President Luis Abinader announced on 23 July 2025 the Republic of Ideas initiative, a nationwide contest aimed at encouraging Dominicans both at home and abroad to submit creative, innovative, and feasible proposals to help drive inclusive and sustainable development. Government officials are joined by academic leaders, young changemakers, and civil society representatives at the unveiling.
“República de Ideas” is part of the government’s broader push to cultivate a culture of civic engagement, collective creativity, and forward-looking thinking. The initiative is aligned with the national strategy Meta RD 2036, which seeks to double the country’s Gross Domestic Product and build a more prosperous, equitable, and resilient Dominican Republic.
República de Ideas invites citizens to propose innovative solutions to drive the country’s future development. The contest seeks to engage a wide range of participants—from entrepreneurs and startups to students, universities, NGOs, and social organizations—in tackling key national development challenges.
Participants must form teams of three to five members and submit proposals addressing one of three focus areas: education, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and agroindustry.
To ensure a fair evaluation process, entries must be submitted under one of three stages of development: conceptual idea, validated idea, or an existing product or service.
Fifty finalist teams will be selected to take part in an intensive “Idea Camp,” where they will receive specialized mentorship. Winning teams will be awarded up to US$25,000 and gain access to the Public-Private Incubator Network supported by the Office of Government Information and Communication Technologies (OGTIC).
In a bid to promote regional equity and inclusion, at least one finalist will be selected from each of the country’s provinces, the National District, and the Dominican diaspora. Provincial governors will play a key role in promoting the contest and supporting local teams to ensure nationwide participation.
Beyond identifying actionable solutions, República de Ideas aims to leave a lasting institutional legacy: the creation of a national development ideas bank, stronger ties between citizens and the state, and the foundation for a culture of territorial innovation.
The competition will unfold in several phases, including the call for proposals, selection of finalists, idea camp, and a final expo event in January 2026, where the winning projects will be announced.
Read more in Spanish:
Republic of Ideas
Listin Diario
Ogtic
28 July 2025