In 2018, 12 cities and government agencies have issued challenges:

1. Boulder, CO
2. Houston, TX
3. Metropolitan Transportation Commission, CA
4. Miami-Dade County, FL
5. Richmond, VA
6. San Francisco, CA
7. Santa Cruz County, CA
8. Santa Monica, CA
9. Vallejo, CA
10. Walnut Creek, CA
11. Washington, D.C.
12. West Sacramento, CA

View the full list of challenges.

Startups must be physically accessible for key moments during the residency — for example, during scoping workshops, kickoff, discovery (e.g., user research and testing), and Demo Day.

We do not require your team to be in the host city or agency for the entire duration of the 16-week program. That said, you may find it easier and more rewarding to collaborate with your government partner face to face.

You may apply to more than one city or government agency, but only one challenge per entity.  However, we recommend applying to no more than two to three challenges. Do your research and be sure to personalize your application for the city and problem.

For each challenge, you must submit a separate application through F6S. If you wish to submit a second application, please email [email protected]. Share the name of your startup as written on your first application and tell them you would like to submit another application for Startup In Residence 2018.

If you would like to make any revisions to your application to highlight why your team and approach are a perfect fit for your challenge, please email [email protected] to have your application re-opened.

A request for proposal (RFP) is how a government agency issues a call for vendors through a fair, neutral, and regulated process.

For some cities, the application serves as an RFP. Review the Terms & Conditions to learn about your host city or government agency’s path to procurement.

Startup in Residence was designed for startups and cities to work collaboratively to test new approaches to civic challenges. Startups must be willing to volunteer their time, typically about one day a week (20% of their time) for the duration of the 16-week program.

The program is not a substitute for a contract to sell an existing product or service to government. Furthermore, startups are not guaranteed a contract by participating in the program.

At the conclusion of the program, however, many startups have the opportunity to enter into a paid contract with their city or government agency partner. You can read about some of these successful partnerships on STIR Stories.

We encourage any willing organization to apply that is interested in working side by side with government to solve civic challenges. Regardless of your organizational structure, make sure to highlight in your application why your organization is the right fit for the challenge and how you’d approach the challenge.

Santa Monica expects that there would be a number of challenges with hosting PII in the cloud, which is why they’re seeking an on-premise solution. That said, we still encourage strong applicants to apply and share your approach with the city.

Each host city and government organization has an evaluation committee made up of directors, project managers, and technical and subject matter experts.

You are not required to interview in person, but it is highly encouraged. Remote interviews will take place via Skype.

Yes, at least one member of your team must attend the scoping workshops with your or government agency partner.

Review the Terms & Conditions from each city or agency.

If more than one city or government agency offers your startup a contract, your team will select one city to partner with.

The host city or government agency will have workspaces available during the residency.

Startups and government partners will work together to determine a schedule. Most teams set aside at least one day a week (20% of their time) to the residency.

Startups are also expected to participate in workshops and check-in calls during the program.

Review the Terms & Conditions to learn more about your host city or government agency’s requirements.

Many startups write about their experience and what they’ve learned in the program. Keep in mind that all communication must be cleared through your government partner. No external communication is allowed without approval from the partner’s communication department.