| Introduction : Scope of the Tender Slovak Challenge Fund has been established under Partnership Project with the aim to facilitate the transfer of Slovak know-how and innovative solutions that address development challenges identified by UNDP Country Offices in the programme countries and contribute to the SDG's achievements. The goal of the Slovak Challenge Fund is to solve development challenges in partner countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia) through the transfer or testing of Slovak innovative solutions which: - offer new methods, ideas, or products with added value and improvement
- support innovations viable in local conditions and with the potential for expansion
Supported Innovations Innovations supported by the Slovak Challenge Fund should reflect the real needs of the partners or partner countries and be directly related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SCF supports all types of innovation, including products, services, programming approaches, operational changes, and financial, market or technological innovations that cannot be achieved through traditional solicitation processes. SCF supports both programmatic and operational ideas. Solutions supported by the SCF have to be free to use and/or to provide open-data solutions. The presented innovations may be in different stages of their development: - Proof of Concept - an opportunity to test whether solutions can become reality or be adapted to local conditions. Proof of concept is to determine its feasibility or to verify that an idea will work as intended and/or to conduct a field test
- Transition to Scale - scope for scaling successful innovations to ensure they are scaled up and used as widely as possible to maximize the impact, are broadly accepted and widely accessible to all targeted beneficiaries and/or potential users; available for sharing; replicable in other environments.
The submitted projects should be financially sustainable and scalable and should include the following elements in addition to context-specific criteria: viable in the long-term and financially sustainable, broadly accepted and widely accessible to all targeted beneficiaries and/or potential users; available for sharing; replicable in other environments, building on technologies or methodologies that are adaptable to various contexts. In case of proposals that relate to digital/technology solutions, applicants should adhere to the requirements of the digital public good alliance (see:https://digitalpublicgoods.net/standard/). All projects must contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, and not just benefit the participating entity. Please note that SCF does not support solutions that are already available on the market and can be achieved through traditional solicitation processes. Eligible Applicants The eligible applicants are only Slovak private sector entities, however, the applicants are required to involve local partner(s). The local partners do not have to be only a business entity, but also public institutions, SCOs, academia, science and technology parks, local development agencies, private sector companies, public and private utilities, and others. The partnership should ensure viability in local conditions and promote the sustainability and scalability of the solution. The partnership needs to be documented officially e.g. Letter of Intent, Bilateral Contract, or Memorandum of Understanding. Development Challenges In particular, the SCF is looking for innovations in the following areas: - Natural Resources and Nature-Based Solutions
Promoting nature-based solutions and the sustainable use of natural resources primarily through better water or waste management, and/or sustainable forestry. Increasing energy efficiency and using green energy sources. Increasing the long-term productivity (including innovative use of agro technologies), establishing partnerships, improving access to markets, and competitiveness of organic agriculture actors such as farmers and producers. Implementing and/or improving the e-government and use of open data in the management and provision of public services, including but not limited to cyber security, sustainable development financing, localization of sustainable development goals, road safety, improving skills for young people of the 21st century (innovations development, digital skills, critical thinking, entrepreneurship). Supporting the resilience of societies during and after various crises, ensuring the well-being and safety of citizens. These can include public health infrastructure (incl. soft solutions like combatting misinformation); emergency response planning; social services; economic recovery and resilience preferably based on a green and circular economy; digital infrastructure and connectivity (remote working solutions, online education, telehealth services); energy solutions (alternative sustainable sources); community engagement and participation (inclusive decision-making related to crises response and recovery). If your idea does not fit into any of these challenges, please reach out to us before applying to the SCF! Sustainable Development Goals The proposed innovations shall reflect Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SCF welcomes innovations that reflect all SDGs. In your application please identify the SDGs and targets that best link to your idea, capacity, and priorities. You can check which SDGs have been reflected in the innovation projects supported by the SCF so far on this website. To learn more about the SDGs, you can visit the UNDP SDGs website. General information: Eligible applicants: Slovak private sector entities with the involvement of local partners (any kind of entities, including public sector, civil society, private, etc.) from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia Countries for project implementation: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia Expected date of contract start: December 2023 Expected length of contract: up to 12 months Estimated value of the contract: Ranging between USD 20,000 and USD 40,000, the applicants are expected to provide additional co-funding of at least 20% of the total costs of the project. Type of contract: Agreement between UNDP and Innovator under the Slovak Challenge Fund Agency: UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub (UNDP IRH) Implementing unit: UNDP IRH Partnership Team All the details regarding the background of the call, criteria for selection, and evaluation can be found in the Terms of Reference (Annex 4) and SCF Guidelines (Annex 5). Useful information: You can find answers to most questions that may arise on the SCF dedicated website. Please, click here On the dates below, we will organize also online webinars that will provide clarifications and answers to your questions regarding the Slovak Challenge Fund. Webinar dates: 26 July 2023 at 10:00 - Click here to register for the webinar 9 August 2023 at 10:00 - Click here to register for the webinar Link to the webinar registration (click to register) You can find answers to most questions that may arise on the SCF dedicated website. Please, click here. Please note: Interested suppliers must submit their offer directly in the system as instructed in the solicitation document, following the instructions in the available user guide. In case you have never registered before, you can register a profile using the registration link shared via the procurement notice and following the instructions in the guides available on the UNDP website: https://www.undp.org/procurement/business/resources-for-bidders. Do not create a new profile if you already have one. Use the forgotten password feature in case you do not remember the password or the username from the previous registration. Search for the specific tender using search filters and subscribe to the tender in order to get notifications in case of amendments to the tender document. If you need support with the online system, you can contact the contact details of this tender as indicated in the solicitation document. Procurement IRH | 
