Civic Innovations

Several weeks ago, I wrote a post about civic accelerators that were spinning up on the East Coast.

Following that post came the formal launch of the Urban Apps & Maps Studio in Philadelphia. But another accelerator program in Baltimore, that had been in the formative stages, seems to have hit a dead end with the abrupt departure of that city’s CIO.

That’s why I’m excited to write about a brand new accelerator program that is now accepting applications, brought to you by Code for America (where I now work).

The idea behind the CfA accelerator is simple – the availability of high-quality open government data, and the increasing awareness that government has largely missed the boat on new SaaS and PaaS offerings that are helping to power private sector companies has created a unique opportunity. Companies like SeeClickFix, TurboVote and Socrata are leading the way, and there are a host of smart, talented people with new ideas looking to shake things up in how government works.

If you’re part of a civic startup, looking to disrupt the way that government does business or provides service to its citizens, you should consider applying.

This is your chance – don’t miss it!