Code for America and Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation Open Call For Proposals for FormFest 2024

SAN FRANCISCO, August 12, 2024 – Code for America—the leading civic tech nonprofit that works with community leaders and governments to build equitable, accessible digital tools and services—and the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University today announced the “Call for Proposals” for the second annual FormFest on December 4. Interested speakers should submit a proposal on the FormFest website by September 6, 2024 to be considered.

FormFest is a free virtual event that showcases how governments are working to make services accessible to everyone through forms. The event brings together leading experts, government officials, and civic technologists from around the world to share best practices and tools to create more accessible forms, promote equity through form design, and leverage research to improve government service delivery. 

“When done well, forms make critical services more accessible and inclusive—transforming how people interact with government,” said Amanda Renteria, CEO of Code for America. “After the success of last year’s event, we’re excited to bring together the civic technology community and governments from around the world once again to explore how we can improve public service through forms.” 

“Forms play an outsized role in helping families and workers apply for government programs that can help them put food on the table, obtain health care, or find stable housing,” said Lynn Overmann, Executive Director of the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation. “FormFest is a great time for our government partners to share successes and challenges in creating more accessible and equitable forms so that we can learn from each other and work to make it as easy as possible for people to access critical government services.”

In 2023, FormFest drew more than 2,000 attendees from 26 countries and included speakers from 13 government organizations spanning five nations: the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France and New Zealand. Those interested in speaking at FormFest 2024 can choose from a variety of session formats: 

• Presentation with audience Q&A (55 minutes): Share your insights and innovations in a structured presentation, followed by an interactive Q&A session where you can dive deeper into your topic with the audience.
• Panel discussion with audience Q&A (55 minutes): Collaborate with other experts for a dynamic panel discussion. Engage the audience through a lively conversation that provides multiple perspectives on your topic, followed by a Q&A.
• Interactive session (25 or 55 minutes): Showcase a tool or approach in an engaging, hands-on format. Allow attendees to experience your solution in action and interact with it directly.

FormFest is dedicated to amplifying the voices and perspectives of government employees at all levels. Non-government employees are encouraged to apply with government partners. Selected speakers will enable attendees to walk away with a better understanding of how innovative solutions can transform lives and make a real impact. 

To submit a proposal to speak at FormFest 2024, please fill out this interest form no later than September 6, 2024. Speakers will be notified of acceptance mid-October 2024. 

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About Code for America 

Code for America, the leading civic tech nonprofit founded in 2009, believes that government can work for the people, and by the people, in the new digital age. We work with government at all levels across the country to make the delivery of public services equitable with technology. We partner with community organizations and governments to build digital tools, change policies, and improve programs. Our goal: a resilient government that effectively and equitably serves everyone. Learn more at codeforamerica.org.

About Beeck Center For Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University

The Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University seeks to improve people’s daily lives by helping governments utilize data, design, technology, and policy to better meet the needs of their residents. An anchor of Georgetown University’s Tech and Society Initiative, the Beeck Center works alongside public, private, and non-profit organizations to identify and establish human-centered solutions that help government services work better for everyone, especially the most vulnerable and underserved populations. The Beeck Center’s work was recognized on Fast Company’s 2023 Next Big Things in Tech list. For more information, please visit beeckcenter.georgetown.edu.