STOPPING OCEAN PLASTIC STARTS WITH US.

Oceans make up 99% of all the habitable space for life on Earth. We depend on them for food, medicine, energy, and raw materials for our daily lives.

Increasingly, however, oceans’ marine biodiversity, their rich ecosystems, and the livelihoods of coastal communities are all under threat.

Plastic is destroying marine life and polluting the oceans at an unprecedented rate.  Plastic waste does not know borders, traveling across seas, rivers, and deltas to affect all societies and economies. It is also a key driver of climate change: emissions from plastic will reach 17% of the global carbon budget within the next three decades.

Without action, we risk having more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050.

Plastic Innovation Challenge?

Aiming to experiment and promote initiatives that reduce plastic waste generation, encourage the production of sustainable alternatives, and improve circular economic practices, UNDP Viet Nam announces a Call for Proposals to award small grants of up to USD 30,000 to organizations, to implement innovative solutions to plastic pollution. Through this call for proposals, UNDP is inviting applications that offer novel solutions to plastic pollution across a wide range of areas.

Partly supported by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Sub-Fund under the UN Peace and Development Fund (UNPDF), with contributions from the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) (as part of the GPIP scheme), and co-funded by the Coca-Cola Foundation (as part of the TCCF scheme), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will boost innovative solutions to address plastic pollution through the Plastic Innovation Programme.

UNDP encourages the applications from:

  • NGOs, CBOs, governmental and non-governmental academic or educational/research institutions (national or international), small-to-medium sized businesses;
  • The teams that include at least 01 (one) female member (preferably a women-led organization); or youth applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.
  • Youth applicants.

Deadline for submissions: 23h59, 30 March 2025 (GMT+7).

Showcase

Valued Prize

06 winners: Up to 30,000 USD

06 runners-up: Up to 10,000 USD

Partnership opportunity: Connect with a network of leading experts, businesses and organizations in the field of sustainable development.

Create practical impact: Contribute to solving the problem of plastic pollution, promoting a circular economy in Vietnam.

Potential proposals will receive additional comments and edits from the UNDP expert team (including the Global Plastics team).

Within 02 months, these proposals will be completed to prepare for the final evaluation session before the Review Board.

Take the Challenge

Timeline

January 2021

EPPIC Phase I Final Pitching Competition

January – September 2021

Impact acceleration for 4 winners of EPPIC Phase I

16 March 2021

Launch of EPPIC Phase II in Indonesia and the Philippines

10 May 2021

EPPIC Phase II: Applications close

07 June 2021

Announcement of 15 finalists of EPPIC Phase II

September 2021

EPPIC Phase II Final Pitching Competition

The Challenges

Spearheaded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)

Plastic Innovation Programme

  • Year: 2025 Location: Ha Noi
  • Award-winning invention: 0 View more

The Plastics Innovation Programme is officially accepting applications from all organizations, agencies and businesses across Viet Nam!   Aiming to experiment and promote initiatives that reduce plastic waste generation, encourage the production of sustainable alternatives, and improve circular economic practices, UNDP Viet Nam announces a Call for Proposals to award…

ASEAN Blue Innovation Challenge

  • Year: 2024 Location: ASEAN
  • Award-winning invention: 0 View more

ASEAN holds a crucial position in global marine biodiversity, boasting a significant portion of vital ecosystems. Specifically, ASEAN encompasses 28% of the world's coral reefs, 31% of mangroves, and 33% of seagrass beds. Annually, these ecosystems provide essential services to ASEAN, estimated at USD 112.5 billion for coral reefs and…

Green Heroes, Clean Tech

  • Year: 2024 Location: Can Tho, Ho Chi Minh City
  • Award-winning invention: View more

Plastic pollution is one of the most urgent issues in Viet Nam, endangering not only the environment, but also the health and well-being of many urban and coastal communities. The country’s cities produce vast amounts of plastic waste every day, with Ho Chi Minh City alone generating nearly 2,000 tons…

EPPIC 2023

  • Year: 2023 Location: Cambodia, Laos
  • Award-winning invention: 0 View more

1. Kaysone Phomvihane, Lao DPR: Kaysone Phomvihane City, the capital of Savannakhet Province, is a fast-growing urban hub on the Mekong River. While economic growth and infrastructure development are accelerating, rapid urbanization has increased waste and plastic pollution, posing environmental and health risks. The city produces 80–120 metric tons of…

EPPIC 2021

  • Year: 2021 Location: Indonesia, Philippines
  • Award-winning invention: 4 View more

1. Island Garden City of Samal, Philippines The Island Garden City of Samal is a coastal city located in the province of Davao del Norte, at the heart of the Davao Gulf in the southern part of the Philippines. Samal City comprises two main islands—Samal Island and Talicud Island—along with…

Documents

Spearheaded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)

News

New ASEAN-wide Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge (EPPIC) launched

New ASEAN-wide Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge (EPPIC) launched June 24, 2020   Photo: Lekima Hung Ha Noi, 24 June...

  • Time: 16/01/2025 Location: Hà Nội
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Launching workshop for: Scaling-Up a Socialised Model of Waste Management and Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge

Launching workshop for: Scaling-Up a Socialised Model of Waste Management and Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge Opening Remarks by Ms....

  • Time: 16/01/2025 Location: Đà Nẵng
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Annual Project Board Meeting highlights progress in reducing plastic pollution reduction and waste management in Viet Nam and other ASEAN countries

  Annual Project Board Meeting highlights progress in reducing plastic pollution reduction and waste management in Viet Nam and other...

EPPIC Sharing of Experiences & Lessons Learned and ‘International Conference on Sustainable Ocean Economy and Climate Change Adaptation’

EPPIC Sharing of Experiences & Lessons Learned and ‘International Conference on Sustainable Ocean Economy and Climate Change Adaptation’ Ha Noi,...

Research

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