Link to Atlas Project

Documents

Overview

City of Tshwane (COT) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) of South Africa signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2021 with the aim of leveraging value propositions and capacities aimed at achieving developmental objectives. These include enhancing the quality of life through improved access to basic services and economic opportunities. As a result of the MoU, the COT Innovation Unit and the UNDP Accelerator Laboratory in South Africa (AccLab SA) initiated the Tshwane Innovation Challenge to advance the development of home-grown innovations that can improve service delivery in the city. The Innovation Challenge seeks to 1) contribute to local economic development by supporting entrepreneurship, 2) promote a culture of innovation, 3) enhance the quality of life for City residents, 4) contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the South African National Development Plan (NDP).

The South African Accelerator Lab serves as one of 93 labs globally and aims to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs by fast-tracking the identification, testing and scaling of unique solutions that have the power of systematic and transformative change. The solutions targeted include grassroot innovations as well as those originating from mainstream scientific research and development (R&D) organisations.

In 2021, UNDP South Africa also signed a MoU with the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), where both parties committed to working together to collaborate on research, development, and innovation to accelerate progress on the SDGs towards the achievement of socioeconomic prosperity in South Africa. Like the AccLabs, the DSI convenes programmes that support grassroot innovators who operate outside the formal R&D ecosystem and who innovate in response to real local needs.

Baed on the above, we are looking for a company to serve as an implementing partner (IP) for the Tshwane Innovation Challenge. As the IP, the selected company will be responsible for end-to-end management, co- ordination and execution of all activities to ensure that the goals and key outcomes of the Innovation Challenge are realised. The IP will be responsible for ensuring that all activities are executed taking into consideration the local and contextual realities; including aspects of safety and security, COVID-19 protocols, respecting cultural and community beliefs/traditions, upholding human rights and other policies and procedures upheld by the partnering organizations and key project stakeholders.