Miami-Dade Innovation Authority

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Miami-Dade Innovation Authority

MDIA transforms how municipalities pilot, procure, and scale emerging technology.

09/17/2026

Through our Public Innovation Challenge program, we have seen that a Challenge Host is more than a place to test a solution. Hosts help define the need, shape the challenge, navigate internal processes, and create a pathway for implementation.

That is why MDIA evaluates Host readiness before launching a challenge—from organizational alignment and decision-maker support to regulatory requirements, previous pilot experience, and opportunities for procurement or broader deployment.

Doing this work upfront helps create stronger conditions for innovation to move beyond testing and generate lasting value.

Read Leigh-Ann Buchanan’s full article through the link in our bio.

09/14/2026

MDIA continues to bring together public-sector leaders, innovators, and community stakeholders whose perspectives help inform more responsive and collaborative approaches to public challenges.

This week, we highlight Martina Spolini of Rebuilding Together Miami-Dade, Inc., whose commitment to housing is shaped by her personal connection to the importance of stable and safe homes.

Martina emphasizes the need for public-sector innovation to respond to today’s community challenges. By embracing new ideas, modern tools, and community-led solutions, government can create systems that are more equitable, efficient, and responsive to people’s needs.

Her perspective also highlights MDIA’s role in bringing innovation, technology, and community-centered thinking into public systems. Through collaboration across sectors, MDIA helps create pathways for addressing local challenges and strengthening how government serves the public.

Learn more about MDIA’s work at www.mdia.miami

09/11/2026

A promising solution is only the beginning. It must also address a clearly defined need and be ready to demonstrate its value in a public-sector environment.

After applications close, MDIA begins a structured evaluation process that typically takes 8–10 weeks. Applicants receive updates by email and may be asked to provide additional information as their solutions move through the review.

Once the process is complete, we notify every applicant. Selected companies advance to further consideration and due diligence for a potential MDIA investment and an opportunity to pilot, test, and validate their solution with a Challenge Host.

Swipe to see how the selection process works.

09/09/2026

MDIA is excited to welcome Kiara Vargas as our Impact Communications Fellow.

Kiara joins MDIA with a desire to support communities and contribute to solutions that respond to people’s needs. Based in her home state of Florida, she also enjoys baking sweets and hopes to travel to Japan or Italy one day.

Welcome to the team, Kiara!

09/04/2026

What if MDIA’s next Public Innovation Challenge begins with something you’ve noticed in your own community?

Share the challenges you believe innovation could help address. Your idea will be added to MDIA’s database for future consideration, and you’ll receive updates when new Public Innovation Challenges open.

Please note that submitting an idea is not an application for funding. MDIA makes investments only through open Public Innovation Challenges.

See a challenge worth solving? Send us your idea through the link in our bio.

09/03/2026

The numbers tell only part of the story. Behind them is a growing pipeline of companies ready to bring market-tested ideas into the public sector. MDIA’s Public Innovation Challenges create the bridge—connecting innovators with Miami-Dade County departments and institutions to test solutions against real community needs.

The economic figures featured in this reel reflect the applicant companies’ existing business activity and should not be interpreted as impact generated by MDIA.

The real impact begins when innovation moves from possibility to pilot.

Learn more about MDIA’s approach through the link in our bio.

09/02/2026

Public Innovation Challenges are designed to do more than test individual technologies. They also help establish the processes, partnerships, and institutional frameworks that support public-sector innovation.

In Miami-Dade County, this work has included developing a standardized Pilot Demonstration Agreement and establishing designated points of contact across the contract approval process.
MDIA reports up to 67% reduction in the average time to pilot, from 18+ months to as fasr as six months or less. By connecting public agencies with technology companies and coordinating across government functions, MDIA’s approach supports a more structured pathway for evaluating emerging solutions.

Read the full article via the link in our bio.

08/28/2026

The Zero Waste Miami Celebration, hosted by Zero Waste Miami and Debris Free Oceans , brought together residents, businesses, nonprofits, educators, and government leaders committed to reducing waste and rethinking how resources move through our community.

This collective work supports Miami-Dade County’s Zero Waste Master Plan and its 31 strategies for waste reduction, recycling, organics management, and materials recovery. Through our Public Innovation Challenge focused on waste diversion, MDIA has partnered with the Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste Management to pilot practical solutions that can help move Miami-Dade toward a more sustainable future.

08/27/2026

Public innovation is not only about identifying new technologies. It is about creating the conditions for those technologies to be evaluated, implemented, and measured within the realities of government.

Through its work with municipalities, institutional partners, and technology companies, MDIA has developed an approach designed to connect clearly defined public needs with emerging solutions. Its Public Innovation Challenge model provides a structured pathway for companies to pilot, test, and validate technologies in collaboration with local government and other key stakeholders.

These experiences continue to generate practical insights into what it takes to move public innovation forward, from building internal alignment and establishing measurable outcomes to creating more effective pathways for testing and procurement.

Explore more about MDIA’s approach to public innovation and its work with municipalities at www.mdia.miami/.

08/24/2026

This week, we highlight Dave Stangis of Apollo Global Management, whose work focuses on sustainability strategies that drive business success and long-term resilience.

Dave’s perspective underscores that innovation is a shared responsibility. When the public and private sectors contribute their expertise and resources, they can build stronger pathways to test and advance solutions that meet community needs.

Through its Public Innovation Challenges, MDIA brings these sectors together to turn promising ideas into practical solutions with measurable public impact.

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