The “Value Chains Idea Contest” (VCIC) was launched in Hanoi on June 22^nd with the aim of supporting ethnic minority communities in Vietnam.

Miss Universe Vietnam H'Hen Nie speaks at the event. (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn)

The contest was organised by the Vietnamese Government’s Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs, the World Bank and the Australian Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The VCIC aims to support the development and implementation of new and innovative ideas regarding value chains and expanding market access opportunities for products of ethnic minorities in Vietnam.

It is also meant to contribute to the preservation and promotion of cultural strength and traditional knowledge of Vietnamese ethnic minority communities while enhancing the role and capacity of ethnic minority women and youth in escaping poverty and bringing prosperity to themselves and their communities.

The VCIC is part of series of activities of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs and international partners, media partners, and Party and Government agencies to help ethnic minorities to catch up with the national start-up trend, thus contributing to poverty reduction and boosting prosperity in ethnic minority areas.

Eligible candidates include inpiduals, groups of inpiduals, small and medium enterprises, cooperatives, cooperative groups, and entrepreneurs of ethnic minorities with ideas for developing cooperation or partnerships with ethnic minorities anywhere in Vietnam.

The ideas should contribute to solving one or both of the following issues: developing value chains benefiting ethnic minority people, and creating an enabling environment for the development of value chains which benefit ethnic minorities, especially women and youth./.