The 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 and information, establish network with others who share the same concerns and interests.
The program aims to:
• Identify innovative approaches to address development issues at the very grassroots level,
• Mobilize public opinion and efforts around key development issues,
• Engage civil society organizations, government agencies at both central and local levels, private sector, and development agencies in new ideas through partnerships,
• Leverage other resources to broaden partnerships for supporting social entrepreneurs in fighting poverty and addressing social issues.
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 Fora - engages various leaders in the development community in sharing their experiences around pre-selected themes that are of local and global interest in development. It also provides networking and capacity building opportunities.
The first Vietnam Innovation Day 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), “Disadvantaged Children and Youth” (2006), “Traffic Safety” (2007), “Food Safety” (2008), “More Accountability and Transparency, Less Corruption” (2009), “Climate Change” (2010) to "Innovations for Social Equity and Sustainable Growth” (2011).
Since its inception, the program has seen an increasing numbers of applications, partners and donors. Nearly 1,800 applicants from 54 provinces responded to the 8 call for proposal, demonstrating a huge volume of innovative, local solutions to promote development and poverty alleviation. So far nearly 40 donors have joined the Bank to co-sponsor the program, who all together contributes two third of the award pools. Among those, AusAID, CIDA and Canada Fund, DFID (UK), Embassy of Denmark, Embassy of Finland, Embassy of France, ILO, JICA, Embassy of the Netherlands, NZAID, SDC, UNDP, USAID and US Embassy provide most regular support to the program. Support from the private sector has also been growing from Vietnam Airlines, Almec (Japan), Mercedes-Benz, Holcim Ltd., Environmental Resources Management, Coca-Cola, Caravelle Hotel, Hilton Hotel, British Petroleum, Viettel corporation, etc., who have provided strong financial, technical and in kind contributions. International and local non-government organizations have also played an increasingly active role in co-organizing, facilitating and promoting the event.
Around $2.8 million in grant has so far been awarded to 247 diverse and innovative projects. VID has contributed in strengthening the partnership between government, development partners and private sector, it has also inspired some government counterparts to replicate the program model.
The 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 and information, establish network with others who share the same concerns and interests.
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