Increased grant funding for public service innovation

Fabric was
one of the projects funded in the first round of innovate to save.
Read
their story here.

A second round of bidding has been announced is currently open
for the Innovate to Save Fund, a joint initiative between the Welsh
Government, Nesta, Cardiff University and WCVA.

Innovate to
Save supports public and third sector organisations to explore
new ideas that have the potential to generate savings for Welsh
public services and improve the quality and impact of service
delivery.

First launched in February 2017, the programme seeks to tackle
some of the most complex issues facing Welsh public services while
generating cashable savings.

The new model blends different kinds of finance and intensive
support. Non repayable research and development grants of up to
£30,000 will now be available to successful applicants, with access
to a £5m pool of interest free loan finance should ideas prove to
be viable.

The maximum grant has been increased from £15,000 to 30,000 to
support projects demonstrating significant ambition in their ideas
– either pushing the boundaries of technology or developing ideas
that have the potential to scale Wales-wide.

How to apply

The deadline for new applications is 16 July
2018. Visit the Innovate to
Save webpage to find out more about the programme and how
to apply. Applicants are very much encouraged to contact the
programme ahead of the submission date to discuss their ideas.

Innovation conversations

To get people thinking differently about what’s possible Y Lab
are currently running a series of
talks by experienced innovators to inspire and encourage
organisations and individuals to be ambitious, showing real-world
examples and case studies from around the world.

The free talks are taking place across Wales throughout June and
July. Find out
more and sign up here.