The Vietnam Innovation Day

Vietnam Innovation Day

 

The World Bank's Vietnam Innovation Day (VID) program

is a "mini  marketplace" for innovative ideas that address

local development challenges. It identifies and directly

supports small innovative bottom-up development ideas

that deliver results, which can then be expanded or

replicated. It creates opportunities for local innovators to

meet, exchange ideas, share information.and network with

other people responding to the same concerns.

 

The program aims to:

• Identify innovative approaches to alleviate poverty at the very grassroots level
• Mobilize public opinion around key development issues
• Enhance World Bank engagement with civil society in the country
• Engage NGOs, government, private sector, and development agencies in new ideas through partnerships
• Leverage other resources to broaden partnerships for supporting social entrepreneurs in fighting poverty

The program consists of two major events:

 

• Innovation Competition - an open competition, juried process that awards small grants as start-up funds to social innovators who proposed ideas that bring people and institutions together, and have the greatest scale-up potential.

 

• Knowledge Exchange - engages various leaders in the development community in sharing their experiences around pre-selected themes that are of local and global interest in development and provide networking opportunities.
  

The first VID was organized in 2003. It has then become an annual event. Theme for each year was identified based on a wide consultation on issues of public interest, country focus and priority in government agenda and varied from Life Safety (2003), Fighting HIV/AIDS (2004), Environmental Actions (2005) and Disadvantaged Children and Youth (2006).

 

Since its inception, the program has seen an increasing numbers of applications,

partners and donors. More than 500 applicants from 54 provinces responded to the

call for proposal, demonstrating a huge volume of innovative, local solutions to

promote development and poverty alleviation. 20 donors have joined the bank to co-

sponsor the program, who all together contributes two third of the award pools.

Among those, AusAID, CIDA, Danida, DFID, Netherlands Embassy, NZAID, SDC,

USAID. Support from the private sector has also been growing: Vietnam Airlines,

Mercedes-Benz, Holcim Ltd. and Environmental Resources Management have

provided strong financial and technical support. International and local non-

government organizations have also played an increasingly active role in co-

organizing, facilitating and promoting the event.  Annually, the World Bank makes

available of at least ten prizes of up to US$10,000 each for awards. Over $1 million

in grant was awarded to 110 diverse and innovative projects.

 

The program inspired partnership and funding from many government agencies and development and business partners.  Following are ways in which event an sponsor could contribute to the Vietnam Innovation Day:

 

·         Contributing to prize money

·         Contributing to administrative costs, including staff time

·         Organizing or providing support to the knowledge forum

·         Organizing promotional activities for the event;

·         Donating products or services to facilitate the implementation of the winning projects; and

·         Suggesting ideas and providing in-kind support for the event.

There are very significant benefits in being a partner of the Vietnam Innovation Day, including the opportunity to support the most innovative ideas and most potential local organizations and individuals, to build contacts and expand networks with local entities, individuals and service providers across Vietnam and to raise your company’s profile in connection with the issues of high priority to the Vietnamese government and local communities. All the donors/sponsors for the event are widely recognized through publication and promotion materials of the Vietnam Innovation Day campaign.  Your partnership is crucial and invaluable to the success of the event in particular and to Vietnam’s sustainable development.

 

 

Ms. Bui T. Thu Trang                                                    

The World Bank in Vietnam                                         

8th Floor, 63 Ly Thai To St., Hanoi                              

Tel: (04) 934-6600 Ext. 335;                            

Fax: (04) 934-6597                                                     

Email: vietnam@worldbank.org