The City of Philadelphia’s FastFWD program encouraged entrepreneurs to pitch ideas about how to increase public safety and then took 20 of the best through a business accelerator. Ideas ranged from tablet-based education programs for prison inmates to a company for self-defence products for women. Three of the startups went on to win city contracts, but in many instances the program was a stepping stone to private sector investment. This model of problem-based procurement and reframing urban issues as business opportunities has been taken up internationally.

Make sure to share your own thoughts with the author by leaving a comment below