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The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Office in Bangkok (UNESCO Bangkok) is seeking a contractor to develop and disseminate Digital Creativity Lab platform which contains Digital Creativity Toolkits, showcases innovative digital projects and provides a technology integration incubator and collaborative platform, along with facilitating digital creativity collaborations in Thailand.

The UNESCO Korea Funds-In-Trust (KFIT) for the Development of Cultural and Creative Industries has, for over a decade, invested in the development of creative sectors. Building on this momentum and fully embracing the expanding digital environment, KFIT is shifting its strategic turn toward supporting cultural entrepreneurship in the digital era.

Against this backdrop, UNESCO launched a project titled “Digital Creativity Lab” to address the digital skills gap in the cultural and creative industries and to strengthen policy frameworks. The Digital Creativity Lab aims to bridge the digital divide in the culture sector by sharing knowledge and improving digital competencies of the creative workforce at regional and national levels. Phase I (2022-24) focused on mapping the digital skills gaps in Mekong countries, as well as developing curricula to enhance the awareness and capabilities of professionals in the cultural and creative industries.

In phase II (2025-26), the project, Expanding Digital Horizons by Igniting Innovation in Thailand Creative Sector, implemented by the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, will focus on utilizing the curricula and measures developed in phase I for incubation and capacity-building activities to advance national-level good practices.

In this regard, UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok is seeking a contractor to develop a Digital Creativity Lab platform to contain digital creativity toolkits, to showcase innovative digital projects and provides a technology integration incubator with a function, to facilitate digital creativity collaborations in Thailand. Such a user-friendly platform shall consist of 3 essential sections:

• Digital Creativity Toolkits: This section contains several toolkits which are self-paced online classes covering key areas of digital literacy and skill development necessary for creative entrepreneurs. Toolkits can areas related to including immersive technologies / Extended Reality (XR), digital marketing, online art and culture education, business planning, product development, cloud services and internet-connected devices, digital expression in creative industries, etc. These toolkits shall be provided in at least 2 languages – Thai and English.
• Canvas of Innovative Digital Creativity Projects: This section acts as a clearinghouse and showcase of good practices and projects on innovative use of digital technologies in art and culture sector.
• Collaborative Technology Integration Incubator: A technology integration incubator supports creative entrepreneurs and startups develop their creative work or creative businesses with new technologies.

Additionally, in order to test and validate the Digital Creativity Toolkits and to foster face-to-face collaboration that can kickstart the Technology Integration Incubator, the contractor will organize virtual or in-person workshops, residencies and joint initiatives and can facilitate, matchmake and connect funding for project collaborations between cultural and creative professionals in Thailand with other Greater Mekong sub-region countries, i.e. Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam.

The contractor is requested to carry out the following tasks:

1) Develop, launch and identify permanent host for the Digital Creativity Lab platform to consist of the following components:

a. Digital Creativity Toolkits:

i) Conduct desk research to identify key areas of digital literacy and skill development necessary for creative entrepreneurs, which might include, but are not limited to:

• Digital expressions in creative industries, including creation-related digital tools, such as Immersive technologies / Extended Reality (XR),
• Business planning and product development, including management-related digital tools, such as cloud services and internet-connected devices, etc.,
• Digital marketing and branding;

iI) Mobilize resource persons to develop content and layout designs for toolkits of self-paced online classes on the identified key areas, including conducting trial use of the contents to ensure relevance of these topics and the toolkit’s effectiveness in addressing the targeted audience;

iii) Provide the toolkit in at least 2 languages – Thai and English;

b. Canvas of Innovative Digital Creativity Projects:

1) Gather and select good practices and projects on innovative use of digital technologies in the art and culture sector in consultation with UNESCO;

ii) Organize and apply search and filtering mechanism for these selected projects according to relevant themes, categories and industries;

iii) Design and enable a backend function for UNESCO to review and select future project submissions;

iv) Include ‘like’ and ‘share’ buttons in each project page for users to react and help disseminating good practices in their social media channels;

v) Design and recommend to UNESCO a roadmap for monetizing showcased projects to enable expansion or further support to these exemplary projects;

c. Collaborative Technology Integration Incubator:

i) Design, test and launch a Technology Integration Incubator online program;

ii) Include Collaborative Exploration Platform that has hot desks and collaboration rooms for diverse purposes of professional connections and collaborations. 

2. Organize and facilitate a virtual or in-person series of workshops, residencies and joint initiatives:

a. Identify up to 200 participants, consisting of art and culture entrepreneurs and startup companies, primarily in Thailand, but not limited to Thai nationality;

b. Design, propose to UNESCO and organize a series of workshops, residencies and joint initiatives for the selected participants, using contents in the Digital Creativity Toolkits as main resources;

c. Gather feedback through evaluation forms in order to improve the contents in the final version of the Digital Creativity Toolkits that are put on the Digital Creativity Lab platform;

d. Encourage the continuation and facilitate sustainable access for the pilot collaborations between the participants to be actualized or developed further on the Technology Integration Incubator and Collaborative Exploration Platform of the Digital Creativity Lab platform.

• By 15 May 2025, the contractor will submit the final workplan for (1) Digital Creativity Lab platform development, (2) Digital Creativity Toolkits research and development and (3) list of activities and timeframe of the series of workshops, residencies and joint initiatives;
• By 15 August 2025, the contractor will submit (1) the first draft contents of the Digital Creativity Toolkits and (2) the first draft of the Digital Creativity Lab platform;
• By 15 November 2025, the contractor will submit (1) the second draft of the Digital Creativity Lab platform and (2) the interim report;
• By 30 April 2026, the contractor will submit (1) the list of participants and facilitators of the series of workshops, residencies and joint initiatives and (2) the agendas of the concerned activities;
• By 31 August 2026, the contractor will submit (1) the final draft of Digital Creativity Lab platform including the final Digital Creativity Toolkits, (2) the final report and (3) the statement of expenditure with related receipts.

Thailand

• Over 5 years of professional experience in providing education and mentorship on digital technologies and creative entrepreneurship;
• Have a roster of allied professionals in fields related to digital expressions in creative industries, immersive technologies, digital business planning and product development, digital marketing for digital creations, online art and culture education, who can be called upon to lead or contribute to the planned activities.

• Long-term experience in developing materials or designing skills training in digital technology and culture sectors;
• Familiarity with UNESCO’s work related to the cultural and creative industries;
• Familiarity with the concept and principles in achieving sustainable development goals, especially in aspects of education, equality, sustainable cities and communities, decent works and economic growth.

Interested organizations are invited to submit to UNESCO Bangkok the application package including

• Institutional profile,
• A technical proposal illustrating how the tasks will be carried out,
• A detailed financial proposal (budget estimation) indicating rate per unit.

Application package is to be sent no later than 16 March 2025, 18:00 Bangkok time (GMT+7).

To the attention of:

Chief of Culture Unit
UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok
Email: culture.bgk(at)unesco.org

Only short-listed companies/organizations will be contacted.

#CallForProposals #CreativeIndustries #CreativityCulturalDiversity