‘BIG 2021’ reality show starts with 65 startups

Bangabandhu Innovation Grant (BIG) 2021 is organizing Idea Project on the birth centenary of Father of he Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to find new innovations or innovative startups through the participation of local and foreign startups. The "Innovation and Entrepreneur Development Academy Establishment Project (iDEA)" under the Information and Communication Technology Department of the Government of Bangladesh is working to build a startup ecosystem and innovative culture in the country. A big attraction of this event is a breathtaking 13-episode reality show- "BIG 2021". This breathtaking 13-episode reality show about startups is going to be aired every Friday and Saturday at 8 pm on the screen of private TV channel ‘DBC News’. In addition, to watch the event live online at that time, you have to visit the Facebook page of Idea   and  ‘Bangabandhu Innovation Grant (BIG) 2021’. Details about the BIG 2021 Project can be found from this link . BIG 2021 is being specially organized under the direction of State Minister for Information and Communication Technology zunaid Ahmed Palak. The event was overseen by iDEA Project Director Md. Abdur Rakib and BIG 2021 Coordinating Project Senior Consultant Siddharth Goswami. Sohag Chandra Das, Communications Consultant of Idea Project, was the Chief of Reality Show and Co-Coordinator of BIG 2021. In this reality show of startups, the contestants will face the established business icons from home and abroad who will be selected as 2 startups from each episode. In this reality show, a total of 26 startups will be selected from 65 startups. Later, they will be joined by 10 internationally selected and the top 10 startups in the portfolio start-ups under the iDEA project, bringing together a total of 46 local and foreign startups in the ‘BIG 2021 Grand Finale’. In the end, the topmost winner of the best startup will receive a million-dollar cash prize. It is worth mentioning that in the initial phase of ‘BIG 2021’, more than 6,000 entrepreneurs, inventors and startups from 57 countries including Bangladesh participated in this competition. This reality show is being organized with the best 65 startups. The best 26 startups selected from this reality show will be given a grant of Taka 1 million and a grant of Taka 26 million. In addition, the top 10 startups selected from the international stage of BIG 2021 will also be given a grant of Taka 1 million, equivalent to a total of Taka 10 million. It may be mentioned that the shooting of this event which started from 23rd June 2021 at Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) in Dhaka lasted for 5 consecutive days. The entire event was organized by Gray and Windmill Advertising Ltd. under the supervision of iDEA Project under the direction of Shuvro Khan of Ghuddi Animo. There are plans to hold the closing ceremony of ‘BIG 2021’ in the last week of October 2021. Honorable Adviser to the Prime Minister on ICT Sajeeb Wazed is expected to be present on the occasion.