Deadline: 30 June 2025
Are you a young founder working to make governments more inclusive, transparent, and responsive? Are you building a civic tech tool, transparency-driven business, or community-centered solution that tackles issues like corruption, weak public services, or limited civic participation? Join the Regional Innovation Challenge on Governance — an opportunity for young innovators from Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka to showcase their bold solutions to governance and anti-corruption challenges.
This regional challenge aims to spotlight and support youth-led initiatives from Asia Pacific that are building better bridges between people and institutions. Whether you’re working on civic technology, social accountability, legal access, or community engagement, they want to help you grow your solution.
Whether you build civic tech tools, GovTech innovations, transparency platforms, or digital solutions for justice and public services, this is your chance to scale impact and join a regional network of changemakers.
Themes
- Civic Tech & Public Engagement: Tools that enhance citizen participation, transparency, or access to information.
- Anti-Corruption Tech & Data: Use of data, AI, or digital tools to detect, prevent, or report corruption.
- Public Service Reform: Innovations that improve access, efficiency, or fairness in public services and recruitment.
- Legal & Justice Access: Solutions that support legal awareness, access to justice, or system accountability.
- Local Governance & Participation: Platforms that strengthen community involvement in local planning and decision-making.
Benefits
- Pre-event online bootcamp in September
- Fully-funded trip to Bangkok to pitch your idea at the in-person event in October
- Regional recognition and compete for prize money
- Post-challenge support
Eligibility Criteria
- This is open to young entrepreneurs (aged 18–35) from the Asia-Pacific region with early-stage, tech-driven solutions for governance. Preference will be given to applicants from four countries: Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
- Selected applicants must be available for online training in September and the Demo Day in Bangkok in October.
For more information, visit UNDP.
