The Program  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.
Objectives - Identify innovative approaches to address development issues at the very grassroots level
- Mobilize public opinion 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.
Events 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.
History 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), “Disadvantaged Children and Youth” (2006), "Traffic Safety" (2007), and "Food Safety (2008). Since its inception, the program has seen an increasing numbers of applications, partners and donors. Nearly 1,250 applicants nationwide 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, Denmark, DFID (UK), Embassy of the Netherlands, NZAID, SDC, USAID, Embassy of France, UNDP. Support from the private sector has also been growing: Vietnam Airlines, Mercedes-Benz, Holcim Ltd., Environmental Resources Management, Coca-Cola, Caravelle Hotel, Hilton Hotel, and British Petroleum have provided strong financial, technical and in kind support. International and local non-government organizations have also played an increasingly active role in co-organizing, facilitating and promoting the event. Around $2 million in grant has so far been awarded to 200 diverse and innovative projects. The program inspired partnership and funding from many government agencies and development and business partners. Annually, the World Bank makes available of at least ten prizes of up to US$15,000 each for awards and covers the administrative costs for the program.
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* This initiative is known as “Development Marketplace” elsewhere |
