Deadline: 07-Sep-2026
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Viet Nam is seeking a national innovation ecosystem organisation to serve as a co-lead and mobilise stakeholders for the RE:ACT Youth Innovation Challenge for Resilient Communities. The assignment will support youth-led innovation, connect young innovators with universities, startups, innovation hubs and other ecosystem actors, and strengthen community resilience across Viet Nam.
What Is the RE:ACT Youth Innovation Challenge?
RE:ACT – Youth Innovation Challenge for Resilient Communities is a UNDP Viet Nam initiative focused on strengthening youth-led innovation to address community resilience challenges.
The programme aims to build a nationally recognised platform where young people can develop and implement innovative solutions to local challenges.
A central objective is to connect youth innovators with a broader ecosystem of:
- Universities.
- Innovation hubs.
- Startup communities.
- Technical experts.
- Public-sector institutions.
- Private-sector organisations.
- Community organisations.
- Living Labs.
- Innovation support organisations.
Why It Matters
Young people can play an important role in developing practical solutions to community-level challenges.
RE:ACT seeks to strengthen the infrastructure around youth innovation rather than supporting youth teams in isolation.
The initiative aims to:
- Increase youth participation in innovation.
- Identify promising youth-led solutions.
- Connect innovators with technical expertise.
- Strengthen collaboration across sectors.
- Expand innovation networks throughout Viet Nam.
- Support community resilience.
- Create stronger pathways from ideas to implementation.
- Establish RE:ACT as a sustainable national innovation platform.
Role of the Selected Organisation
The selected national innovation ecosystem organisation will work as a co-lead for the RE:ACT initiative.
Its primary responsibility will be to mobilise relevant stakeholders and create a strong national pipeline of youth innovators.
The organisation will use its networks, partnerships and convening capacity to connect RE:ACT with innovation communities throughout Viet Nam.
Stakeholder Mobilisation
The selected organisation will engage organisations and networks including:
- Universities.
- Innovation centres and hubs.
- Startup ecosystems.
- Youth innovation communities.
- Technical advisors.
- Private-sector partners.
- Public institutions.
- Academic stakeholders.
- Community organisations.
- Other ecosystem support organisations.
This stakeholder engagement is intended to create stronger connections between youth-led teams and organisations that can provide expertise, mentoring, resources and implementation support.
Youth Outreach and Application Target
One of the major objectives is to attract a broad and diverse pipeline of youth innovators.
The selected organisation is expected to help generate at least 200 eligible applications from young innovators across Viet Nam.
Outreach should extend beyond Hanoi and reach youth innovation communities across different regions of the country.
Effective outreach may involve:
- University networks.
- Innovation hubs.
- Startup communities.
- Youth networks.
- Digital communication channels.
- Ecosystem events.
- Partner organisations.
- Local innovation communities.
Living Labs and Technical Support
The programme will connect youth teams with technical advisors, Living Labs and support organisations.
Living Labs provide practical environments where innovative ideas can be tested, refined and connected to real community needs.
The selected organisation will help coordinate these ecosystem relationships and facilitate collaboration between participating youth teams and relevant stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
The selected organisation will be responsible for supporting several stages of the RE:ACT programme.
Outreach and Ecosystem Engagement
The organisation will develop and implement an outreach approach capable of reaching youth innovators throughout Viet Nam.
It will also establish relationships with universities, innovation hubs, startups and other ecosystem partners.
Application Review and Selection Support
The organisation will contribute to the technical review and selection process.
This includes preparing appropriate documentation and supporting a transparent process for identifying promising youth-led solutions.
Living Lab Coordination
The organisation will facilitate connections between selected youth teams, technical advisors, Living Labs and relevant support organisations.
The objective is to help innovators strengthen their solutions through practical engagement and expert input.
Final Showcase
The organisation will support the final showcase of RE:ACT projects and help communicate the achievements and outcomes of participating youth innovators.
Sustainability and Closure
The assignment will also contribute to the longer-term sustainability of the RE:ACT platform.
The final project package should capture lessons learned, outcomes, stakeholder engagement and recommendations for future implementation.
Project Period and Location
The engagement is expected to run from September 2026 to March 2027.
The primary base is Hanoi, Viet Nam.
However, the selected organisation will be expected to undertake travel across Viet Nam for outreach, stakeholder engagement and coordination activities.
Key Deliverables
The assignment includes several major deliverables.
Inception and Outreach Package
This will establish the initial implementation approach, stakeholder engagement strategy and outreach activities.
Technical Review and Selection Documentation
The organisation will support the technical review and selection process and prepare the required documentation.
Living Lab Coordination
This component will focus on coordinating youth teams with Living Labs, technical advisors and other ecosystem partners.
