The Prototype Fund enables teams to realise their ideas for a digital tool to strengthen democratic participation in Switzerland. During a six-month prototyping period, teams will be supported with up to CHF 100,000 plus coaching, consulting and networking opportunities.
Democracy begins with the formation of opinion and extends to participation in votes and elections. Of course, the final (political) decision is an essential element of democracy. But the process that takes place before, between, and after that decision is made, is just as important – if not more. The Prototype Fund, a joint initiative by Opendata.ch and Mercator Foundation Switzerland, is looking for projects that increase political transparency, enable and engage citizens, promote participation or support opinion formation. Applications are open until 14 May 2020. Submissions can be made in English, Français, Deutsch or Italiano. Detailed information can be found in the FAQ section of the Prototype Fund website.
Many digital projects that promote smart participation fail because a tool is simply not used by those it seeks to support. Therefore it makes a lot of sense to contact relevant civil society actors in order to explore whether there is an active interest in a project, before submitting an idea.
The Prototype Fund also started a collaborative list of Civic Tech projects in Switzerland and abroad. These initiatives can serve as inspiration and even basis for projects.
(SK)
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