The Smart Cities Council has announced a new program in partnership with the White House Smart Cities initiative. The Council will award five grants to cities around the U.S. to hold smart cities workshops for local stakeholders.
The Smart Cities Council helps promote and support cities that are committed to creating smart and sustainable environments for citizens. They believe technology has a transformative power for improving quality of life in American cities, and offer leadership and support for cities seeking to more fully embrace the smart-city movement. The group also offers technical support, policy frameworks, and case studies for local leaders to examine.
The White House announced the Smart Cities Initiative in 2015 as a program to support community’s efforts to improve city services. The initiative came with a $160 million dollar budget committed to federal research and collaborations like the one with the Smart Cities Council.
Starting October 31, 2016, the council will accept applications for the Smart Cities Challenge Grant from interested cities. Winning cities will host a Council organized one-day smart cities workshop that has been custom designed to meet the needs of each individual city. All workshops will be held in the 2017 calendar year. The open application period will close December 31, 2016.
Interested cities must have populations over 100,000, but neighboring cities can submit joint applications to reach the population threshold. A letter of interest must be submitted from the city mayor or city manager to affirm the city’s commitment.
In addition to the one day workshop, a number of Council partners and advisors will donate services and resources towards the winning cities smart initiatives. A list of these extra benefits, and the full list of application criteria can be found here:
https://smartcitiescouncil.com/article/white-house-commitment-smart-cities-council-challenge-grants