By Thomas Nastas
Member, International Science & Technology Board, Technology Commercialization Project, Kazakhstan
Founder, Innovative Ventures Inc., Michigan, USA
Last week I returned from Kazakhstan where I am a member of the International Science & Commercialization Board. The Government of Kazakhstan is embarking on a nation building program to accelerate the creation and commercialization of intellectual property to improve the country’s participation in knowledge-based industries.
The Government is implementing the Technology Commercialization Project with the World Bank to finance competitively selected R&D groups and commercialization activities in Kazakhstan. The Ministry of Education & Science (MOES) executes this project through its Project Management Unit (PMU). The MOES established a seven member board of international scientists, commercialization & venture practitioners to oversee this program and provide guidance to it and the PMU.
In February 2011, the 1st call of a competitive bid process to finance the technology of junior and senior scientists was published. 304 proposals were received, technologies submitted for financing included nanotechnology, agriculture, medical, exploration & production of mining & mineral, information technology and alternative energy to name a few. By the end of April the Board had evaluated and shortlisted 35 proposals; we invited 23 senior and 12 junior science groups to submit full proposals.
In mid-June Board members traveled to Kazakhstan where we interviewed each shortlisted candidate group. We submitted our 12 recommendations to the MOES, and on Friday 17 June 2011, Vice Minister Orunkhanov announced the 1st set of grant winners; 5 senior and 5 junior science groups with a total grant award financing of $10.5 million. The PMU now works with the grant winners to complete the contracts required to release the 1st tranches of money to recipients. Go here (and then click sentence titled ‘Selection Process by ISCB, presentation) to view a summary of technology proposals, criterion used to evaluate projects and categories of technologies selected as the final winners.
This is just the beginning of an exciting program to re-build Kazakhstan’s place in a knowledge based world. The Government will engage a Technology Commercialization Contractor (TCC) to assist it in technology commercialization, and potential contractors are invited to participate in this tender.
The MOES invites interested consulting firms to submit an Expression of Interest in providing services as detailed in the Statement of Work, (SOW), download here. Interested consultants must provide information in their Expression of Interest that demonstrates their qualifications to perform the services detailed in the SOW (brochures and description of projects they are currently performing or have successfully accomplished similar to the nature, size, scope, and complexity of this project). Consultants may associate with other consultants or firms to enhance their qualifications.
Based on submitted Expressions of Interests, the evaluation committee will establish a short list of qualified consultant firms, and invite them to submit a full proposal with their detailed work and staffing plans, and the methodologies that will be used to accomplish the SOW. Short lists shall comprise six (6) firms with a wide geographic spread with no more than two firms from any one country unless there are no other qualified firms identified that meet this requirement. The location of work is Kazakhstan.
