Sacramento is initiating a "City Hall tech program" in order to fund apps, conduct civic innovation projects and help attract and retain local startups.
As part of its mission, the City Hall tech program also will foster civic partnerships, identify ways to reduce the cost of permitting and other "business climate" issues, and focus on testing and applying new solutions developed by local companies.
The program is being developed by the city's IT department and the new Mayor's Office for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
City officials briefly discussed the tech program during a June 9 budget meeting.
The City Hall tech program is one component of a multi-pronged effort to bolster Sacramento's standing in the innovation economy.
On June 4 Mayor Kevin Johnson said the city will invest $1 million in local companies this year. City officials said Sacramento plans to partner with a nonprofit economic development organization to make investments, and potential profits would be used to sustain the city's new multimillion dollar Innovation and Growth Fund.
Sacramento also is launching a new grants program of up to $1.5 million called "RAILS," which stands for Rapid Acceleration, Innovation and Leadership in Sacramento. The city also is pairing that locally-focused grant program with separate strategic investments is a globally focused accelerator called 500 Startups.
Last week city staff provided an update on work to launch a Sacramento Employment and Economic Development (SEED) Corp.
