Bloomberg Philanthropies, headed by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, recently announced that 14 new cities have been selected to take part in the Innovation Teams program.  The program, designed to help spur innovation in areas like job growth, public safety and affordable housing, grants different cities up to $3 million in order to create teams dedicated to helping implement new approaches to solving these issues. 

Started in 1981, the Bloomberg LP technology company has used its philanthropic branch to focus on “creating lasting change [in areas such as] public health, environment, education, government innovation, and arts culture.”  Grant recipients were chosen from applicant cities with a minimum population of 100,000 people and a mayor with at least two years left in office.  Albuquerque, Seattle, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Boston were among some of the U.S. cities chosen.  Jerusalem and Tel Aviv were also selected.    

In a recent press release regarding the programs expansion, Bloomberg said, “Successful innovation depends as much on the ability to generate ideas as it does the capacity to execute them – and i-teams help cities do both… we’re excited to work with 12 new U.S. cities, and to expand the program beyond our borders by bringing i-teams to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Yafo.”

The funding provided will allow these cities to keep their teams working on the issues for up to three years.  The program initially gave grants to Atlanta, Chicago, Louisville, Memphis, and New Orleans, and was just recently extended. 

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