Deadline: 20-Aug-2025
UNDP is inviting applications for the Regional Innovation and Digital (RID) Program to help countries build sustainable digital ecosystems aligned with its Digital Strategy. The program uses approaches like “Digital by Design” and “Digital Portfolio” while fostering communities of policymakers and enabling South-South cooperation. In partnership with the Asian Development Bank, which funds scalable digital programs, UNDP will co-support countries through advisory services, strategy development, AI integration, and capacity building. This includes developing national digital strategies, institutional frameworks, and ethical AI policy sandboxes, with a focus on research, community engagement, and knowledge-sharing to strengthen digital governance. Target countries include Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Thailand, aiming to deliver impactful and bankable digital transformation projects.
The program’s objective is to provide best-in-class advice, analysis, and technical and implementation support for workstreams such as designing and strengthening digital strategies and service delivery models, building digital transformation institutions and teams, and advancing R&D capabilities for deploying AI and frontier technologies in policymaking.
The scope covers research and development to create innovative models for digital transformation, advisory support for UNDP Country Offices in collaboration with ADB missions and experts, and technical assistance for sandboxing and prototyping initiatives that apply ethical AI in policy experimentation. It also involves expanding a virtual community of policymakers in the Asia-Pacific to promote hands-on learning in digital governance, facilitating internal learning sessions, and producing high-quality content like policy briefs, concept notes, articles, and investment pitches for strategic communications.
The program will run from September 2025 to August 2026. Applicants must have at least five years of experience in supporting public or private sector innovation, including digital transformation, and must have completed at least three projects worth USD 150,000 or more, directly or in coordination with governments. They must also demonstrate a minimum average annual turnover of USD 300,000 in the last three years, verified through audit reports.
For more information, visit UNDP.
