Innovate to Save was launched in February 2017 with funding from Welsh Government. The programme blends grant funding to undertake a Research and Development phase, incorporating prototyping and piloting of the organisations' ideas, followed by the opportunity to apply for an interest-free loan on negotiable terms to implement the project at scale during an implementation phase.

Repayable finance is a tool that governments can use to support innovation in public services - allowing governments to benefit from the success of innovation, and reinvest money on a regular basis in new innovations.

This guide aims to be a practical and informative tool that helps public service organisations- although most likely local and national governments - to stimulate innovation within a challenging context. Informed by experience, it aims to guide teams through the process of planning, developing and implementing a programme of blended finance for innovation.