Innovation Awards and Competitions

Fikra Government Innovation Competition

His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and Prime Minister of Kingdom of Bahrain created the Government Innovation Competition, Fikra, to stimulate creativity and innovation among government sector employees. Fikra, which means ‘idea’ in Arabic, invites proposals on how to improve government performance and public service quality in Bahrain, in line with Economic Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The applications are reviewed by several committees before being evaluated by a high-level Ministerial Committee. Members of the public are also invited to vote for their favourite ideas, the best of which are then implemented by the relevant governmental entities.

eGovernment Excellence Award

Now in its 11th edition, the eGovernment Excellence Award highlights innovative and pioneering ICT initiatives, covering both the public and private sector, including individuals and civil society organisations.

Held under the patronage of HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, the Special representative of His Majesty the King, the award accepts suggestions for innovative projects that improve public services and contribute to Bahrain Economic Vision 2030. The suggestions are evaluated by an experienced panel of judges that include international and regional ICT experts, and the best ones are implemented by the relevant agencies.

The public sector award categories include “Best eGovernment Website”, “Best Government-to-Government (G2G) Service”, “Best Practice in Community eParticipation”, “Best eGovernment Integrated Services for Individuals or Businesses”, and “Best Application for Smart Devices”. The Private Sector Awards consist of “Best Application for Smart Devices” and “Best eService”, while the Citizen Award includes “Best eConcept”.

For more information, visit the award’s website: www.egovaward.bh.