Innovate to Save launched in 2017 and took eight projects through research and development to test their ideas for improving public services and generating cashable savings.
In Version 1, projects experimented with their ideas including step-down accommodation for young care leavers, social prescriptions for community gardening and smart home devices for supported living houses. Once ideas had been tested and refined, there was an opportunity to apply for repayable finance to develop and scale the solution; several projects in Version 1 were able to do this.
We recently announced seven new Innovate to Save research and development projects.
These Case Studies aim to show what can be achieved with a small amount of grant funding and innovative practice. Our guide to running your own Innovate to Save programme, 'Repayable Finance for Innovation in public services' will be published in the new year.