A pilot with PGH Lab is a 6-month long contract engagement to test a company’s product or service within a city department. The goal is to assess how well the solution works in a municipal environment, gather data, and determine whether it has potential for broader implementation.
Participants gain hands-on experience as vendors in a government setting, receive direct feedback from city department decision-makers, and receive a $25,000 stipend over the course of the engagement.
Pilots are 6 months long with projects kicking off in January and concluding at the end of June. A wrap-up event will take place in July.
Participants must actively engage with their assigned city department, conduct their pilot as outlined in their proposal, provide progress updates, and participate in program events.
The application opens once per year in the fall – usually mid-September - and remains open for 4 weeks. The application is accessed through the City’s OpenGov procurement portal and application announcement updates can be found on the PGH Lab LinkedIn page or departmental X (twitter).
Applications are reviewed by a selection committee that evaluates the potential impact, risk, feasibility, and alignment of each proposal with the city’s needs. Selected companies will be invited to a pitch competition for the second phase of evaluation before final selections are made.
PGH Lab is open to startups and small businesses located in Pittsburgh, PA with a functional product or service that is ready for use by City stakeholders. Priority is given to solutions that align with the City of Pittsburgh’s focus areas, including environmental sustainability, public engagement, health and safety, and general civic tech innovation.
Yes, previous participants are welcome to reapply. However, preference may be given to first-time participants.
Companies share their findings in a wrap-up meeting and receive feedback from city stakeholders. There is a wrap-up event in July to celebrate the completion of the program.
All companies who complete their PGH Lab pilot become Alumni of the program and will receive periodic communication and event invites from the program managers.
If the pilot is successful, aligns with city needs, and the participating department has availability in their budget, there may be opportunities for further engagement or procurement discussions at the discretion of the partnering department.
Please feel free to email us at pghlab@pittsburghpa.gov
PGH Lab only accepts applicants with products or services that are ready for testing. For more information on how to start a business, please see the resources below:
last updated: 05/06/2025