AI is what we make it!

AI is what we make it! What do we mean by that? Good ideas, different fields of expertise, a variety of experience and, in particular, the shared desire to work together to advance our society – all of these aspects need to come together in order to make artificial intelligence ‘our’ AI.

In short, the Civic Innovation Platform is about one thing: realising good ideas together. Do you also want to use your AI technology to enable social advances? Then register and start your search for partners to implement your idea. On this platform, you will find like-minded people who want to collaborate to turn good ideas into reality.

The third round of the idea contest starts 2022

The submission deadline for the second round of the idea contest has passed. We thank you very much for the numerous submissions, are excited about the ideas and wish all participants good luck!

The next round of the idea contest is already planned for 2022. In the meantime, you can already prepare your participation by forming cross-sectoral project teams, developing your project drafts and submitting ideas together. If you are among the winners, you can secure up to 20,000 euros again. After all, one thing is certain: AI applications that focus on AI providing benefits for the common good require a wide spectrum of technical and social competencies that must work together to enable social progress. By combining technological, emotional, creative and social intelligence, we can make AI our own.

You can find out what you need in our idea contest call [PDF, 291 KB]. Interested? Register today – you’ll find more information in the community area.

Prepare to be inspired! See the winning ideas from the first round of the contest.

News and dates

- News
- Ideas competition
- Round 2
Interim presentation: how have the second-round ideas developed?
Wednesday 01. June 2022
Half time: the awarded teams of the second round of the idea contest spent the past few months further developing their ideas – and presented their progress at the interim presentation on 13 May. In addition to funding, the project teams benefit from an array of workshops intended to help them turn their ideas into workable concepts through professional and mutual exchange.
Read more : Interim presentation: how have the second-round ideas developed?
- News
- Ideas competition
- Round 2
The second award ceremony
Tuesday 08. February 2022
On 8 February 2022, Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Hubertus Heil, distinguished the twelve most promising ideas at the virtual award ceremony for the idea contest ‘AI is what we make it!’. Once again, the second round of the contest highlightedthe potential of innovative AI technologies to benefit the common good and social progress.
Read more : The second award ceremony
08. February 2022
- Dates
- Ideas competition
- Round 2
Second Civic Innovation Platform award ceremony on 8 February 2022
On 8 February 2022, the most promising project drafts for AI providing benefits for the common good will be awarded during the award ceremony of the second round of the Civic Innovation Platform’s idea contest. To participate, simply use our online tool to register for the virtual award ceremony!
Download event : Second Civic Innovation Platform award ceremony on 8 February 2022 Read more : Second Civic Innovation Platform award ceremony on 8 February 2022

News and dates

Figures of the second round

Submitted project ideas
32
Submitted project ideas
Nominated project ideas
16
Nominated project ideas
Winning project ideas
12
Winning project ideas

Even more facts and figures

Latest project ideas

Project idea
Situational Integration
Created: 6 May, 2022
Germany has a strong economy but not enough Geography. Immigrant refugees coming from various lands. We will send them back as German based small to midsize businesses operating in their lands but linked to the German economic cycle. Germany gains Geography and influence.
Looking for:
Commune,
Public institution,
Association/gGmbH,
Educational and Research institutions
Learn more
Project idea
Corona Schnelltesterkennung für blinde und sehbeeinträchtige Menschen
Created: 15 March, 2022
Blinde Personen sind in der Corona-Pandemie bei der Auswertung von Sars-CoV-2-Schnelltests auf die Hilfe ihrer Mitmenschen angewiesen. Mit Hilfe einer App basierend auf Objekterkennungsmodellen soll eine automatische Auswertung von Fotos der Schnelltestergebnisse möglich werden.
Looking for:
SMEs and start-ups
Learn more
Project idea
UNTLITZ De-indentifizierung von Personenbildern für verbesserte Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Created: 21 February, 2022
Sommerfest im Familienzentrum: volle Hütte, super Stimmung, tolle Fotos entstehen. Der tolle Event könnte öffentlichkeitswirksam dokumentiert werden, doch: es gilt die Persönlichkeitsrechte der Besucher zu waren, die man keinesfalls verletzen möchte. 2022 und kein workaround?
Looking for:
SMEs and start-ups,
Commune,
Public institution,
Private person,
Association/gGmbH,
Educational and Research institutions
Learn more

To the ideas market

How we support you

1. Find partners
Do you have an idea of how AI could be used to advance society? On the Civic Innovation Platform you can present your idea, leave your contact details for exchange with other like-minded people and find suitable partners pursuing interests similar to your own.
Register now!
2. Developing the basic idea together
As soon as two or more project partners come together, you can work together on your idea, write a basic project draft and prepare everything required for submission.
To the ideas market
3. Receive up to 20,000 euros
You can submit your project draft to the idea contest online. Once a year, up to thirty drafts are awarded up to 20,000 euros.
4. From draft to concept
If your idea was convincing, we will provide you with financial support and further assistance, such as through networking and workshops on topics like accessibility, data protection and communication. This will culminate in a mature concept that meets the main requirements for funding applications.
To the idea contest
5. Turning ideas into reality
In order to make sure that good ideas become reality, we support project collaborations that are conceptually more advanced with our project funding (expected to start in 2022), also in the longer term.
To project funding

