Q: What is Sourcewell?
A: Sourcewell works directly with the people who make government and education work—from city managers and IT directors to superintendents and public safety leaders. Our network includes over 50,000 public agencies across the U.S.—especially those who are eager to explore new solutions but often lack the capacity to do so on their own. These are real end users, facing real operational pressures, and looking for innovation that’s practical, trusted, and ready to implement. When we run pilots, they’re not theoretical. They’re co-designed with frontline leaders to validate your solution in active environments—and to prove what it takes to scale.
Q: Can I submit more than one response?
A: Only one submission per respondent will be considered.
Q: What is the minimum technical maturity that will be considered for this Challenge?
A: While there is no minimum technical maturity, proposed technologies should be ready for pilot-scale testing within twelve (12) months. Approaches closer to commercial readiness are, therefore, of greatest interest to Sourcewell and its clients.
Q: Can academic labs participate in the Sourcewell Ventures Civic Solutions Challenge?
A: To be eligible for participation in this Challenge, proposed technologies must be on a commercial development pathway. Solutions spun out from an academic lab to a commercial entity are potentially of interest; purely academic solutions are not.
Q: What kinds of companies is Sourcewell seeking through this Challenge?
A: In general, Sourcewell seeks commercial entities of all sizes interested in providing excellent technology solutions for municipalities and educational agencies. For this Challenge in particular, Sourcewell seeks companies with some previous government experience that are looking to expand their reach.
Q: Is there a resource that lists the governmental and educational agencies that Sourcewell works with?
A: Interested respondents can find a searchable list of agencies partnering with Sourcewell here.