Hamburg, HH eases awarding of contracts for innovative products and services
An experimental clause introduced in early 2024 for contracts worth up to EUR 100,000 allows the City of Hamburg to invite only one company to submit a tender. The city's GovTecHH unit must be involved and the contract must include the use of new technologies to update and digitalise local government and to test new technologies faster.
Hamburg, HH
Germany
Pecos, TX adopts robotic process automation for financial management improvements
Pecos faced delays in financial processes due to a shortage of Finance Department staff. The RPA development process focused on eight areas most likely to benefit from AI-powered bots. The first round of automation handled sales tax and daily cash reconciliation from start to finish. Lessons from this initial deployment were used for automation of utility billing and IT ticket generation. Town officials will build on these successes by pursuing a fully automated accounts payable system.
Pecos, TX
United States
Birmingham, AL Embrace Mothers pilot supports female-headed households with guaranteed income
Birmingham and Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI) funded a one-year pilot focused on single-mother households. Eligible applicants were female-identifying residents with one or more children under 18 years old without spouses or partners. Embrace Mothers paid $375 per month to 110 participants with another 132 residents surveyed as a control group. A dedicated dashboard hosted by MGI displayed participant demographics, spending patterns, and narratives.
Birmingham, AL
United States
Prince George's County, MD supports seniors and youth leaving care with a guaranteed income pilot
Thrive Prince George's is a two-year, $4 million pilot funded by the county, Greater Washington Community Foundation, and the Meyer Foundation. The program serves 85 residents aged 18 to 24 who have left the foster care system and 125 seniors. Each participant receives $800 per month throughout the pilot with no restrictions on how money is used. Local organizations CASA and UCAP administer the pilot and provide assistance with maintaining income-limited benefits.
Prince George's County, MD
United States
Ventura County, CA adds support for former foster youth with VC Thrive supplemental income pilot
County officials identified a lack of resources for those who exit the foster care system. Eligible residents aged 21 to 26 who meet minimum threshold requirements are eligible for VC Thrive. The 18-month pilot will issue unconditional $1,000 payments each month to 150 participants. Ventura County and the California Department of Social Services each allotted $1.5 million for the program. Project partner James Storehouse will handle registration and payments throughout the pilot.
Ventura County, CA
United States
Baltimore, MD boosts middle neighborhood development with its City Employee Homeownership Program
Full-time city employees qualify for $5,000 in down payment assistance under the existing program. A one-year enhancement offers $10,000 per approved applicant for home purchases in 205 middle neighborhoods. Participants must contribute at least $1,000 of their own money and complete homeownership counseling certificates. The program is part of a strategy to strengthen stable neighborhoods that includes home repair grants and city service promotion.
Baltimore, MD
United States
Alameda, CA tests the impacts of guaranteed income payments with its Rise Up Alameda pilot
Rise Up Alameda issues $1,000 monthly payments to 150 randomly selected applicants for two years. Eligible residents are aged 18 or older and earn up to 50% of the city's Area Median Income. The application process was made accessible with a multi-lingual online application and three drop-in hubs. There are no restrictions on how the monthly payments are spent. City officials allocated $4.6 million in federal ARPA funding to fund the pilot with project partner Operation Dignity.
Alameda, CA
United States
London Borough of Barnet, GB counters cost-of-living increases with Inbest benefits calculator
Inbest's opening questionnaire asks for the user's income, number of household members, and housing status. The platform evaluates local and national support programs before producing an estimate of potential monthly benefits for the user. The calculator connects community members to resources ranging from the borough's council tax support to the Personal Independence Payment program. The borough is the first local authority in the United Kingdom to adopt the Inbest platform.
London Borough of Barnet, GB
United Kingdom
Philadelphia, PA GROW pilot issues monthly payments to recipients of E-TANF benefits
The one-year Guaranteed Resources Optimize Wellbeing (GROW) pilot issues $500 monthly payments to 50 E-TANF recipients. An additional 250 E-TANF recipients receive $50 per month for comparisons by partner organizations. Fund for Guaranteed Income manages monthly payments and university researchers survey participants. This first-of-its-kind pilot evaluates the economic impacts of monthly payments on parents unemployed due to extenuating circumstances.
Philadelphia, PA
United States
Whitby, ON addresses healthcare gaps with Family Physician Recruitment Incentive Partnership Pilot
The five-year pilot will recruit up to 10 new family physicians for the new West Whitby Health Centre. Recruited physicians receive CAD 50,000 each for serving at least 1,000 local patients through the pilot period. Town officials and facility operator Oshawa Clinic Group share the cost of physician incentives. Whitby hopes that a fully staffed health centre will better serve the 230,000 regional residents without primary care physicians.
Whitby, ON
Canada
Worcester, MA combines universal basic income payments and financial coaching during pilot
The Worcester Community Action Council (WCAC) operates the two-year pilot using $250,000 in federal funding allocated by the city. Two cohorts of 26 low-income households each receive monthly payments of $100 to $500 for one year. Recipients establish financial goals during empowerment workshops and receive guidance if payments disqualify them from other benefits. This approach follows the Mobility Mentoring model for establishing self-sufficiency through continuous improvement.
Worcester, MA
United States
Kent County Council, GB Money Advice Hub guides residents through financial difficulties
Kent Money Advice Hub connects community members to Citizens Advice experts through a dedicated website. Phone or video calls allow struggling residents to seek confidential help with budgeting, benefits claims, and debt resolution. Consultations produce customized plans for financial health based on current finances, debt, and identified goals. Video kiosks at four community centers support services for those without reliable Internet or mobile connections.
Kent County Council, GB
United Kingdom