IBM this month opened up the application period for the FY14 round of its Smarter Cities Challenge, a competitive grant program that focuses on making cities more livable. Typically, the program leverages technology and services, donated by IBM, to improve processes and create new initiatives. This is a significant program, and 100 cities around the world will have benefited from it. with IBM having now provided over $50 million worth of technology and services to those communities.
How Does It Work?
Cities apply to the Smarter Cities Challenge by identifying a top strategic challenge that they propose to advance with IBM’s support. Winning cities receive a team of 5-6 IBM experts to work closely with the city for a 3-week period on their proposed challenge. During the project, the IBM team gathers and analyzes all available data, meets with dozens of stakeholders in government, business, not-for-profits and other organizations to gather diverse perspectives about root causes and potential solutions to the challenge at hand, and assesses examples of success implemented by other cities that might be valuable to review. At the end of the engagement, the IBM team delivers strategic recommendations and an implementation plan in a presentation and a written report that draw upon the technical experience and strategic insight of the IBM team, city staff and community members.
The Smarter Cities Challenge has worked with a diverse portfolio of cities around the world. Each grant is tailored to the unique opportunities and challenges of the recipient city, and IBM teams have addressed a wide range of topics. Upon the completion of the grant, executive summaries of each project are posted on the Smarter Cities Challenge website, alongside relevant video, press coverage and full reports to share experiences and build capacity.
The Application Process
Information on past grants, including samples of successful applications, can be found at www.smartercitieschallenge.org. For the 2014 cycle, the Smarter Cities Challenge is open to local and regional general-purpose governing bodies, including cities, counties, prefectures, boroughs, and districts. Special districts, such as port authorities, school districts or utility districts, are not eligible for the program at this time.
Applications for grants must be submitted by November 8, 2013.