Frequently asked questions

What is civic innovation?
On the one hand, we define ‘civic innovation’ as innovation processes where the driving impetus comes from within society and on the other hand, all innovations that aim to advance progress in society. The relevant social actors – from members of the public through associations and companies, all the way to organisations and institutions – contribute ideas and are systematically involved in the further process. The concept is based on sharing and exchange between different disciplines, sectors and areas, openly and on an equal footing with the aim of developing solutions that can be put into practice.
What is the purpose of the project?
With the Civic Innovation Platform (CIP) project, the Policy Lab Digital, Work & Society within the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs studies how ideas for AI application that serve to enable societal and social progress can be effectively supported, from the idea through concept development, all the way to implementation and transfer.
The project is based on the German federal government's artificial intelligence strategy, in which the federal government undertakes to develop and deploy AI ‘responsibly and for the benefit of the common good’ and to embed it ‘in society on an ethical, legal, cultural and institutional basis within the basis of the framework of broad social dialogue and active policymaking (...)’. In this sense, the project aims to achieve broad acceptance in society and the design of technology for the benefit of the common good.
Why a platform?
The Civic Innovation Platform (CIP) wants to make a contribution to bringing people together from different areas (business, science, administration, civil society), thereby enabling them to develop new solutions for addressing the challenges and needs of society. We want to create optimal framework conditions that allow good ideas to evolve into innovative projects. Our attention is primarily centred on artificial intelligence (AI) for the benefit of everyone. Alongside the potential for innovation, the focus is also on potential for collaboration: partners are supported in the joint development of ideas and project proposals for the use of AI technology for the common good and their transfer into practice through various types of funding as well as workshops and advice.
What is funded?
Funding is provided for AI technology innovations destined for the common good, such as machine learning or pattern recognition. Since the Civic Innovation Platform is a funding programme initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, proposals must have a clearly identifiable link to the Ministry’s activities. This includes aspects such as the future and quality of work, occupational safety, co-determination in companies, vocational training and further education, reintegration in the labour market, pensions, integration, inclusion, diversity and equal participation.

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Our cooperation partners

Social Entrepreneurship Netzwerk Deutschland e.V.
Katrin Elsemann, Managing Director
"Our society is facing major upheavals. Climate change, demographic trends, urbanisation, the digitalisation of the working world and integration are just a few of these."
To the interview
German Trade Union Confederation (DGB)
Oliver Suchy, Head of Digital Working Worlds and Working-World Reporting
"We hope that the Civic Innovation Platform will unleash new momentum making AI an even more fertile basis for good work and social inclusion."
To the interview
Prototype Fund
Adriana Groh, Director
"Funding for AI technology must aim to additionally promote developments with added social value in particular. Public funding for open-source software for the benefit of the common good of the type operated by the Prototype Fund renders civil society visible as a driver of innovation and an important partner."
To the interview
German AI Association
Daniel Abbou, Managing Director
"KI Bundesverband (the German AI Association) is very pleased to be involved in the Civic Innovation Platform as a partner. Artificial intelligence can unleash positive effects in many areas of society."
To the interview
Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO
Dr Matthias Peissner, Director at the Institute, Head of Human-Technology Interaction Research Unit
"The technologies of artificial intelligence, particularly machine learning, harbour potential for radical change in nearly all parts of the economy and our lives. Ultimately, however, it always boils down to the question as to what contribution a technological innovation can make towards a better world. And AI can indeed!"
To the interview
Kommunale Gemeinschaftsstelle für Verwaltungsmanagement (KGSt)
Anika Krellmann, Organisation and Information Management Officer at KGSt
"Without people, AI is nothing more than a technology. We need innovations to improve living, working and general conditions in municipalities."
To the interview
Deutscher Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband e.V.
Andreas Bethke, Managing Director
"Digitalisation and artificial intelligence can take us a step forward on our path towards an inclusive society, provided that they are systematically designed and implemented on a barrier-free basis."
To the interview
Bundesverband Deutsche Startups e.V.
Alexandra Ortloff, Politics Team Leader
"AI is one of the key technologies of the future and is already playing an important role for start-ups today. As we see it, it is of crucial importance for this technology to be used for business models geared to the common good."
Learn more
Federal Association of Non-statutory Welfare (BAGFW)
Dr Gerhard Timm, Managing Director
"AI technologies will change our world profoundly over the coming years and decades. There are very alarming scenarios of a totalitarian state that uses AI to cement old relationships rooted in exploitation for the future. However, there are also scenarios in which these technologies are harnessed to advance humanist values."
Image: © BAGFW/Dirk Hasskarl
Learn more