Online nomination starts for ICT Award 2020

The online nomination (application) for the fifth edition of the ICT Award – a prestigious award, has officially started from July 22, 2020. The online application for the ICT Award 2020, organized by ‘Living with ICT’ in collaboration with various government and private organizations, will be open till July 31.

Due to the crisis and the impact caused by COVID- 19, the ICT award has been holdback this year. The award ceremony, held on August 17 every year, will be delayed this year. They will announce the final date of the award by looking at a convenient time and situation after the online application deadline.

Insights of the ICT Award 2019

The fourth edition of the ICT Award was not only limited inside Kathmandu valley. Startup and Innovation Mela were organized in different parts of the country to bring out the best startups on the frontline. 

The ICT Award, which started in 2016, has honored more than 30 individuals, organizations, companies, and products in various categories. This prestigious award in the information technology field in Nepal has encouraged young minds to do something innovative in their own country.

Last year the following Start-up, Entrepreneur, and organization were awarded different categories of ICT Award 2019.

1) Startup ICT Award: E-Digital Nepal 

2) Product ICT Award: Mediflow Systems and Services. 

3) Rising Student ICT Award: Raktadan-Blood Donation Project. 

4) Pioneer Award: Mahabir Pun

5) Nepali Diaspora Award: Dr. Sameer Maskey 

6) ICT Entrepreneur Award: Amit Agrawal 

7) The Digital Governance Award: Public Service Commission 

8) Digital Education Award: Nepal Open University (NOU)

9) The Public Choice Award: Kitabyatra 

10) Media Person ICT Award: Bijay Timalsina.

ICT Award 2020

This year, there are 12 jury members and ten more jury advisory members to make the selection process of the award organized. The selection process will take place at different stages. They will also conduct online and SMS voting by selecting the best five from different stages in the startup, product, student project, and innovation. In other genres, the jury group will conduct the selection process at different stages. 

This year, there will be 11 different categories for the ICT Award 2020, which are as below:

1) The Innovation-Driven Crisis Response ICT Award 

2) The Woman Icon ICT Award 

3) Startup ICT Award, 

4) Product ICT Award, 

5) Rising Student ICT Award. 

6) Pioneer ICT Award

7) Nepali Diaspora ICT Award

8) ICT Entrepreneur Award 

9) Media Person ICT Award

10) Digital Governance ICT Award 

11) Digital Education ICT Award. 

As always, the ICT Awards will conduct fairly and systematically. The organizers are to make the award more sophisticated and prestigious for this year. The selection process will also be more technology-friendly this year due to the Coronavirus crisis.

How to apply for ICT Award 2020?

To nominate and apply for the award, you have to visit the website ictaward.org and select the relevant category and submit the online form. When providing details in the form, you are requested to include any video content that reflects the profile of the nominee. Interested applicants should submit their application within July 31, 2020.

Award Categories

Startup ICT Award 2020

This award will be provided to a Tech-Startup incorporated and has demonstrated growth within the organization. It must have created ICT products, services, and/or a business model that can be successfully implemented in the long run and carries the prospect in the future market.

*Nepali ICT startup incorporated in or after F.Y.-2074/75. (Within the last three years) can participate in this category.

Product ICT Award 2020

This award will recognize a product that is innovative and can leave a positive impact on the lives of the community while also showing the prospect of sustaining into business in the long run. Such products, however, shall be from the Tech sector and maybe software or hardware or combination of both.

The ICT Product released between April 14 2019-12th April 2020 (Baishak 1, 2076 – Chait 30, 2076) by Nepali company, organization, team, or an individual can participate in this category.

Rising Student ICT Award 2020      

This award aims to recognize the excellence and innovative projects or products developed by high school, undergraduate, or higher-level students and strengthen their IT and engineering skills. This award is an excellent opportunity for the students to showcase their talent and make something innovative.

Innovation Driven Crisis Response ICT Award 2020

This award is introduced to recognize the innovation that was driven as a response to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Any product (hardware or software) that was primarily invented/developed to be pursued during the COVID-19 pandemic is eligible for this category. Also, the perspective/possibility of using such a product in possible future crises or epidemic will be an essential criterion for judgment.

* Products and Innovations released/discovered from January 15, 2020, to nomination deadline are eligible for nominations in this category. 

Pioneer ICT Award 2020

This award will be honored to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the promotion and development of the ICT sector. The award will unveil a personality who may have remained behind the scene, but the contributions done by him/her are unprecedented and undisputed.

*Nepali veteran ICT pioneer who has contributed in the ICT sector of Nepal or abroad for the past 15 years or more. The nomination form can be filled by pioneer herself or anyone else.

Nepali Diaspora ICT Award 2020

This award will acknowledge Nepali origin personnel who has made a remarkable imprint in the international arena and have helped identify Nepal as an internationally competitive and resource talent pool in the global field of ICT.

* Person of Nepali origin residing and based in a foreign country achieving exemplary feats in the ICT sector can participate. The nomination form can be filled by the Nepali Diaspora herself or anyone else.

Entrepreneur ICT Award 20120

This award will applaud the charisma of the icon IT Entrepreneur who has energized a whole generation of entrepreneurs. It will recognize their achievement to move ahead and shape the ICT sector of Nepal and abroad.

*Nepali Entrepreneur with exemplary entrepreneurial success in the ICT sector in recent five years. The nomination form can be filled by the Entrepreneur herself or anyone else.

Woman ICON ICT Award 2020

This award will be presented to a model icon woman leader of the ICT sector in Nepal. The award recognizes and celebrates females’ contributions in the tech industry for their remarkable achievement. Read What a girls wants to do in tech industry?

*The nomination form can be filled by the Woman ICON herself or anyone else.

Media Person ICT Award 2020

This award will acknowledge the influential media person who has made a notable contribution in promoting and disseminating ICT related news, information, and knowledge among the public.

*Mainstream media person writing and contributing to the ICT issues for at least 3 Years. The nomination form can be filled by the Media Person herself or anyone else.

Digital Education ICT Award 2020

This award appreciates schools and educational institutions’ achievements for their excellence in the implementation and use of ICT in digital education as a useful tool for teaching and learning activities.

*Public schools or community based educational institutions with exemplary success in the use of ICT in education are eligible to nominate themselves in this category. The nomination form can be filled by the representative of nominee herself or anyone else.

 Digital Governance ICT Award 2020

This award acknowledges the government organizations involved in promoting, using, and enabling digital governance.

*Government Institution/agencies are ranging from the Local Governing body (Palikas), Departments, Ministries, or their specialized ICT initiatives showcasing exemplary incorporation, implementation, and execution of ICT tools to serve their constituency, can participate in this category.

If you are one of the personnel/groups working in the ICT sector, you can try out for the ICT award 2020. Similarly, if you know someone who is working genuinely in this field, you can also nominate them in some of the categories above.