NIA Announces Bt20 Million Funding for 100 Software Projects

 With a focus on helping to further the development of software for industry, NIA and ATSI invite applicants from among Thai software entrepreneurs to submit their ideas to develop software research to compete in the ASEAN region, particularly software to support the four sectors of agricultural, medical, logistical and service. Applications for funding close 30 March, 2012.

 The President of ATSI, Somporn Maneeratanakul said, “At present the main areas of the economy generating income for the country are agriculture, industry and the service sectors. However, increased funding for research and development (R&D) in software must be made available to increase the efficiency of these sectors and thus ensure the ongoing vitality of these essential areas and raise our country’s ability to compete within the ASEAN region and beyond. In the past there have been numerous factors limiting software R&D and innovation in Thailand, however, further development and national competitiveness will increasingly rely on innovations.”

Vice President of Working Group of the software project, Mr. Somkiat Ungaree said, “NIA’s project of “Create Innovative Software with Bt200,000 Support” is intended to help stimulate the creation of new software development that will strengthen the four main industries in Thailand, including agricultural, medical, logistic and the service sector, and create a competitive advantage. It also to support the private sector in order to develop innovative products and services and business models to create a competitive advantage within the ASEAN market. Furthermore, this project will stimulate and accelerate copyright software developed within Thailand, and will also encourage Thai software entrepreneurs to develop products of an international standard.”

 Director of NIA, Supachai Lorlowhakarn said, “At the moment Thailand has an open economic policy which is integrated within the global economy. Approximately 72.3 per cent of GDP is attributable to exports, a situation that will become more so from 2014 as Thailand will participate as part of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). This means that Thailand will adopt the same market and production base across all sectors of the economy within ASEAN. Therefore, Thailand must accelerate its capacity to develop innovation, including the goods and services that meet the world standard; innovative software will contribute significantly to the development of projects that strengthen the private sector.

“In the past the NIA has aided the development of innovative software in projects such as “Fattening Beef Cattle Traceability System, International Standard GS1”, “Communications of Medical Information International Long Distance for Patients with Gastrointestinal Systems”, and “Business Event Management Software Solutions”. The current project, “Create Innovative Software with Bt200,000 Support” intends to stimulate and support the development of software for Thailand’s four main industries to create a competitive advantage for the major industries that are the main source to create income for the country and to help accelerate R&D by entrepreneurs with outstanding projects for the private sector to stimulate and continue strong growth,” added Mr. Supachai.

The criterion to support the project are as follows:

- The winner has to demonstrate how to use the money for an innovative software project, with the funding being not less than 25 per cent of the total cost of the project or not lower than Bt100,000.

- NIA will support funding as complementary, and not over than 50 per cent from the total cost of the project, and not more than 200,000 per project. For example, if the value of the project is worth Bt400,000, the company have to invest at least 200,000 and the NIA will support not more than Bt200,000.

- The period for support is no longer than six months.

The process of the first programme

Timeline: from the 1 October, 2011 to the 30 of March, 2012

Close the proposal: 10 October

Announce the winner    On the 30 March 2012 (by e-mail)

Arrange the contract     On every Monday the 3rd of the month

Submit proposal to       www.nia.or.th/softwaredee

The National Innovation Agency (NIA) was established on 1 October  2003 under the Ministry of Science and Technology and change to be the Public Organization on the September 1, 2009, The NIA aim is to activate and create the innovation process to happen in Thailand. To support and promote  the process of Innovation from the product level, Agricultural level and Service level by pass on the eduction and money support under the platform of "Change technology to be money" project, Good innovation ... no interest" project and "Money from state enterprise" project

The Association of Thai Software Industry was established in July, 1998. The aim of ATSI is to support the development of software industry to have a strong ability and standard that can complete with foreigner software, both in a short term and long term which will create the clear substantial include the money support, public relations and marketing, and to become a center for the public information and main center for contact person for the Institution, Organization or other Association that connect in the Software Industry in Thailand and Aboard, also to support  each other in term of the standard, the help between member to member including the consult in IT for the other agency both government and private section