GovTech Accelerator
Serving Wellington and Aotearoa by delivering better outcomes
We help local, central and international government agencies tackle some of the most urgent challenges and create a positive impact for their communities.
How? We do this by introducing you to proven innovation principles and processes through the GovTech Accelerator.
The programme creates valuable projects in 13 weeks, reducing costs and de-risking innovation in the public sector.
If you have an impactful project in mind, we want to hear from you.
This year, we’ve also opened up a limited number of spaces for Startups and NGOs (read the announcement here) working on social or environmental problems and wanting to collaborate with the Government in order to do so. Applications are now closed – watch this space for the team announcement coming soon.
Are you ready to make a difference? We’re looking for government agencies with an impactful project
Why GovTech?
Here are five reasons to get you started:
- Solve the root-cause problems and build the right solution to meet citizens’ needs.
- Work with experienced facilitators in an environment that fosters collaboration across agencies.
- Build innovation capability in your government staff through immersive learning by doing.
- Enable co-design and collaboration with citizens and the public and private sectors.
- Rapidly test new solutions using a safe and user-centric process.
SINCE 2018 WE’VE WORKED WITH
38
Projects
29
Local and central government bodies
20
NGOs and businesses
155
Participants
How it works
The GovTech Accelerator is a proven model that fast-tracks projects and creates long-term solutions. The process can broadly be broken down into four steps.
1. Pick a project and get a team together
Whatโs top of mind? Pick an issue youโd like to prioritise. Weโll guide you to get the right team composition and weโll help you source external team members to fill your skill gaps.
2. Put an advisory board together
Youโll have visibility all the way. The most successful teams have a strong buy-in and an advisory board ready to support them throughout their journey.
3. Innovation by method
Time to get to work. Weโll guide the teams through 13 weeks of intensive work to get them where they need to be. Weโll start with an in-depth problem discovery phase to get to the core of the problem. Weโll then move on to co-designing with the communities you are targeting.
4. See the results
By the end of the programme, your team will have validated or invalidated the initial idea. Theyโll have a viable business case and/or a validated prototype. They will pitch their progress at the final Demo Day, in front of an audience of government peers, ministers and media.
2022 Impact Report
A globally unique accelerator programme. A proven approach to problem-solving.
We looked back at the 38 projects to come through the GovTech Accelerator since 2018, to see how theyโve progressed and what impacts they have had.
Take a look for yourself.
Some of the agencies that took part in the accelerator:
“GovTech encourages cross-agency collaboration, innovation, and creativity. Itโs the recognition that if weโre going to tackle these challenges, we need to think differently.”
Dr. Ganesh Nana
Chair of the Productivity Commission
“Thank you to Creative HQ, who have led four years of government innovation through the GovTech Accelerator.”
Hon. Nanaia Mahuta
Minister for Local Government, Foreign Affairs and Associate Minister for Mฤori Development
“Itโs inspiring to see the work that comes out of these programmes that create real meaningful change for government organisations and also the people they serve. Itโs the kind of approach that we need in a modern, adaptive public service.”
Hon. David Clark
Minister of the Digital Economy and Communications
Past projects
Since 2018, weโve worked with local councils, central government agencies and international governments to fast-forward impactful projects.
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