This Request for Proposal (“RFP”) is part of a collaborative initiative between JICA DXLab and the National Innovation Center (“NIC”) of Vietnam, and aims to select an Execution Partner (“EP”) to co-develop and implement a pilot AI Startup Accelerator Program. The Program is designed to enhance the maturity, visibility, and investment readiness of early-stage AI startups in Vietnam. Through structured training, technical mentorship, business and investor matchmaking, and strategic infrastructure support, the initiative seeks to demonstrate that Vietnam’s AI startup ecosystem can scale sustainably and contribute significantly to the country’s innovation-driven economic development. The EP will be responsible for tailoring and executing the program for a cohort of 10-15 startups, while also supporting NIC in building internal capabilities for long-term accelerator operations.

The objective of the Pilot is to validate that a structured AI Startup Accelerator Program can serve as a catalyst for enhancing the capabilities, visibility, and investment readiness of early-stage AI startups in Vietnam. Additionally, the Pilot aims to strengthen NIC’s operational capacity to independently run future accelerators and support the long-term growth of Vietnam’s AI ecosystem.

The joint implementation effort will consist of three phases:

1. Pilot Preparation (1 month): Startup onboarding, needs assessments and preparation of program contents and execution plan

2. Pilot Execution (3 months): Delivery of mentorship, training, partner and investor matching, and key events including a demo day

3. Pilot Documentation (0.5 months): Final reporting on outcomes, impact, and recommendations for scaling future accelerators

The National Innovation Center (NIC) was established in 2019 to support Vietnam’s transition toward innovation-led economic development by fostering a robust startup and innovation ecosystem. As part of its national strategy, the Government of Vietnam has identified Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a key pillar for digital transformation, aiming to position the country as a leader in AI adoption by 2030.

Vietnam’s AI sector has experienced meaningful progress, with applications emerging across industries such as banking, logistics, consumer services, and healthcare. However, widespread deployment remains constrained by several structural barriers, including limited access to high-quality datasets, a shortage of AI-specific skills, and concerns over cost-effectiveness.

To address these gaps, the NIC, in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is launching a pilot AI Startup Accelerator Program. The goal is to validate that structured support can significantly improve the capabilities of early-stage AI startups in Vietnam and strengthen the overall ecosystem.

This joint initiative between NIC and JICA DXLab aims to deliver tailored mentorship, technical training, business matching, and infrastructure support to AI startups, while also equipping NIC with the capabilities needed to operate future accelerator programs independently. By supporting 10-15 pre-seed and seed-stage startups-primarily focused on market validation and scaling-the pilot will lay the groundwork for a scalable and sustainable AI acceleration model in Vietnam.

As part of this initiative, this RFP seeks to onboard an Execution Partner (EP) to co-develop and implement the program in close coordination with NIC. The EP will also support NIC in customizing the accelerator to meet participant needs and deliver measurable outcomes for both startups and the broader innovation ecosystem.

Candidate Execution Partners (EPs) must fulfill all of the following criteria to participate in the RFP process (please refer to the RFP document for full details):

1. Legal History: The company’s management must have no criminal record, and the company must not be included on any sanction list.

2. Financial and Organizational Stability: The company must demonstrate a stable revenue stream, with a minimum annual revenue of USD 150,000 in each of the last two fiscal years, and must have been in operation for at least two years.

3. Operational Capacity: The company must be capable of deploying a qualified team to Hanoi, Vietnam as needed, with the flexibility to travel for key project phases.

Only proposals from qualified candidates will be considered. Proposals will be evaluated based on technical and commercial criteria. The winning candidate will be selected based on a combined assessment of both evaluation categories, ensuring a transparent and merit-based selection of the most suitable partner.

The selected Execution Partner (EP) will be responsible for the following scope of work (please refer to the RFP document for full details):

1. Startup Onboarding and Program Preparation: Conduct baseline assessments for participating startups and customize the program plan based on their maturity and goals.

2. Training and Mentorship Delivery: Deliver at least one week of intensive training and provide a minimum of eight 1-on-1 mentoring sessions per startup, tailored to business and technical needs.

3. Event Organization and Coordination: Organize a networking event, a business matching session, and a final demo day to connect startups with partners and investors.

4. Business Matching and Investor Engagement: Identify and facilitate at least three high-potential introductions per startup and support preparation through pitch refinement and consultation.

5. Infrastructure and Operational Support: Coordinate access to AI-relevant infrastructure (e.g., cloud credits, APIs) and support operational needs such as workspace and talent recruitment.

6. Monitoring and Evaluation: Provide data and documentation for ongoing monitoring, and contribute to mid-point and final reporting.

7. Vietnam-Japan collaboration: Ideate and implement initiatives fostering the Vietnam-Japan collaboration in AI throughout the above scopes.

8. Communication with NIC and JICA: Maintain close communication with NIC and JICA to ensure effective coordination, progress tracking, and quality delivery.

At the end of the PoC, a detailed evaluation, reporting, and knowledge transfer process will be conducted. A scalability plan will be developed to explore expanding the solution to additional regions or crops for broader adoption.

The maximum budget for the services is JPY 14,000,000 inclusive of all taxes and expenses. Proposals that exceed this budget ceiling will not be considered.

We plan to host an online information session for prospective bidders on 19th May 2025 (date is subject to change). If you wish to participate, please contact us at JICADXLab@bcg.com . Confirmation of participation by email is mandatory to attend the session.

Bidders may make inquiries or request additional information via email to JICADXLab@bcg.com . For all inquiries, the email subject should follow this format:
“Inquiry-NIC-AI-Startup-Accelerator-Pilot-[Your Organization Name]”. The deadline for submitting inquiries is 21st May 2025 (date is subject to change).