Government of Bihar Launches the 2nd Bihar Innovation Forum Through JEEViKA in Collaboration With State Innovation Council, Bihar

The Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Nitish Kumar, recently announced the launch of the 2^nd Bihar Innovation Forum, an initiative of the Government of Bihar through Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (JEEViKA), in collaboration with the State Innovation Council, Bihar.

The 2^nd Bihar Innovation Forum aims to attract innovators with impactful social innovations from public, private and civil society organizations registered in India, under 8 livelihood themes – agriculture, livestock, financial services, rural energy, ICT based solutions, skill development & non-farm sector, access to entitlements and access to services. The shortlisted entries will get an opportunity to partner with the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society to replicate and scale up their innovations in Bihar through formal partnership modalities.

Shri Nitish Kumar, said, “Innovation is essential to overcome the persistent socio-economic challenges and we have seen these innovations start a silent revolution in the society. Through the 2^nd Bihar Innovation Forum the Bihar government looks forward to supporting such unique social innovations that have seen impact in different geographies across India and can be replicated in the state of Bihar. We are committed to the upliftment of the rural poor and seek to bring about sustainable and large scale positive impact for rural households.”

Rural Development Minister, Shri Nitish Mishra, said, “The 2^nd Bihar Innovation Forum is a platform that will allow us to find innovators and social entrepreneurs who have found creative and cost-effective ways of delivering essential services to poor households in rural areas. In the next 3 months we will recognize and award those innovations which can be scaled up to further enhance livelihoods in rural areas of Bihar.”
Shri Arvind Kumar Chaudhary, Chief Executive Officer, Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS) said, the “The 2^nd Bihar Innovation Forum looks to support livelihood solutions that will help rural and marginalized communities in Bihar, to access better livelihood opportunities, goods and services. The 2^ndBihar Innovation Forum will go beyond showcasing solutions, it will give winners the opportunity to serve those at the bottom of the pyramid, and make transformational impact at an unmatched scale.”

At the launch of the 2nd Bihar Innovation Forum, Mr. Parmesh Shah, Lead Rural Development Specialist, World Bank said “Our experience shows that social innovators have found very creative, cost effective and innovative ways of delivering services that reach out to the rural poor. We are convinced that the 2^nd Bihar Innovation Forum will identify social innovations that can uplift the rural poor and facilitate change in the state of Bihar.”

Benefits for winners:

Through the 2^ndBihar Innovation Forum, Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS) looks to develop an institutional and capacity building environment that will create impact both at the grassroots level in the state and across the country. The winners will get an opportunity to access social capital of 1 million organised rural households to which an investment of US$ 120 million has already been made. The investment will increase to US$ 1 billion and is expected to take the number of organised households to 15 million by 2017.  Winners will also receive last mile delivery and field level logistical and implementation support from BRLPS. In addition to national and international recognition and visibility, BRLPS also promises the BIF II winners, support in terms of guidance and mentorship through its partners.

How to apply:

Interested applicants can log on to http://www.biharinnovationforum.in/ and go to Apply Now section. Applicants are requested to read all the terms and conditions before applying to eliminate the chances of getting disqualified due to any inappropriate information. The last date to apply is May 28, 2013 (before 5pm).

For any assistance in filling the application, the applicants can also reach out to the following helpline number: +91-612-645-2349