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Use government data to build digital tools with, by, and for the people.

The Opportunity Project is a program of the Census Open Innovation Labs at the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Use TOP at Your Agency to Solve the Nation's Toughest Challenges

The Opportunity Project (TOP) offers a framework for agencies to facilitate collaboration between technologists and community advocates in order to rapidly design digital solutions for the public good.

Explore how agencies have used TOP to address national challenges:

The State Department & The Wilson Center Worked to Reduce Plastic Waste in Oceans

Solutions Included

Ocean Plastics Story Map, Esri: storytelling with newly compiled data sets to provide new insights and solutions to the problem of ocean plastic pollution

Georgetown University Campus Plastic Initiative, Georgetown University Beeck Center: tracking plastic pollution on college campuses and educating students on its impact

The Ghost Gear Project, Harvard University Institute of Politics: visualizing the location of ghost fishing gear in our oceans with accompanying mitigation techniques

Lasting Impact

The Campus Plastic Initiative product resulted in the creation of a Georgetown student organization and greater emphasis on recycling and reduction of plastic pollution on campus

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Select an agency

Ready to solve the nation’s biggest challenges?

Email TOP

How Does TOP Work?

Government and/or community organizations lead sprints and identify pressing, public-facing issues.

Government agencies recruit technologists, community leaders, and data experts to participate in a 12-week sprint challenge.

Tech teams create products and tools based on community feedback. User research and exploration are important steps during this process. Tech teams include industry start-ups, technologists from outside the government, and university students.

Learn more about the TOP process.

How to Get Started

We can help your organization identify the next steps to facilitate a successful TOP sprint. If your agency is interested in using the TOP framework to address national challenges, please email us. A member of the TOP team will be in touch within one week.

Ready to get started?

Email TOP

Our Vision

We envision a future in which every federal agency uses the TOP model. We’re empowering you with the tools you need to lead open innovation.

Our Impact

40+ National Challenges

addressed, including ocean plastic pollution, COVID-19 economic recovery, disaster response, and more

135+ Public-Facing Digital Products

launched since 2016 through TOP’s 12-week technology development sprints

1300+ Alumni

participated in TOP sprints, including developers, designers, community leaders, data & policy experts, students, and government agencies

Past Participants

Environmental Protection Agency logo
IBM logo
Choctaw Nation logo
United States Census Bureau logo
National Association of Latino Elected & Appointed Officials logo
Center on Rural Innovation logo
Massachusetts Institute of Technology logo
Health and Human Services logo
Redfin logo
State of Hawaii logo
Airbnb logo
United States Department of Agriculture logo
Executive Office of the President of the United States logo
Citi logo
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development logo
Homestretch logo
United States of America Department of Labor logo
Council of Chief State School Officers logo

Ready to make an impact?

Email TOP