Councils reveal healthy appetite for innovation

4/08/2011

NESTA and the Local Government Group today announce seventeen councils that will progress through to the next stage of the Creative Councils programme.

These councils will work intensively with National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts (NESTA) and the LG Group over the coming months to challenge and develop their ideas, before five are selected to receive financial and non-financial support to put them into practice.  The seventeen councils are:

1.       Brighton and Hove

2.       Bristol

3.       Cambridgeshire

4.       Cornwall

5.       Derbyshire

6.       Essex

7.       London Borough of Havering

8.       London Borough of Islington

9.       Leicester

10.   Monmouthshire

11.   Reading

12.   Rossendale

13.   Rotherham

14.   Stoke on Trent

15.   Westminster

16.   Wigan

17.   York

The Creative Councils programme, which launched in April, will support pioneering councils to develop, implement and spread transformational new approaches to meeting some of the biggest medium and long-term challenges facing communities and local services.

The response to the call for applications revealed a significant appetite for innovation amongst councils and a wide spread desire to trial radical new approaches. Over one-third (38%) of all local authorities in England and Wales applied for the programme, amounting to 137 submissions.

Applications covered a wide spectrum of the challenges facing local services and communities, including supporting an ageing population, the rapidly increasing demands on social services, helping people into work and achieving sustainable growth.  Councils put forward radical ideas including new configurations of public, civic and private resources, and in many cases completely re-imagining the role of local government.

Analysis of the applications also revealed the need and demand for advice and support on making radical innovation happen at a local level.  The Creative Councils programme aims to respond to this demand, and the way the programme is delivered will continue to be influenced by the lessons learned through working with the participating councils.

In a unique move for national innovation programmes, summaries of all 137 applications are being published today along with a dataset that will allow anyone to undertake their own analysis of what they tell us about the state of innovation in councils across England and Wales. 

Council's own summaries of their idea will be available on the web platform www.simpl.co - Simpl is an innovation marketplace that connects innovators, ideas, councils and others.  It provides a platform for people to express an interest in the ideas, comment, explore collaborations and offer support. 

Phillip Colligan from NESTA's Public Services Lab, says: "This is an ambitious programme.  The scale of the challenges facing local communities and services demands radical new approaches and we have been delighted with the response, which shows that councils have the appetite and ideas for transformational new ways of rapidly meeting changing needs. 

The success of this programme relies on giving these ideas life beyond their immediate areas. We are determined that Creative Councils will not only benefit those areas that we work with directly but will be a source of inspiration and cold hard knowledge that will benefit local government right across the country.  It's in this spirit that we are taking the unique step of publishing information about all of the applications online, providing a platform for people to challenge and develop the ideas and creating the opportunity for new collaborations to emerge." 

Cllr Peter Fleming, Chairman of the Local Government Group Improvement Programme Board, said: "Local Authorities have a proven track record as the most innovative and progressive part of the public sector. Every one of the 137 Creative Councils entries contains some fresh and interesting ideas, but we believe the 17 authorities progressing to the next round have put forward proposals with the most potential to substantially improve services for local people, while also reducing costs.

"As a sector we need to carry forward our history of innovation. It is clear that with less money from the centre, councils will have to find new ways of working and delivering services. Innovation comes from sharing and testing your ideas with others. We will work with the 17 authorities and NESTA to bring these projects and ideas to fruition."

Over the next few months, the seventeen shortlisted councils will receive practical support to challenge and develop their idea, with the opportunity to access financial and non-financial support over the next six months.  Ultimately, it is expected that five of the most promising ideas will be selected to receive significant financial and non-financial support to put their ideas into practice, including supporting their spread to other areas.   In keeping with the spirit of openness, lessons and practical tools will be shared with councils across England and Wales throughout the lifetime of the programme.

For more information on the programme visit http://www.nesta.org.uk/areas_of_work/public_services_lab/creative_councils

Simpl http://www.simpl.co/

 

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

For further information, please contact:

Ruth Attride 020 7438 2609/ ruth.attride@nesta.org.uk

Jan Singleton 020 7438 2606/ jan.singleton@nesta.org.uk

About NESTA

NESTA is the UK's foremost independent expert on how innovation can solve some of the country's major economic and social challenges. Its work is enabled by an endowment, funded by the National Lottery, and it continues to operate at no cost to the taxpayer. 

NESTA is a world leader in its field and carries out its work through a blend of experimental programmes, analytical research and investment in early-stage companies. www.nesta.org.uk   

About Local Government Group

The Local Government Group is here to support, promote and improve local government.

We will fight local government's corner and support councils through challenging times by focusing on our top two priorities:

• representing and advocating for local government and making the case for greater devolution
• helping councils tackle their challenges and take advantage of new opportunities to deliver better value for money services.

The Local Government Group (LG Group) is an organisation that is run by its members. We are a political organisation because it is our elected representatives from all different political parties that direct the organisation through our boards and panels. However, we always strive to agree a common cross- party position on issues and to speak with one voice on behalf of local government.

We aim to set the political agenda and speak in the national media on the issues that matter to council members.

The LG Group covers every part of England and Wales and includes county and district councils, metropolitan and unitary councils, London boroughs, Welsh unitary councils, fire, police, national park and passenger transport authorities.

We work with the individual political parties through the Political Group Offices.

Visit www.local.gov.uk