Philadelphia City Fund awarded six Innovation Fund grants through its Spring and Fall cycles.
Grantees launch pilot projects that addressed the following challenges:
- accessibility of the City’s public restroom pilot for blind/low vision individuals;
- financial barriers to participants in a pre-trial felony diversion program;
- the gap in language accessible resources for individuals impacted by domestic violence;
- sensory inclusive training for municipal employees and sensory resources for public events;
- the creation of sexual health education materials that represent Philadelphia’s diverse youth;
- and a mini-grant program to support technical assistance for practitioners tackling issues around the Black maternal health crisis.