Applications are open for the Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project 2021. 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 and funded by the Ministry of Finance, Government of Japan. 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.

GDN invites non-profit Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from low and lower-middle-income countries to submit project applications within the following three themes for the 2021 edition of the Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project (MIDP) category of the Awards:

Themes

• Theme 1: Universal health coverage and COVID
• Theme 2: Community-driven, climate-related, disaster risk reduction in rural areas
• Theme 3: Quality urban infrastructure and community-driven governance

Criteria

The Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project 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.

Prizes

• The two first prize winners under each theme will receive a grant of US$ 20,000 each. The second prize will receive a grant of US$ 5,000.
• In addition, the World Bank-administered Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) team will review the suitability of the proposals winning the First Prize for a much larger grant of up to US$ 200,000 under the auspices of the JSDF, one per theme.
• 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 projects to award. A physical Award ceremony is planned in 2021 if conditions allow it.

See Call for Projects 

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