SAN RAMON, Calif. - Accela, the leading provider of cloud-based solutions for government, announced today it has become an industry partner of the Startup in Residence (STiR) to help lead the next wave of innovation in government and increase the role government plays in solving community challenges. STiR connects startups with government agencies to develop technology solutions that solve real civic challenges through a 16-week program. As a public-sector supporter of STiR, Accela will provide expert advice to startups who will be working with 28 partner cities, with specific mentorship to startups developing new solutions in Boulder, Colorado, and Mobile, Alabama.
With increasing pressure on cities and states to keep pace with technological change and meet more discerning citizen expectations, governments are turning to public-private partnerships to accelerate their ability to improve the experience and delivery of vital public services. Collaboration between the public and private sectors provides an opportunity to help governments close skill gaps, develop results-oriented solutions to community challenges, streamline processes, and innovate with agility.
“The Startup in Residence program is a quintessential example of a public-private partnership working to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing cities and states through collaborative innovation,” said Heidi Lorenzen, Accela’s Vice President of Marketing. “One of Accela’s goals is to help drive the next shift in government innovation and our partnership with STiR is a catalyst to developing ground-breaking solutions that build thriving, future-ready communities.”
Launched by San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee in 2014, the STiR program began as a pilot and in 2018 partnered with City Innovate to expand to 32 cities across the United States. So far, 46 startups across North America have joined the effort. See all the STiR team partnerships here.
“Accela has been at the forefront of government technology and innovation for decades and we are thrilled to add their industry-leading expertise to our program aimed at better serving communities throughout the country,” said Jay Nath, founder of STiR and co-executive director of City Innovate.
For this 2019 STiR cohort, Accela is partnering with Neighborly Software, a cloud-based application that aims to improve the administrative and regulatory compliance of housing, economic and community development programs, and with Qwally, a digital solution for government to manage small business certification and procurement. Accela will provide technical assistance to Neighborly, that is developing a solution in Boulder, and Qwally, in Mobile, to support them with product strategy and marketing consultation that ensures these inventive solutions can have the greatest impact on American cities.
“At Qwally we connect entrepreneurs with the information, resources and support they need to work with their city,” said Qwally CEO Chris Offensend. “For us, Accela’s robust and flexible technology, designed to streamline government processes, makes them an ideal partner to help small businesses access local contract opportunities.”
“Neighborly Software is excited to be partnering with Accela to improve efficiency and compliance within Housing and Community Development organizations across the country,” said Neighborly Software CEO Jason Rusnak. “Every dollar these organizations save on paper, printing and overhead costs is one more dollar that can benefit their low and moderate income communities.”
On March 19, 2019, Accela and Governing hosted a webinar entitled, “Digital Service Delivery: Enhancing the Citizen Experience.” The webinar featured a panel of public-sector and industry experts which included STiR’s Jay Nath, co-executive director of City Innovate, as well as Dominic Vaiana, Denver’s deputy director of operations for the Department of Excise and Licenses. You can watch the webinar online here.
About Accela
Accela provides market-leading solutions that empower state and local governments to build thriving communities, grow businesses and protect citizens. Powered by Microsoft Azure, Accela’s fast-to-implement Civic Applications, and robust and extensible solutions platform, help agencies address specific needs today, while ensuring they are prepared for any emerging or complex challenges in the future. Accela is headquartered in San Ramon, California, with additional offices around the world. For more information, visit www.accela.com.
