The launch of the SmartCityPHL Roadmap earlier this year established key principles and pathways to using data and technology to improve how Philadelphia delivers services.

Pitch & Pilot is designed to support Philadelphia’s smart city goals through partnerships between the public, private, and academic sectors. We’re proud to announce the launch of the first phase of the program, which will test technological solutions geared toward specific city challenges. We’ll be accepting applications through January 16, 2020.

The Pitch & Pilot working group consists of representatives from City departments, private companies, and academic institutions. In bringing Pitch & Pilot to life, we explored what kind of challenges are best addressed through broad calls for solutions. We collectively identified the following criteria for selecting our first topic:

• Solutions to the problem  align with high-level goals of City departments and the Mayor’s Office.
• The problem can’t be solved by City departments alone: they need creative ideas and support from the community and the private sector.
• The problem impacts under-resourced residents.
• The problem extends beyond the pilot area.
• A likely solution hasn’t already been identified or chosen by the City.
• The problem can be addressed through a technological solution.
• The problem (and the impact of a solution) is measurable.

After evaluating several compelling challenges posed by various City departments, we selected a broad question to attract tech-enabled solutions:

• How can technology help Philadelphia work towards its ambitious goal of zero waste by 2035 by supporting and tracking reductions in waste generated and increases in waste diverted from landfills?

Please read the full Call for Solutions document to learn more about this important issue. Questions and applications can be submitted to Pitch.and.Pilot@phila.gov.

The Office of Innovation and Technology expects to issue an additional challenge in early 2020. If you have suggestions for city challenges that Pitch & Pilot can examine, please share your suggestions with us. SmartCityPHL’s success depends on ideas and feedback from Philadelphia’s diverse community. We’d love to hear how you think our city can thrive.