The Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project is a competitive grant program under the umbrella of the Global Development Awards Competition, administered by GDN, funded under the Policy and Human Resources Development Fund (PHRD) trust fund managed by the World Bank, and generously supported by the Ministry of Finance, Government of Japan. The award program invites non-profit NGOs and CSOs to submit project proposals supporting (in particular) improved service delivery, and innovative approaches that may be scaled-up through a grant. The award targets projects currently at the stage of implementation, and which have a high potential for impact targeting exceptionally marginalized and disadvantaged groups located in developing countries – per the World Bank’s recognition as low and middle income countries.
The theme for the 2023 edition of the Global Development Awards Competition is Nexus of Education, Development and Human Security.
The winning projects will receive grants worth US$ 125,000. The awards will be given to organizations whose projects embody an innovative approach to an important development need and hold the greatest promise for:
- responding directly to the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable, underserved groups to improve their lives aiming at rapid results for improved livelihood;
- supporting initiatives that lead to developing sustainable outcomes through the scaling-up of the project.
The two first prize winners under each theme will receive a grant of US$ 50,000 each. The second prize will receive a grant of US$ 25,000. Additionally, awardees will be paired with a Technical Advisor throughout the entire implementation of the grant.
Finalists will be invited to join a communications training in preparation of a pitch of their project in front of a high-level Jury, which will decide which research proposal to award in April 2023 (details to be defined) and projects are expected to start in June 2024.
The deadline for submission of applications is on the September 28, 2023 (Indian Standard Time 6:00 PM)
Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) Award
The JSDF award focuses on piloting socially innovative development projects that have been identified as having the potential for development impact and replicability through the MIDP Award. The objective of JSDF Award is to support community-driven development and poverty reduction programs that serve to enhance productivity, increase access to social and community services and infrastructure, and improve the living conditions of poor and vulnerable groups in eligible countries.
The two first prize winners will compete for the JSDF award after a minimum of 12 months implementation of their MIDP grant. GDN will review the suitability of the proposals for a much larger grant of up to US$ 200,000 within the framework of the World Bank-administered Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF).
Connector Grant
The 2022 edition introduced the Connector Grant which aims to stimulate international cooperation through the development of collaborative projects to support scale-up efforts with research-based evidence. The Connector grant will be awarded to ORD grantees, based on a project developed in collaboration with the MIDP grantees who received the JSDF grant. This grant will support the award recipients’ collaborative efforts towards measuring and analyzing scale-up impact, as well as to enhance the robustness of their M&E activities.
IMPORTANT DATES
- Deadline for submissions: September 28, 2023
- Announcement of Eligibility screening results: October 2, 2023
- Announcement of Desk review results (First shortlisted applications): October 23, 2023
- Announcement of Business review results (2nd shortlisted applications): November 20, 2023
- Site visits to second shortlisted applications: November 20 until December 14, 2023
- Announcement of finalists: January 5, 2024
- Announcement of winners: April 2024
Finalists are expected to be available for the Communications Training and the physical event for the presentation of their projects to the jury in April 2024. The date will be announced in late 2023.
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