The Tel-Aviv-Yafo Municipality Innovation Program, launched in 2016, is a unique program designed to generate and support innovation amongst the 12,000 employees of the municipality and its 50 municipal companies. This new and innovative program model invites 30-35 people from different departments and municipal companies to participate in a 3-month program designed to transform ideas from different municipal areas into innovative, practical projects to be adopted into urban processes, policies and programs.
This initiative provides a unique opportunity for municipal staff that may never interact, to brainstorm and collaborate to develop solutions to city problems. This innovative, holistic approach has produced new creative solutions that are already improving services provided to Tel Aviv residence on a daily basis and create meaningful change that increases quality of life. The challenges proposed for participants to resolve stem from current issues faced by the municipality as well as new issues raised from resident surveys and feedback. Each group is assigned mentors who are relevant private sector and municipality experts. Since its inception in 2016, the program has involved 2,000 municipal staff, 64 innovation mentors, 130 new ideas and 6 winning projects funded and implemented.
