Participatory Budget Tool

Civio’s Participatory Budget tool turns complex decisions into clear, inclusive processes that build trust.

It helps communities deliberate, prioritise, and decide how public funds are used for real impact.

A webpage displaying budget allocation for Riverside Park investment priorities including playground upgrade and cycling trails.

Transform budget allocation into meaningful community engagement

Civio’s Participatory Budget tool makes financial decisions accessible and transparent, supporting genuine deliberative engagement and community ownership.

From local councils allocating capital funds to state agencies prioritising infrastructure, participatory budgeting connects government resources with community needs, leading to better spending decisions, stronger deliberation, and greater trust in democracy.

Deliberative Engagement Design

  • Purpose-built for deliberative democracy and informed community decision-making
  • Supports both online and in-person participatory budgeting sessions
  • Facilitates meaningful discussion and consideration of budget trade-offs
  • Encourages thoughtful allocation rather than quick voting

Smart Budget Management

  • Set budgets using real dollars, points, or custom units
  • Automatic overspending prevention with live budget tracking
  • Minimum spend thresholds ensure meaningful participation
  • Real-time calculations show remaining budget at a glance

Simple Participant Experience

  • One-click “Fund Proposal” buttons with instant feedback
  • Live progress bar shows budget allocation in real-time
  • Clear sidebar displays current selections and amounts
  • Intuitive interface requires no technical expertise

Flexible Deployment

  • Fully embeddable into external websites
  • Perfect for online participatory budgeting sessions
  • Ideal for in-person deliberative workshops
  • Hybrid approach supports both digital and face-to-face engagement
Budget overview for Riverside Park investment priorities showing various project proposals and funding amounts.

Comprehensive Reporting

  • Customisable dashboards show funding results and participation
  • Export detailed reports on community preferences and outcomes
  • Track participation rates and engagement patterns
  • Generate visualisations to share results with stakeholders

Inclusive Access

  • WCAG 2.2 AA compliance for universal accessibility
  • Full keyboard navigation and screen reader support
  • Multi-language support for diverse communities
  • Responsive design works across all devices
Overview of investment priorities for Riverside Park including budget allocations for various projects.

Perfect for

Transport & Infrastructure

Help communities prioritise infrastructure investments, transport improvements, and facility upgrades. Make technical budget decisions accessible through deliberative engagement processes.

A city intersection featuring traffic lights and a bus in motion amidst tall buildings.

Local government

Engage residents in capital improvement budgets, community grants, and neighbourhood enhancement funds. Build transparency and trust while ensuring public investments reflect genuine community priorities.

Two women sitting at a round concrete table in a park, engaged in conversation.

Environment

Involve communities in allocating environmental program funding, conservation initiatives, and sustainability projects. Build support for environmental investments through participatory decision-making.

Aerial view of a meandering river flowing through a landscape with contrasting colors.

Energy & Resources

Engage stakeholders in prioritising energy infrastructure, resource management programs, and community benefit funding. Create transparent processes for resource allocation decisions.

Electric power lines illuminated at night against a starry sky.

Consulting

Support clients in running participatory budgeting processes that build community buy-in and deliver evidence-based recommendations. Demonstrate genuine community engagement in budget allocation decisions.

A woman with glasses smiling while discussing documents on a table in a modern office setting.

Why Choose Civio's Participatory Budget Tool?

Built for Deliberation: Designed specifically to support thoughtful, informed decision-making rather than quick voting, encouraging participants to consider trade-offs and community-wide impacts.

Evidence-Based Outcomes: Comprehensive reporting provides clear evidence of community preferences to support implementation decisions and demonstrate genuine democratic participation.

Scalable Impact: Whether you’re running a neighbourhood consultation or a city-wide process, our tool adapts to your scale while maintaining the integrity of deliberative engagement.

Transparent Process: Every participant can see exactly how their choices contribute to overall budget allocation, building trust in democratic decision-making processes.

With Civio’s Participatory Budget tool, deliberative engagement becomes the foundation for spending decisions that truly reflect community priorities.

Budget summary showing total budget, remaining amount, and selected projects for funding.

Plans designed around you

Explore our plans and request pricing. We’ll send you a clear proposal, no sales calls, just the details you need.

View Plans Request Pricing
A woman with curly hair and headphones looking at a tablet in a brightly lit corridor.