The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is one of the leading scientific research and technology development organisations in Africa. In partnership with national and international research and technology institutions, the CSIR undertakes directed and multidisciplinary research and technology innovation that contributes to the improvement of the quality of life of South Africans. The CSIR’s main site is in Pretoria while it is represented in other provinces of South Africa through regional offices.
The Innovation Support & Enablement Programme (ISEP) is a newly established, Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSI) programme hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. Some of the flagship projects under ISEP already have brand equity.
The CSIR is seeking to appoint a service provider with expertise to provide a suite of brand and marketing services for a period of 2 years.
Vision of ISEP is to drive South Africa’s sustainable growth and competitiveness through fostering an enabling and thriving innovation ecosystem that is responsive to the innovation mandate of the Department of Science and Innovation and of the country. The programme’s mission revolves around the establishment of an enabling innovation support environment that:
• offers comprehensive support and strategic resources;
• nurtures collaboration, knowledge-sharing and an innovation culture; and
• implement strategic innovation policy instruments that support cutting-edge technological innovations, commercialisation, and entrepreneurship to drive positive impact (social, environmental and economic).
ISEP aims to foster collaboration, innovation, and growth of the innovation ecosystem by supporting the following key objectives:
• Drive economic growth and job creation;
• Facilitate collaborative knowledge sharing and networking amongst innovation actors;
• Provide resources and support for startups and entrepreneurs;
• Build the necessary human capabilities to drive the country’s innovation mandate;
• Foster a culture of innovation and creativity;
• Accelerate the development and commercialisation of new technologies, and;
• Support the scaling of innovative early-stage ventures.
ISEP Projects
• Innovation Bridge Portal: An online platform developed to facilitate connections between various stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem. It serves as a marketplace and networking platform where innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and technology developers can showcase their projects, inventions, and research outputs to potential investors, partners, and other interested parties.
• Innovation Voucher Programme: The programme is set to provide grand funding to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs covers the cost of accessing external expertise, resources, or facilities needed for developing new CSIR Tender Documentation SS-F-SPU-026 Rev 02 Request for Proposal RFP 1180/07/02/2025 Page 26 of 56 products, services, or processes. The Innovation Bridge Portal will serve as a main platform to access the Innovation Voucher.
• Technology Innovation Challenges: The ISEP will run Tech Challenges for DSI’s priority sectors such as Energy, Mining, Agriculture just to name a few. The tech challenges are ISEP’s efforts to drive innovation, accelerate technology development and validate new technologies and business ideas.
It is important to note that each project will need to be uniquely positioned even if they are interrelated.
Due Date: 07 February 2025 @16h30
Contact: tender@csir.co.za