Final Showcase and Closure Package
The final stage will document programme outcomes, showcase youth innovation achievements and provide project closure and sustainability information.
Who Is Eligible?
The opportunity is intended for a national innovation ecosystem organisation in Viet Nam with the networks and capacity to mobilise stakeholders nationally.
A suitable organisation should be able to demonstrate:
- Strong innovation ecosystem connections.
- Access to universities and youth networks.
- Relationships with innovation hubs and startups.
- Stakeholder convening capacity.
- Experience supporting innovation or entrepreneurship.
- Ability to conduct nationwide outreach.
- Capacity to coordinate multiple ecosystem partners.
- Ability to work with public, private, academic and community stakeholders.
- Sufficient operational capacity to deliver activities between September 2026 and March 2027.
How the Programme Will Work
The RE:ACT implementation can be understood through several connected stages:
- Programme mobilisation – establish the implementation and stakeholder engagement approach.
- National outreach – engage universities, innovation hubs, startups and youth communities.
- Application generation – attract at least 200 eligible youth innovation applications.
- Technical review – support assessment and selection of promising solutions.
- Ecosystem connection – connect selected teams with advisors and support organisations.
- Living Lab engagement – facilitate practical testing, learning and solution development.
- Final showcase – present achievements and strengthen visibility of youth-led innovation.
- Closure and sustainability – document lessons, results and recommendations for future RE:ACT activities.
Why National Ecosystem Networks Are Important
A national innovation challenge requires more than an application portal.
Young innovators need access to people and organisations that can provide:
- Technical expertise.
- Mentorship.
- Business and innovation support.
- Community knowledge.
- Testing environments.
- Partnerships.
- Networking opportunities.
- Potential pathways toward implementation.
The selected organisation’s ecosystem position will therefore be critical to ensuring that RE:ACT reaches innovators beyond established innovation centres and creates meaningful connections across Viet Nam.
Tips for a Strong Expression of Interest
A prospective organisation should clearly demonstrate its ability to mobilise a nationwide innovation ecosystem.
Important areas to highlight include:
- Existing university partnerships.
- Youth and startup networks.
- Innovation hub relationships.
- Previous innovation challenges or entrepreneurship programmes.
- Experience with stakeholder coordination.
- Nationwide outreach capabilities.
- Experience working with government, private-sector and academic stakeholders.
- Ability to deliver the target of at least 200 eligible applications.
- Experience organising innovation events and showcases.
- Capacity to coordinate Living Labs and technical advisors.
The proposal should also provide a practical timeline showing how outreach, selection, Living Lab engagement and the final showcase can be delivered between September 2026 and March 2027.
Common Challenges to Address
Potential applicants should plan for challenges such as:
- Reaching youth outside major innovation centres.
- Maintaining diversity among applicants.
- Coordinating large numbers of ecosystem partners.
- Ensuring consistent technical assessment.
- Connecting youth teams with appropriate experts.
- Translating innovative ideas into community-relevant solutions.
- Maintaining stakeholder engagement throughout the programme.
- Creating a sustainability pathway beyond the initial project period.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is RE:ACT?
RE:ACT is a UNDP Viet Nam Youth Innovation Challenge for Resilient Communities designed to support youth-led innovation addressing community resilience challenges.
Who is being sought for this opportunity?
UNDP Viet Nam is seeking a national innovation ecosystem organisation to serve as a co-lead and mobilise stakeholders for the initiative.
How many applications should the outreach campaign generate?
The selected organisation is expected to help attract at least 200 eligible applications from youth innovators across Viet Nam.
Which stakeholders will be involved?
The programme will engage universities, innovation hubs, startup communities, technical advisors, Living Labs, public institutions, private-sector organisations, academic stakeholders and community organisations.
When will the assignment take place?
The engagement is expected to run from September 2026 to March 2027.
Where will the organisation be based?
The primary location is Hanoi, with travel across Viet Nam required for outreach and stakeholder coordination.
What are the main deliverables?
Major deliverables include an inception and outreach package, technical review and selection documentation, Living Lab coordination, and a final showcase and project closure package.
Conclusion
The RE:ACT Youth Innovation Challenge for Resilient Communities provides an opportunity to strengthen Viet Nam’s national ecosystem for youth-led innovation and community resilience.
The selected organisation will play a central role in mobilising universities, innovation hubs, startups and other stakeholders, attracting at least 200 eligible youth applications, supporting technical selection, coordinating Living Labs and helping establish RE:ACT as a sustainable national platform. Organisations with strong national innovation networks and proven stakeholder engagement capacity should demonstrate how they can deliver effective outreach and coordination throughout the September 2026–March 2027 assignment.
For more information, visit UNDP.
