Neighborhood Challenge: Tech Forward

Calling NYC’s small business community, commercial district managers, and technologists to collaborate on addressing the current crisis by developing solutions within an open innovation platform for small businesses in NYC.

The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC), Urban Tech Hub at Company (UTH), CIV:LAB, and their partners founded the Neighborhood Challenge platform in 2020 to help small businesses in New York recover from the impact of COVID-19. By sourcing and connecting ideas across diverse organizations, industries, and backgrounds through a series of open submission calls, the Neighborhood Challenge hopes to identify and support initiatives that will best support our New York community.

Storefront Business Campaign: As part of this platform launch, they are asking technologists, entrepreneurs, researchers, advocates, commercial district managers, and the business community to propose their insights, ideas, and solutions to reinvigorate and reimagine storefront businesses that are adversely impacted by this crisis. The campaign is seeking solutions to improve retail, personal care, dining, entertainment, and other local business services that require bold thinking, flexibility, and innovation to better position New York City’s vibrant small business community for the 21st century economy. Four areas of focus:

1. Digitizing Business Models

2. Redesigning Establishment Operations

3. Curb Management and Public Space Reconfiguration

4. Mitigating and Activating Storefront Vacancies

Get Involved Today: Help our New York community become more resilient by sharing ideas on potential neighborhood solutions and how you might support winning initiatives. Neighborhood Challenge is looking for project entries and partners through December and will start implementing winning solutions in January 2021.

1. Submit a solution – For companies, researchers, or individuals who want to propose solutions to challenges faced by small businesses.
2. Become a partner – For organizations who want to collaborate and/or provide expertise on selected projects.
3. Engage your business – For small businesses who want to learn more about the program and participation opportunities.

See project samples here: https://www.neighborhoodchallenge.nyc/get-involved

Browse the Platform: Browse recent and popular challenges and solutions created by real New Yorkers HERE: https://nyc.ideascale.com/a/ideas/recent/campaign-filter/active/stage/unspecified