Legislation Summary
Innovative Communities will promote and support the Massachusetts startup economy while providing technology solutions that allow municipalities to better serve their residents.  The Innovative Communities program will serve as a common place of access, education, and a central point of connection and facilitation for startups and municipalities seeking innovative technology solutions.  The focus is on early stage technology companies seeking to pilot their products and services with participating Massachusetts municipalities.

Below are selected highlights from the Innovative Communities Legislation:

Education

  • Educate municipalities on how to purchasing innovative technology from startups within the existing procurement structure
  • Educate startups on how the municipal purchasing process works and the requirements and standards that must be fulfilled by startups in order to sell to municipalities
  • Create a plain language summary of the procurement process and develop standardized information materials to communicate consistent practices across municipalities

Marketing and Outreach

  • Develop marketing and outreach campaigns to engage municipalities and startups
  • Organize events and expositions for startups to showcase their technology and municipalities to communicate their technology needs
  • Conduct statewide innovation competitions to solicit proposals for innovative uses of technology

Pilot Coordination, Execution, and Support

  • Serve as a startup and municipality coordinator and matchmaker for technology pilot opportunities
  • Organize pilots and establish procedures to implement pilots in innovative communities
  • Provide financial assistance in the form of grants to finance all or a portion of the costs associated with the adoption of an innovative technology
  • Provide municipalities and startups with technical assistance to help execute pilot

Fast Track Program

  • Develop and promote a streamlined process for startups to contract with municipalities for contracts under $10,000
  • Develop a pre-qualification process for participating startups to expedite the purchase of innovative technologies

Evaluation

  • Establish evaluation, audit, and compliance procedures for participating startups, including a technology readiness assessment, self-audit, and standardized due diligence investigation of participating startup business profiles

Advisory Board

  • Establish an advisory board consisting of public and private sector representatives to aid the Innovative Communities Program

Special Commission

  • Commission an investigation study of the existing procurement laws and barriers in to the process of adoption of innovative technologies

The Bill

MA Tech Hub Caucus Leadership

Senate Sponsors

House Sponsors