Deadline:2ND October, 2026.
The World Bank, the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), and the National Information Society Agency (NIA) invite government institutions worldwide to apply for the GovTech Bootcamp on AI in Governance and Public Administration.
Benefits
- Up to five government teams will be selected to participate in a fully funded, five-day technical bootcamp in Seoul.
- International travel and accommodation costs for the two selected team members will be covered by the program.
- Following the bootcamp, participating teams will be able to receive follow-up support and technical feedback to help advance their initiatives, depending on the strength and viability of their proposals and the expert advice provided during the program.
Eligibility
- This call is open to government institutions in low- and middle-income countries pursuing AI initiatives in public financial management, civil service and human resource management, citizen services, civic tech and citizen engagement, procurement, anticorruption, transparency, and other public sector applications.
- Each application should nominate a two-person team: a policy leader with decision-making authority and a technical practitioner directly involved in implementation. The bootcamp will be conducted in English, with simultaneous Korean-English interpretation, and participants should be comfortable taking part in English-language discussions and workshops.
- Applications will be reviewed by representatives from the World Bank, MOIS, and NIA. The strongest proposals will demonstrate a clearly defined public sector implementation challenge, a realistic and impactful AI-enabled solution that is already being developed, piloted, or deployed. Applications should demonstrate strong institutional commitment, technical feasibility, and a credible pathway toward implementation. Successful applicants should also demonstrate how participation in the bootcamp can help accelerate their initiative through exposure to Korea’s experience and lessons learned.
Bootcamp Program Overview
1. Call for Proposals
Government institutions submit applications outlining their AI initiatives and implementation challenges. Selected teams will be invited to participate. The application deadline is October 2, 2026.
2. Seoul Bootcamp (December 7-11)
The program begins with direct exposure to Korea’s public and private sector AI ecosystem through site visits and exchanges with practitioners responsible for implementing AI solutions. The second part is dedicated to a hands-on workshop, where participants will work with Korean AI practitioners and World Bank experts to refine their approaches through practical coding exercises and develop technically grounded implementation roadmaps that address algorithmic, data, and infrastructure bottlenecks, while identifying key dependencies and contingencies for successful deployment.
3. Follow-Up Support
After the bootcamp, participating teams may receive follow-up support and technical feedback to help advance their initiatives.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted through the Official Submission Form by October 2, 2026. Information sessions for prospective applicants will be offered across three time zones. Applicants will be asked to describe the public sector challenge being addressed, the proposed AI solution, technical and data readiness, institutional support, implementation risks, learning objectives, and planned next steps following the bootcamp.
Applicants may also submit supporting materials, such as endorsement letters, technical diagrams, policy documents, budget commitments, or other relevant documents.
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