Maldives
Introduction
The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade invites interested local parties to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the above-mentioned project aimed at advancing the Maldives Creative Economy:
a) This project is designed to empower small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and self-employed individuals in the Maldives creatives industries by enhancing their understanding and use of Intellectual Property (IP)
Key Objectives
a) Pilot IP Training and Mentoring: Equip participants to utilize IP tools at every stage of the creative, innovation, and entrepreneurship process.
b) Strengthen the Maldives Creative Economy: Foster inclusiveness, create jobs, generate wealth, and improve livelihoods.
c) Monetize and Protect Creativity: Assist participants to develop viable business models that monetize and safeguard their IP assets.
d) The project emphasizes the importance of helping local entrepreneurs and creators to establish and grow unique brands that strengthen their businesses and showcase the Maldives’ rich cultural heritage, innovation and creativity. By doing so, participants will enhance their ability to compete both locally and globally, creating opportunities for greater market visibility.
Key Details:
e) The project will be conducted jointly by Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), including online meetings, interviews, and training sessions conducted in partnership with local organizations.
f) Success stories of participants’ achievements will be shared on MoEDT and WIPO’s website, inspiring others and showcasing the potential of the Maldives Creative Economy.
g) This initiative aims to build sustainable capacity within the country to support local brands, ensuring they are recognized, protected, and celebrated on national and international stages.
h) Any entity that has not submitted an Expression of Interest shall also be allowed to participate in any subsequent submission processes that may be announced by the MoEDT according to terms and conditions that may be specified thereof.
Submission requirements of the Portfolio:
The EOI submitted shall consist of the following:
a. Contact Details: Name, address, telephone number, email address of the applicant
b. Entity/Individual Information: Details of the individual, individual firm, or company.
c. Primary Contact: Contact person with designation
d. Relevant Experience: Brief background/portfolio of previous creative projects/businesses undertaken.
Submission Details:
Interested parties are encouraged to submit their EOI by sharing their portfolio by 20th December 2024 to [email protected], referencing “Maldives Creative Economy IP Training Project.” Further details about the project are provided in Annex I.
Annex I: Project Supporting the Small-Medium Sized Entities and Individuals in the Creative Industries of Maldives: Maldives Creative Economy
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Description of Project
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The project will pilot IP training and mentoring for small and medium-sized enterprises, including the self-employed individuals, in Maldives, specifically from the creative industries, for the purpose of enabling them to use and benefit from their intellectual property (IP) in whatever stage of the creative, innovation and entrepreneurship cycle, and support the economy to build back better from the negative consequence of the recent pandemic. It is widely known that culture and traditions, expressed with artesian skills and through talents in music, literature and the various arts have become a rich source to draw in tourists and visitors. It helps develop what is now known as the creative economy by generating wealth, creating jobs, promoting inclusiveness and improving the livelihood of everyone in the community. Thus, finding ways to reward, recognize and monetize this unique intangible output through various IP tools incorporated in viable business models will benefit developing countries. The project will kick-off with an online gathering during the World IP Day of 2024 as requested by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Republic of Maldives. It will be followed by a series of online meetings and interviews of potential partners and beneficiaries. Training and mentoring will follow in batches through partnerships with the chosen local interlocutors. While the project is ongoing, stories of entrepreneurs/beneficiaries are captured and published in WIPO website and social media channels. The desired impact of the project is for the country to ultimately have the capacity to institutionalize IP capacity-development in order to sustain the results of the pilot undertaking beyond the lifetime of the project. |
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Project Duration |
24 months broken down as follows: 1. Inception Phase and Kick-Off Phase (4 months) Initial engagements and selection of partners and beneficiaries; 2. Training, Mentoring and Brand Development Phase (6 months) Online training, Mentoring and Design Support; 3. Trademark and IP Protection Phase (4 months) Protecting intangible assets through registration or other mechanisms; and 4. Business Scaling Up and Exit Phase (10 months) Business Support & Networking for beneficiaries. |