We weren’t sure how many people would join the launch, given it’s the month of Ramadan, and not many knew what it was about.

 

Then we started the morning, picking phone calls from 8.30 AM, replying to texts in Whatsapp groups and Workplace inbox.

 

We thought “may be people will show up, the bracX structure on the plaza looked pretty fancy someone said”.

 

Getting a room full of 100 people in the small rooftop of BRAC Centre was the least of our expectations. (And we often assume big development organisations lack excitement. Really?)

 

Clearly people have hopes, they’ve waited for a third platform to think outside where their ideas will not only be heard but improved to be invested in.

 

bracX is BRAC’s first employee innovation platform, that offers seed funding to the ideas developed by BRAC employees.

 

As Asif bhai said today “We’re looking for ideas with legs”, no idea is successful in its own. It’s always the people!

 

Think of it as an internal competition that you are applying to, where your colleagues are your teammates. You go pass each rounds of the competition, and you gain even when you don’t win.

 

Your gains:

 

a. A reason to step out of your cubicle and look around for bigger things you’re probably missing out on.

 

You are definitely overworked, yet you feel underutilised.

 

May be there is something else that you can do better, something that can add more value to BRAC and certainly your career. Look for challenges that need attention, business opportunities or social projects that BRAC can start, or do better.

 

May be your idea can be the next bKash for BRAC.

 

b. A chance to grow better, with your ideas

 

There are three important phases here.

 

1. The idea you think of 2. The idea you submit 3. The idea you test and win with.

 

In all these phases the Social Innovation Lab will dedicate resources for you. We’ll connect you to better experts within and outside the organisation, resources that will shape your assumptions better, bootcamp that will enhance your current skill. (p.s. Employees who win intrapreneurship competitions are more likely to be promoted!)

 

And with your ideas, you grow too.

c. An opportunity to test an idea on the ground and fail, yet still win the competition

 

Interestingly, you don’t have to win the competition to get the funding. You test it in the third round. You get minimum 2,00,000 tk fund, and a time frame of 6-8 weeks.

 

Even if the quick testing or prototyping fails, you can still win the competition, by failing right, and presenting the lessons learned.

Now what?

 

All you need is to get your thoughts on a piece of paper, form a team, fill up this quick sign up form and show up at the Social Innovation Lab. We’re available every Sunday and Tuesday from 9.30 AM – 12.30 PM.

 

After you brainstorm with SIL about your idea, find a teammate, you are ready to submit the ‘best first version of your idea’ in the application form.

 

If you need a partner for your idea, or you want to team up with someone who has an idea, feel free to post on the bracX group in Workplace.

 

We have answered some of your questions on the website (brac.net/bracX). Scroll down to the FAQs section to read them.

 

This is your chance to think outside, and get your idea funded by BRAC.

 

Application Deadline: June 23, 2018