Civic Innovation Challenge

As part of Bellevue’s Innovation Forum, the city seeks innovative design partnerships to address civic challenges and city priorities. Bellevue anticipates awarding three to five recipients in the inaugural event. Applicants should have — or be in the process of building — technology or business solutions that support priorities identified in any of the following documents:

The Civic Challenge is open to individuals, teams, students, startups and businesses. Download directions and additional information.

Support for recipients

Civic Challenge Award recipients receive:

Coaching and mentoring from seasoned entrepreneurs, advisors and investors
Design partnership with City of Bellevue staff to help test, optimize and/or refine a product or
service
Opportunity to showcase solutions for a civic tech audience and build relationships across the
innovation ecosystem
Up to a $15,000 stipend

Thank you to the sponsors of Bellevue’s Civic Challenge including Amazon, Bellevue Downtown Association, Microsoft, Salesforce, Slalom and T-Mobile.

Submission Instructions

Complete this form and submit it by 5 p.m., Tuesday, July 8.
Winners will be announced on Aug. 8.
Agreements between Bellevue and selected teams will be negotiated between Aug. 8 and 29.
The program will start Sept. 4, and be completed no later than Jan. 30, 2026.

Primary Contact Name

Organization/Team Name

Phone Number

Address

City

State

ZIP Code

Website (if applicable)

Secondary Contact Name

Secondary Contact Email

Secondary Contact Phone

Project Overview: Please provide a brief overview of your project. What problem does it address, and what is your proposed solution? What are you hoping to achieve by partnering with the City of Bellevue?

Alignment with City Priorities: How does your project align with the City of Bellevue’s Strategic Target Areas and Objectives, Council Priorities, and/or Department Ideas and Challenges? Please be specific.

Innovative Approaches: Describe the innovative and/or modern practices and approaches used in your project. How do these approaches support better service delivery or outcomes?

Community Engagement and Inclusion: How does your project benefit the broader community? Does your proposal support equity and the needs of underserved populations?

Team Composition: Who are the key members of your team, and what are their roles? Include brief bios highlighting relevant experience and expertise.

Milestones and Timelines: Describe key deliverables for your innovation over the next 6-8 months. When will your solution be ready for deployment? What specific ideas are you hoping to test with Bellevue?

Partnerships and Collaborations: Describe any partnerships or collaborations that are part of your project. How will these partnerships enhance your project’s success? Are you open to collaborating with others who might be developing similar ideas?

Evaluation and Impact: How will you measure the success of your project? What metrics or indicators will you use to evaluate its impact? What barriers do you believe the partnership can help you address?

Elevator Pitch: Provide a video link to your 2-minute elevator pitch. Include password if applicable.

Please enter a URL

Elevator Pitch: Password if applicable

CAPTCHA