International Competition Network | UPDATED

Entries are currently been accepted for the International Competition Network 2024, eligible persons are by this notice invited to apply for this program.

The International Competition Network (ICN)and the World Bank Group are pleased to announce the launch of the 2024 Competition Advocacy Contest. This contest aims to highlight the key role competition agencies play in promoting competition by showcasing their advocacy success stories.

This post provides you with detail information about International Competition Network 2024 and how you can successfully apply. You can scroll the table of content below to get an overview of all this post entails.

Level/Field of Study

Applications are currently designed as a Competition for anybody who thinks that he or she has what it takes to run.

Eligible  Nationality:

The International Community is eligible to apply for the scholarship.

Host Nationality:

The Scholarship is hosted in the United States of America

How to Apply:

Competition agencies and public bodies promoting competition policy are welcome to apply. We encourage joint submissions with other governmental bodies or non-governmental organizations.

Submitted stories should include:

• Description of the competition/market problem
• Relevant theme
• Main goal/s of the work undertaken
• Sector/s involved and product/service analyzed
• Geographical regions affected
• Importance of the sector/market analyzed
• Resources mobilized
• Collaboration with other agencies/organizations and stakeholders
• Advocacy strategy
• Specific advocacy activities, milestones, and timeframe
• Main messages and recommendations conveyed by the advocacy activity
• Results achieved
• Effects on market (e.g., consumer savings, investment, value-added, entry of new firms)
• Impact evaluation, if any
• Lessons learned
• ICN or World Bank Group tools used for this initiative, if any

Stories should be between 500-2000 words and start with a 100 -200-word summary.

Stories submitted to previous editions of this contest that were not awarded are eligible for resubmission.

Selection Process:

Submissions will undergo a rigorous assessment of the following criteria:

• The success of the advocacy activity
• Cooperation mechanisms deployed
• Advocacy strategy
• Results achieved
• Impact  and effects on markets
• Creativity and originality
• Spillover effects and lessons learned

A panel will review the submissions and select the top stories.

Winning applicants will be invited to present their stories at a joint ICN-World Bank Group event, and winning stories will be featured in an ICN-World Bank Group Publication.

Application Deadline

This competition has expired but keep checking for more details.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the ICN/World Bank Group Competition Advocacy Contes

International Competition Network Winners

issue 1: Prompting structural reforms in key sectors

Both winners in this category successfully handled critical contest barriers in sectors with significant spillover impacts across the market (education, finance, and telecommunications) while in coordination with line Ministries, Central Bank, and industry labs. Consequently, contest principles were embedded in sectoral regulations and policies.

Kenya (Winner)

The Contest Agency of Kenya (CAK), in conjunction with the Central Bank and the Communications Authority, implemented system interoperability rules at the supply of Mobile Financial Services (MFS), an integral feature to market entry and protect against misuse of significant market strength.

This effort shifted industry regulations and strategic behavior of incumbents in both financial and telecommunication industries, benefiting over 30 million current consumers and paving the way for further economic inclusion by removing impediments to the efficient allocation of resources which promotes job creation, investment, and productivity.

Consequently, charges for consumers have already dropped 10-fold.

United Kingdom (Winner)

Your competitors and Markets Authority (CMA) has functioned alongside the Department for Education making sure reforms to the regulation of higher education in England will support competition from the interest of students.

The CMA’s interventions have helped ensure a level regulatory playing field for various kinds of associations, improving the data available to students in an environment conducive to entry and innovation. CMA estimates that a realistic rise in uptake of rapid levels alone could yield benefits worth #25m for consumers.

This effort supports the introduction of good quality and widely accessible education industry, which is a key component of economic growth, favorably affecting productivity, investment, and jobs.

Theme 2: Earning money for private business development

Stories given within this category illustrate the role that competition advocacy can play in launching markets previously completely shut into the private sector through competitive market mechanics while increasing the need to match market launch with the elimination of anti-competitive regulation which unjustifiably discriminates against certain players or provides incentives for firms not to compete on the merits.

The Secretary of financial Monitoring of the Ministry of Finance (SEAE) has led a pro-competition regulatory reform to start up the lottery economies for private involvement, a sector under non-profit monopoly as 1962.

The addition of market competition and individual participation through a competitive bidding process is expected to expand lottery revenues from 0.21 percent of GDP in 20-16 to 1% of the GDP within 10 decades, in benefit of both consumers and the country’s fiscal landscape.

This initiative also illustrates the successful consequences of SEAE’s more proactive advocacy role.

Russia (Winner)

Based on studies conducted between 2010 and 2017, The Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia (FAS) advocated for the elimination of the most typical cases of unnecessary commodity specifications that restrict competition, facilitate collusion and foreclosure in the pharmaceutical procurement niches.

In accordance with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Economic Development and Ministry of Finance, FAS affirmed the issuance of this Federal Decree n. 1380 of both 2017, which is expected to stimulate competition by encouraging entrance and private industry involvement.

Increased competition is likely to lead to lower prices, greater accessibility of medicines for citizens and much more efficient financial spending.

Serbia (Honorable Mention)

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