Local Government Accelerator Programme
We run the UK’s first local government accelerator programme, designed to bring market-ready solutions into public services, test them in real-world settings, and scale what works.
The programme exists to solve a common challenge in the public sector: how to move from promising ideas to practical, deliverable change.
It creates a structured, practical route for local authorities to explore new approaches safely and to build the evidence needed to make confident decisions and for innovators to test solutions in live public service settings.
How it works
We bring together local authorities, academia, SMEs and industry to work on clearly defined challenges. Participants can test their ideas in a supportive, real-world environment.
Solutions are then:
- Tested in live environments
- Supported through structured delivery
- Monitored and evaluated to understand impact
This approach ensures that learning happens early, risk is managed throughout, and decisions are evidence-based.
Because it is delivered by local government, the programme is grounded in how services actually operate while bringing in external expertise and innovation.
Accelerator call 1
"Innovative Business Solutions" - Closed to new applicants
ITT available on Proactis: https://sebp.due-north.com
Reference: DN775676
Accelerator call 2
"Proportionate Care" - Closed to new applicants
Outcomes
Since 2025, we have run two accelerator programmes, focusing on business innovation and proportionate care.
How the Accelerator is making a differenceFeedback from services using the programme to improve decision-making, reduce risk and deliver better outcomes
“The Accelerator opens up new market options, provides clear evidence of impact, and positions the council as a leader in innovation. The approach enables better use of data—supporting more informed decisions on care needs, demand and resource planning. It brings data together across services, improves access for decision‑makers, and reduces reliance on dominant suppliers by opening up alternative solutions.”
— Adult Social Care leadership, Oxfordshire County Council“The Accelerator approach opens up the market beyond the usual suppliers, enabling us to identify solutions that are a much better fit for our needs. It has brought forward a modern, integrated platform that reduces fragmentation across services, while adopting best‑practice technology standards. Overall, it provides a stronger, more effective way to identify and evaluate solutions than traditional tender processes.”
— Technical Strategy lead, Oxfordshire County Council“From a quality monitoring perspective, the system delivers everything we need—bringing information together in one place and making it far easier to access and use. It provides a more intuitive, integrated approach that supports better oversight and gives us confidence in how we use data to understand providers and improve services.” — Quality Improvement lead, Adult Social Care, Oxfordshire County Council
“The Accelerator approach provides a new way to engage the market and develop solutions that genuinely address our key challenges. It strengthens how we approach procurement—focusing on maximising value from innovation rather than defaulting to established suppliers—and creates a strong foundation for adopting more flexible, outcomes‑focused approaches in the future.”
— Procurement & Legal Compliance lead, Oxfordshire County Council