Pitchfest: Hennepin County

Pitchfest: Hennepin County is an inaugural event co-hosted by the Hennepin-University Partnership (HUP), pairing Pilot City's innovative model with a trusted 20-year partnership between the University of Minnesota and Hennepin County. The event is designed to spark creative collaborations between Hennepin County staff and University of Minnesota faculty, staff researchers, and graduate students around real-world challenges.
County experts are invited to give fast, three-minute "reverse pitches" highlighting specific challenges from their work that could benefit from external expert support. University of Minnesota attendees will then have the opportunity to explore where their research or expertise might contribute to solutions. After the event, the HUP team works to match County staff with interested experts from the UMN research community.
If you are a Hennepin County staff member or a University of Minnesota-affiliated faculty member, staff researcher, or graduate student, register to secure your spot, in person or virtually. An agenda and full list of County pitches will be published by October 23rd. The Pitchfest is co-hosted by HUP and Pilot City, a non-profit program of Renaissance Philanthropy.

U.S. cities are home to some of the world’s top research universities and technical talent, but local government agencies do not have an easy way of tapping into that expertise. The Pitchfest aims to close that gap, harnessing the talent of local experts to help government agencies implement more effective and evidence-based programs and policies.
Pilot City has been supporting local partners in co-hosting versions of the Pitchfest since 2024. In total, more than 25 government agencies and more than 400 local experts have participated, and Pilot City has matched those experts to more than 50 projects. This is the first year of Pitchfest: Hennepin County.
The Hennepin-University Partnership has a long track record of successfully convening county experts and university partners around one pressing topic (HUP Mixers). By partnering with Pilot City, the Pitchfest model will surface a broader set of County needs and opportunities for collaboration to expand our impact.
Whether you are a UMN attendee interested in working on real public-sector challenges, a County staff member seeking outside perspectives, or someone simply curious about the breadth of work happening across the county, this event is a chance to increase awareness, spark new partnerships, and surface fresh approaches to real-world issues.

Hennepin County Staff

If you are a Hennepin County staff member who would like to pitch a project, submit a pitch using the one-slide template here via email to [email protected] by October 2nd. You will receive confirmation by October 23rd whether your pitch has been selected to be included in the event.

Please consult the template for examples of effective pitches. It is okay if your project is just in the idea phase: This is a bottom-up process intended to encourage staff to share in a low-risk environment. Pitching does not commit you to following through on the project.

University of Minnesota Faculty and Staff Researchers

University of Minnesota faculty and staff researchers are encouraged to attend the event and explore collaborative opportunities with County staff. Following the event, we will circulate an interest form where you can specify projects that align with your expertise and describe your relevant research background. Submissions will be reviewed by Hennepin County staff, who will initiate contact if there is a mutual interest in collaboration.

HUP has pre-negotiated terms for data access, publication, and acknowledgement outlined in the HUP Master Cooperative Agreement (MCA). Any project that uses private welfare data from the County or involves County funds passed to the University falls under the MCA.

University of Minnesota Graduate Students

University of Minnesota graduate students and PhD candidates are also encouraged to attend the event and explore collaborative opportunities with County staff that may align with their coursework, thesis, or career goals. Following the event, we will circulate an interest form where you can specify projects that align with your expertise and goals. Submissions will be reviewed by Hennepin County staff. Students can expect to hear from HUP staff or County staff if there is mutual interest in collaboration.

Most student-led projects will be completed on a volunteer basis. However, we expect several Pitchfest projects to be considered for future HUP student programming opportunities, which match highly qualified graduate students to County-identified projects for summer and year-long graduate research assistantships. Students interested in participating in HUP programming will apply separately during the following academic year.

Projects are intended to support current or future Hennepin County programs, policies, or operations. Projects can take many forms and come from any Hennepin County department, but all projects must articulate a clear path to meaningful outcomes and a realistic plan for completion within a 12-month timeframe.

Research Projects

Research projects are designed to generate scholarly and practical value through applied research collaborations. Projects may include applied research studies, evaluation, community-engaged research, policy analysis, or other collaborative inquiry that advances both academic knowledge and County priorities.‍

Timeline: Up to 12 months

Technical Assistance Projects

Technical assistance projects are designed to pair County staff members with skilled contributors to address targeted needs through applied evaluation, analysis, and problem-solving support. Projects may include informal consulting requests, capacity-building, literature reviews, data analysis and visualization, digital tool design and prototyping, or process and workflow improvement.

Timeline: Approximately 3-6 months

There are different types of funding available to support projects. Funding may support both research and technical assistance projects.

HUP Collaborative Grant

We anticipate that many projects will not require funding, as the collaboration and data access may be mutually beneficial to the parties involved. If funding is required, those who have Principal Investigator (PI) status at the University of Minnesota are eligible to apply for up to $60,000 in funding through the HUP Collaborative Grant.

The funding application will open in January 2027, after project-specific matches are made between County staff and UMN faculty or researchers. Funding applications should be submitted jointly by a Hennepin County staff member lead and a University of Minnesota Principal Investigator. See below for more details about this process.

Additional Project Support Opportunities

In addition to the HUP Collaborative Grant, select Pitchfest submissions may be considered for future HUP student programming opportunities.

These programs provide Hennepin County departments with additional capacity to analyze administrative data, evaluate programs, conduct research, and generate actionable insights that inform policy and service delivery.

While participation in Pitchfest does not guarantee selection for student programming support, all appropriately scoped Pitchfest projects will be considered for graduate research or evaluation assistantship support. Students interested in participating in HUP programming will apply separately during the following academic year.

See our web page here for a visual that explains this process in more detail.

Project proposals for a HUP Collaborative Grant should address a critical Hennepin County public service need through data-driven solutions that have the potential to yield significant, measurable outcomes for communities. Projects can take many forms and come from any Hennepin County department, but all projects must articulate a clear path to meaningful outcomes and a realistic plan for completion within a 12-month timeframe.

Funding decisions will be made by a panel composed of HUP Leadership Team and Advisory Committee members. Funding applications should be submitted jointly by a Hennepin County staff member lead and a University of Minnesota Principal Investigator.

Each proposal is then evaluated based on the degree to which it...

• Addresses a critical public service need with a clear path to measurable outcomes for Hennepin County communities.
• Demonstrates a deep understanding of how end beneficiaries will be reached and supported.
• Is likely to influence a department's programs, policies, or operations within or shortly after the project period.
• Includes a sound methodology that is likely to lead to credible findings or recommendations.
• Demonstrates readiness to begin and a realistic plan for completion within 12 months.
• Is likely to produce findings of broader relevance to other jurisdictions, public agencies, or the research community.
• Builds on existing academic research to generate new knowledge.

If you still have questions about Pitchfest: Hennepin County, please contact us at [email protected]. More information about the Pilot City program and its Pitchfest events can be found on Pilot City's home page here. County staff may also schedule a 15-minute meeting with the HUP team to ask any questions here.

Info: Enjoy a light breakfast, and meet with County staff and UMN researchers and students.

Info: Share opening remarks, explain the Pitchfest process, and preview the morning.

Info: Hear pitches from Hennepin County staff. A full list of pitches will be published by October 23rd.

Info: Learn how to express interest in collaborating with County staff on a specific project.

Info: Hang around to meet with County staff and UMN researchers and students.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Southeast Oak Street, Minneapolis, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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