All around the world governments are facing increasing demands for better service delivery to their citizens. Since technological solutions that improve the lives of citizens are more and more available, citizens expect that the state administration will offer a similar degree of convenience, security and accessibility in the provision of services and communication same as the other technologies in their daily lives. As response, states are turning to GovTech, an approach to public sector modernization that promotes simple, efficient and transparent government administration with a focus on citizens. One of the ways in this approach is the cooperation of the public sector with innovative entities, which, using data, disruptive technologies and innovative methodologies, create products and services that solve challenges in the public sector.

The GovTech program aims to support the application of new technologies in key public sectors, such as health, education, transport and mobility, smart cities, energy, agriculture, water management, environmental protection, finance, social protection, justice and security, tourism, culture, improvement of background processes in public administration, inclusion and accessibility. This program is designed to improve the delivery of public services by increasing efficiency and reducing costs with solutions that will be offered by startups and other innovative entities, as well as scientific research organizations.

As part of the First Phase, the Fund invites all public sector entities to submit an application in which they candidate problems, i.e. challenges they facing with, and for which adequate solution on the market does not exist. Based on clearly defined criteria, the Fund's Committee will create a list of approved public sector challenges for which an innovative solution will be selected in the Second Phase.

Within the Second Phase, startups, innovative entities and research and development organizations submit applications with proposed innovative solutions for selected public sector challenges. In an ideal scenario, it is expected that the entities that will be awarded funding through this program will develop a prototype, conduct a pilot or a final product or service that the public sector entity will choose to implement.

A challenge is any problem that a public entity is facing with and for which there is no ready-made or sustainable solution on the market so far.

The challenge can be submitted by any public entity, i.e. public institution, which belongs to one of the following categories:

• direct and indirect budget users of the Republic of Serbia, autonomous provinces and local self-government;

• National Bank of Serbia;

• public agencies established in accordance with the law governing public agencies, including all regulatory and supervisory institutions, commissions, institutes, funds, councils and other entities founded by the Republic of Serbia, an autonomous province, or local self-government or under state control entities;

• all bodies and organizations established by law or founded by the Republic of Serbia, an autonomous province, or local self-government, as well as bodies founded by them;

• public companies whose founder is the Republic of Serbia, an autonomous province, or local self-government, as well as entities whose founder is a public company;

• legal entities over which the Republic of Serbia, an autonomous province, or local self-government has direct or indirect control over more than 50% of the capital or more than 50% of the votes in governing bodies.

Public entities can submit their challenges by filling out the predefined Challenge Application Form (available at the link), and then sending it in .pdf format to the email address govtech@inovacionifond.rs, during the period when the public call is open.

Yes, a public entity can submit one or more challenges.

Yes, if several public entities facing the same challenge, a joint application is possible.

The assessment of the submitted challenge applications is based on the following criteria:

•   Description of the problem/challenge for which the solution is possible with the help of new technologies and which would result in a significant improvement in efficiency or reduction of costs for the public entity - 25 points;

•   Clearly defined needs of the public entity and precisely defined target group - 25 points;

•   Commitment of the public entity to solving the challenge, regarding of providing a team for engagement during the development of solutions and openness to cooperation with an innovative entity, which also includes providing support in the development and testing phase (The representative of the public entity's team will take part in the Second Phase of the program, i.e. in the selection process solutions for the given challenge.) – 35 points;

•  Compliance with national and departmental strategies and priorities – 15 points.

The maximum number of points for one challenge application is 100. Challenge applications that are evaluated with 80 points or more will be approved for the Second Phase of the program.

The commitment of the team means that the public entity, at the moment of challenge aplication in the First phase, should establish a team which will be actively involved in the process of creating a solution with the selected innovative entity during the Second Phase of the GovTech program. The public entity should take care that its team is professional and dedicated.

Assessment and selection of challenges for participation in the Second Phase of the Program is carried out by the Committee formed by the Innovation Fund, which consists of one representative of the Cabinet of the Prime Minister, one representative of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation and one representative of the Innovation Fund.

No, the public entity under the GovTech program does not make payments and has no financial obligation to the innovative entity that develops the solution to the challenge. The Innovation Fund finances the development of solutions through the awarding of a grant to an innovative subject within the Second phase of the program.

During the development of the solution, the public entity is obliged to form a team that will closely cooperate with the innovative entity / scientific research organization that will develop the solution, to provide an adequate environment, i.e. conditions for the smooth development of the solution, to be available and efficient in providing information, etc.

The public entity will have the opportunity to use the developed solution in its business/services providing.

New intellectual property and know-how that can be created during the development of solutions belong to the innovative subject/scientific research organization.