Moldova: Grants for Selecting Innovative Digital Ideas under Innovation Challenge Scheme 1

Deadline: 20-Jun-21

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through The Accelerating Digital Transformation Project in Moldova and in collaboration with ODIMM, ATIC, and Moldova IT Park, hereby announces an Expression of Interest for selecting innovative digital ideas under Innovation Challenge Scheme 1 contest for innovation projects with impact on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Digital Transformation in Public and Private Sectors.

Objectives

• Support transformative changes in the organizational and innovation culture in the public and private sectors and align all participants for the accelerated achievement of the Sustainable Development Agenda and national targets;
• Contribute towards streamlining innovation through engaging with the ongoing and prospective projects and seeking ways to maximize and to measure their social impact;
• Support the Digitalization of Moldova that will contribute to improved governance by increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of government processes, increasing transparency and public access to governmental information – and therefore promoting accountability and public participation, and improving an innovative delivery of public services, as well as impact evaluation and strategic support to scaling-up of the successful solutions

Areas of Support

The main objectives and areas of support of the Innovation Challenge for the SDGs are:

• Engage with private sector for testing and up-scaling of innovative products, services or solutions aligned to SDGs, aiming to support digitization in public and private sectors, and with measurable and positive impact on the inclusion of vulnerable people and overall wellbeing of people.
• The  challenge will support solutions underpinned by ICT sector in the following prioritised areas, though solutions in other SDG related areas will also be considered:
  • improved access to health, health practices and well-being;
  • education and digital literacy;
  • Improved practices in agricultural and food industries;
  • Energy, green economy, circular economy and clean environment;
  • Improved practices in manufacturing industries and product quality;
  • Logistics automation
  • Tourism digitalization
  • e-commerce and improved supply chains;
  • Cyber security and fintech;
  • Improved access to and delivery of Public Services (at the local and/or central level). Pilots could be implemented in partnership with Governmental Agencies, LPAs, schools, hospitals, other) For local authorities  (priority will be given to Cahul, Balti and Comrat regions)
  • Other related to SDGs

Funding Information

• A single award will cover maximum 40,000 USD (co-funded UNDP) or maximum fifty percent (50%) of the total project amount (what is lower) for innovation pilots, be it new or improved products, services, processes or business solutions. In case of the CGC, such contribution normally will be equally divided between the companies in CGC or depending on the specific requirements of the specific collaborative project. Same is valid for the case of the matching contribution, which shall be decided internally in the CGC and distribution presented to UNDP.
• The project and the project budget must be designed so to be completed within 6-10 months.
• The total number of financed projects will be within the available budget of 100,000USD for the current competition.

Expected Results

• Shift in the mind-set at the level of main stakeholders as measured by the degree of engagement of partners in various undertakings achieved and methods used for public policy development and evaluation overtaken;
• Establish and enhance a functional dialogue between the Government, private sector and civil society around digital transformation;
• Accelerating the digitalization in public sector through adoption and adaptation of new digital solutions that effectively respond to the current (emerging) needs of end-users;
• Enhance the innovation generation processes from the private sector for the public sector;
• Promote identification of the digital solutions through a competitive process that will help private sector companies to work together with the Government and population to offer and adapt the existing solutions to the needs of end-users, and making them gender sensitive; etc.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible applicants to the Innovation Challenge Scheme are:
  • The main Applicants are legal private sector entities from ICT sector, registered (or in process to be registered) under the applicable Moldovan Entrepreneurship Law:
    • Moldovan privately owned IT companies, registered and operating in Moldova;
    • Start-ups and groups of initiative in the process to register the IT company under Moldovan legislation (registration shall take place before contract signature);
  • In case the application is submitted by CGC:
    • The main applicant is a Moldovan privately owned IT company;
    • Co-applicants from private sector are operating in any industry sector except: catering services providing only alcoholic beverages; casinos, gambling and similar activities; construction/purchase of residential and commercial space for housing/sales; gas stations; production and distribution of tobacco products; sales and service of cars.
    • Co-applicants can also be an Association, Governmental Agency, LPA, school, hospital, University or other research institution, other institutions representing public, private and/or associative sectors.
    • The entities forming the CGC have no shared economic and financial interest; one company/institution is not owning shares or other interest in the other company/institution in the same CGC and this applies for the entire CGC independently from the number of participating companies/institutions;
  • The Applicants (and co-applicants) must not possess outstanding debts in terms of public contributions.
  • The Applicants (and co-applicants) must not have accumulated losses above the equity value.
  • The Applicants and individual owners have not been convicted for crimes connected to business operations.

For more information, visit https://sc.undp.md/tnddetails2_1/2286/