We do not use “public benefit programsˮ to mean anything that benefits the general public. For the purposes of this open call, a public benefit program is a government-funded and administered program that provides financial assistance, services, or subsidized access to essential resources in order to support individuals and familiesʼ basic needs, stability, and well-being.

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The following are example focus areas that would not be in scope:

• Environmental permitting
• Government or non-profit grant management
• General health care navigation
• Public safety
• Voting registration
• Public works

Individuals, organizations, government agencies. In the past weʼve funded non-profits, for-profits, academic institutions, and government agencies. You donʼt have to already have a government contract. Just a compelling idea and an understanding of how to implement it - including how to work with the government as needed.

This open call is working with the hypothesis that the best way to help the largest number of eligible people access public benefits is to improve the underlying systems and processes. We're not looking to work around a broken foundation. We acknowledge that there is a vast ecosystem of community partners and organizations that help people navigate benefit programs. However, for this open call, we are looking for projects that directly improve government processes and systems.

For the initial submission package we're not asking for formal partnerships or signed documentation of partnerships up front. Some early-concept projects may not need a formal partner at all, depending on what youʼre trying to learn. What matters most at this stage is that you understand the context you're working in and the path to successful execution of your idea. If you know who you intend to work with, tell us in your concept note. If you donʼt, tell us how you know the demand for your idea exists and what your path to build needed partnerships would look like.

If your application advances to the second round, you'll have five weeks to share more detail — and we may be able to help connect teams with government and implementation partners during that phase. By the end of those five weeks, pilot projects will need to provide formal letters of commitment.

The Early Concept track is for ideas that are in the early stages of testing viability or capability of a technology. Usually this would be in a sandbox environment. This is an opportunity to build and test an MVP or identify bias and accuracy issues before wider pilot or deployment.

The Pilot track is for ideas that have initial validation, but the question is more about implementation and seeing how the concept performs outside of the lab in the hands of real case/government workers or beneficiaries. A product in commercial use with multiple customers would probably be too baked for this open call.

We are looking for experimental applications of emerging technology in the administration and delivery of public benefit programs. The technology itself doesnʼt need to be newly invented or custom built. We are looking for innovative uses of technology that make these programs easier to access, more efficient to operate, and more human-centered.

Since we expect a high number of applications, we wonʼt have the opportunity to have 1:1 conversations with all of you, so our intention with the video is to get to know your project and your team better! This video will not be judged on production quality. Using your phone or computer to record it is absolutely acceptable. You may do a slideshow presentation with a voice over, or it could be more of a storytelling format. Focus on helping us get to know your work and your team, and donʼt stress too much about the details!