NYC BigApps
New York City Economic Development Corporation
HR&A led the comprehensive redesign and management of NYC BigApps for the New York City Economic Development Corporation, transforming the world’s largest civic tech competition to address pressing challenges facing New Yorkers. Over two competition rounds in 2014 and 2015, we secured more than $500,000 in sponsorship support, produced 22+ events, managed relationships with 250+ collaborators, and awarded $225,000 in prizes to winning teams creating lasting impact, including Heat Seek and Benefit Kitchen, while establishing a sustainable program model through collaboration with Civic Hall Labs.
NYC BigApps required strategic repositioning to evolve beyond its original mission of promoting public datasets toward meaningful solutions for critical urban challenges, while maintaining its valuable brand among civic technologists and attracting global tech companies as sponsors and supporters. The program needed to align with evolving City policy priorities and ensure products emerging from competition addressed real needs identified by New Yorkers and City agencies. HR&A’s redesign approach involved extensive outreach to participants, sponsors, and stakeholders to develop a program plan focused on specific civic challenges, supplemented by high-profile public events, educational programming, and interactive web platforms that engaged tens of thousands of participants.
The transformed competition successfully engaged civic technologists around major initiatives including affordable housing, zero waste, and Internet of Things deployment, working with more than 50 City agencies and civic experts. BigApps 2014 received 117 submissions across Live, Work, Learn, and Play categories, while BigApps 2015 attracted 110 submissions focused on lasting civic impact. Many prizewinning solutions continue operating, demonstrating the program’s effectiveness in generating sustainable civic innovation. HR&A’s development of a sustainable program model enabled successful transition to Civic Hall Labs management, ensuring BigApps continues advancing civic technology solutions beyond our direct involvement. The program redesign established a replicable framework for civic tech competitions that balance innovation goals with practical community impact while building lasting collaboration between government, technology sector, and civic organizations.
