Civic Innovation Platform

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
The second pitch of the idea contest
Monday 15. November 2021
Whether addressing innovation in administration, improved labour conditions or the promotion of inclusion and participation, the project teams invited to the virtual pitch on 10 November demonstrated what all their ideas have in common – having a vision of AI that provides benefits for the common good and of social innovations.
Read more: The second pitch of the idea contest
- News
- Ideas competition
- Round 2
Idea contest enters round two – the next steps
Thursday 07. October 2021
The submission deadline for project ideas for the second round of the idea contest ‘AI is what we make it’ was on 7 October 2021. The next step is the digital pitch on 10 November ‒ further information is available here.
Read more: Idea contest enters round two – the next steps
- News
- Ideas competition
- Round 2
Submission deadline extended!
Friday 24. September 2021
Submit your idea for an AI providing benefits for the common good and win up to €20.000. We’re extending the submission deadline for the second round of our idea contest. Project drafts can still be submitted directly via our website until 07 October 2021.
Read more: Submission deadline extended!

News and dates

Current figures

Registered users
1122
Registered users
Project ideas
186
Project ideas
Agreed partnerships
161
Agreed partnerships

Even more facts and figures

Latest project ideas

Project idea
CPU Architekture etwas anders
Created: 8 January, 2022
Computer benutzten wie vor 30 Jahren immer noch Assembler mit immer wieder überholten Funktionen.
Looking for:
Educational and Research institutions
Learn more
Project idea
Learning Machine into own direction
Created: 7 January, 2022
Eine Maschine die sich selber analysiert, Sinne erstellt, Denkprozesse benutzt aus logischen Abläufen die Interagieren. Es kann sich unterhalten. Es treibt sich selber an . Und ist über C++ mit SQL innerhalb von 4 Wochen umsetzbar.
Looking for:
SMEs and start-ups,
Commune,
Public institution,
Private person,
Association/gGmbH,
Educational and Research institutions
Learn more
Project idea
DigiStadtV - Digitale Souveränität für alle kommunalen und städtischen Verwaltungen
Created: 7 October, 2021
In keiner deutschen kommunalen oder städtischen Verwaltung soll irgendjemand größere Texte abtippen müssen, aber die Daten sollten auch sicher und souverän verarbeitet werden. Daher soll ein digitaler Dienst aufgebaut und angeboten werden, wie onlineocr.net bzw Google Lens.
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. Turn 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 from late summer 2021), also in the longer term.
To project funding

Frequently asked questions

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.
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.
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.
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
© BDSV/Ziebe
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
© BAGFW/Dirk Hasskarl
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