Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project. ($45,000 Grant for NGOs)

The Global Development Network (GDN) invites NGOs from developing and transition countries to submit Development Project Proposals for the Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project.

The Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project (MIDP) is a competitive grant program administered by the Global Development Network (GDN) and supported by the Ministry of Finance, Government of Japan.

The program invites proposals from projects supporting improved service delivery, in particular, for innovative approaches that may be scaled up through grant financing. The applying projects must be implementing activities with a high potential for development impact to exceptionally marginalized and disadvantaged groups located in developing and transition countries.

Since its inception in 2000, GDN has awarded roughly US$ 3.6 million in travel and grants to finalist and winners. Nearly 7,200 researchers and development practitioners from developing and transition countries have participated in this competition. Using GDN funding as a launch pad, many projects go on to scale up or replicate elsewhere.
The winning projects will receive grants worth US$ 45,000. Finalists will be invited to travel and present their proposals at GDN’s 14th Annual Global Development Conference in Manila, the Philippines from 19-21 June 2013. The award will be given to the organization whose project embodies an innovative approach to an important development need and holds the greatest promise for:
(i) responding directly to the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable, underserved groups to improve their lives;

(i) supporting initiatives that lead to developing sustainable outcomes through the scaling-up of the project.

The first prize winner will receive a grant of US$ 30,000. The second prize and third prize winners will receive a grant of US$ 10,000 and US$ 5,000 respectively. In addition, the World Bank-administered Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) team will review the suitability of
the proposal winning the First Prize for a much larger grant of up to US$ 200,000 under the auspices of the JSDF.
The last date for submitting the application for MIDP is March 11, 2013 (Indian Standard Time 6:00 PM). For details on ‘how to apply’ see below the relevant section.

COMPETITION RULES AND GUIDELINES:

Please review carefully. Any application that does not follow the below mentioned guidelines, will NOT be considered.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• The MIDP Award is open to all development projects being implemented in low income countries and low middle income countries in Africa, Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States, Middle East, Latin America, the Caribbean, Pacific Islands, and the transition economies of Eastern Europe and Central Asia1.

• The project must be managed by a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with its headquarters in a country in one of the above regions.

• The project implementation must have started before January 01, 2012.
• Applications concerning a recently started project or only a project idea or a feasibility or baseline study will not be considered.

• Applications for funding conferences and seminars (either in part or in full) will not be considered.

• Applicants from previous years (except winners) may re-apply, but they must update the application to include new aspects of the project.

• Past MIDP winners are not eligible to apply.

HOW TO APPLY
Follow the steps given below:

1. Download the proposal template by clicking here; fill it in and save it on your computer.

2. Prepare a document providing the profile of your organization and save it on your computer.

3. Logon to GDN’s Online Proposal Appraisal system (OPA) using the following internet link; http://opa.gdn.int and fill in the online application form for MIDP (i.e. Call for Proposal: CFP-1) and submit it. (On completion of this step, you
would receive an automated response from OPA via email (at the address that you provided in the application form) confirming successful submission of your application.

• All applications and documents must be submitted as electronic files at GDN’s Online Proposal Appraisal system – OPA (http://opa.gdn.int). Please note that GDN accepts applications only through OPA.

• All applications must be submitted only in the designated application template (Click here to download)
• If you are unable to submit your application through OPA, please contact us at awards@gdn.int, with the subject line: ‘MIDP – Application Request’.
• An organization can not submit more than one application.
• Submissions should not exceed 15 pages (excluding cover page and the table of contents page). Format should be in Times New Roman, 11-point font with single line spacing.
• Submissions must be in English language only.
• Incomplete applications will NOT be considered.

For More Information: Check the Most Innovative Development Project Application Guideline