Innovation Exchange

Innovation Exchange exists to support innovation in the third sector. Its focus is next practice – innovative solutions to problems we have yet to solve. Learn more here about this website and how it works and sign up for our monthly e-newsletter.

Innovation Exchange exists to support innovation in the third sector. Its starting point is that the third and public sectors are teeming with great ideas, but too few of them change the world. Innovators, investors and commissioners often lack each other’s phone numbers and the capacity and incentive to collaborate.  As a result, innovations get a start, but struggle for the connections and resources to sustain or scale. Innovation Exchange exists to tackle this problem, bringing people together to grow third sector innovations.

Innovation Exchange works as an honest broker, surfacing opportunities, helping innovators, investors and commissioners to connect around them and supporting innovations’ growth. Our pitch to the third sector is simple; don’t give your idea away, but don’t keep it to yourself – grow it with Innovation Exchange.

Innovation Exchange works through an innovation support programme, creative events and a leading edge website. It’s Next Practice Programme is providing intensive support to fifteen high-potential third sector innovation projects, ranging from start-up social enterprises to household-name national charities. Its Festivals of Ideas are high-quality one-day events around practical social challenges that bring together innovators, commissioners and investors to identify opportunities for innovation and develop plans to drive progress. Both these elements of activity are supported by a new Innovation Exchange website, which enables people to connect around innovation, share ideas and collaborate.

Innovation Exchange draws on the Innovation Unit’s Next Practice methodology, developed through many years supporting innovation in children services, schools and local government. It’s work has been commended by Ed Miliband and Kevin Brennan and it has been named in Innovation Nation as a key partner in driving innovation in public services.

You can see what we are reading right now here

The Exchange is run by a consortium led by the Innovation Unit (an independent innovation consultancy) in partnership with ACEVO (the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations) and Headshift (a website company).