Digital services can build trust between citizens and the public sector

Sweden's ability to use digitalisation to create benefits is important for citizens' confidence. However, for efficient development of new citizen-related services, the public sector must open up for more actors to take active roles in the process.

- New ways of creating public values with digital technology are emerging. The challenge now is to use citizens' confidence as a driving force for innovation to a greater extent, while the public sector must also include new actors in service development, says Adrian Solitander, responsible for Vinnova's effort at civic tech.

With a view to a new generation of citizen-friendly services

The hope is that the investment in civic tech will lead to cutting-edge projects where working methods and results show the way for new types of citizen-friendly services that can be scaled up and spread.

- The offer is aimed at actors who want to develop digital services for increased trust between citizens and the public sector. To achieve that result, more people must have the opportunity to contribute with commitment and competence. So we want to see efforts that bring together public sector innovators with digital actors at the forefront, emphasizes Adrian Solitander.

Facts about the call in civic tech

• The call Civic tech: Digital services for increased trust between citizens and the public sector opens for proposals on 28 October.
• Funding can be granted to develop new services that build trust between citizens and the public sector with the help of digital technology, citizen engagement and open administration.
• All legal entities can seek funding for projects. The projects should consist of at least two actors from different sectors.
• Projects can apply and be granted a maximum of SEK 2 million.

This is how Vinnova defines civic tech

In this the offer, Vinnova defines civic tech as:

Use of digital technology to strengthen trust between citizens and the public sector. This is achieved by deepening citizen engagement and opening up public administration as well as using digital technology as a lever for a new generation of citizen-related services.