Digtial Innovation Toolkit: A framework for inclusive innovation in the West Midlands
We worked with the West Midlands Combined Authority and Connected Places Catapult to help teams make innovation more inclusive.
The result is a framework that translates ambition into action, making it easier for companies to design policies, services and products that include a more diverse range of people.
Context and challenge
The West Midlands has one of the most diverse populations in the UK, but like many regions, that diversity isn’t always reflected in who gets to innovate, or benefit from innovation.
The ambition behind this project was to move beyond vision statements and build something practical: a shared, structured way to help people across the region design more inclusive innovation ecosystems, whether they’re commissioning, funding, delivering, or participating.
Our approach
We worked closely with Connected Places Catapult and West Midlands Combined Authority to turn existing research and stakeholder insight into a digital, structured experience. The goal: to create an open-access framework that companies could use at any stage of an innovation process.
The framework is designed to help companies:
- Understand what inclusive innovation means in practice
- Assess how inclusive their current programmes are
- Take concrete action through policy, partnerships and design decisions
- Build long-term accountability and momentum
We structured the content to be navigable, skimmable, and usable on demand. It replaces static guidance with interactive pathways, self-assessment tools and downloadable prompts.
The Inclusive Innovation Guide is live and is already informing inclusive approaches in areas like civic data use, transport decarbonisation, and place-based innovation.
Get in touch if you’d like to explore how our digital innovation toolkits can help your organisation turn inclusive innovation goals into practical, measurable change.