Innovation Fund

The Innovation Fund is a grant opportunity funded by the Philadelphia City Fund and managed by the Innovation Management 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 application 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:

  1. Have never been tried before in Philadelphia
  2. Pilot something that is a new and different approach for a given department
  3. Push Philadelphia to be the first city to solve a broader problem in a unique way
  4. Leverage partnerships and stakeholder collaboration, either internal or external to City government
  5. Focus on delivering services more effectively, equitably, and efficiently to all residents

Application Process and Timeline:

The Spring 2023 Innovation Fund Cycle is closed as of April 5, 2023. Applications are currently under review. As of March 2023, the Innovation Fund has $50,000 to award. Projects can receive up to $20,000 with most awards ranging from $10,000 – $15,000.

Applicants will be notified if they advance to the second round (Pitch Sessions) by the week of April 17. Mandatory pitch sessions will be held remotely between May 2–4. All applicants who advance to the final stage must submit a final proposal by June 9. Final funding decisions will be made by the Philadelphia City Fund’s Board of Directors in late June.

If you are interested in applying for an Innovation Fund grant in the future, we encourage to review the grant guidelines and slide deck from the Spring 2023 cycle.

Please direct any questions about the Innovation Fund to Stephanie Orlando, Innovation Manager, at stephanie.orlando@phila.gov.