World Bank GovTech AI Bootcamp 2026 in South Korea – Fully Funded

Application Deadline: October 2, 2026

Location: South Korea
Program Duration: December 7–11, 2026
Funding: Fully funded for selected participants
Eligible Applicants: Government institutions in low- and middle-income countries
Official Organizer: World Bank, Republic of Korea Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), and National Information Society Agency (NIA)

World Bank GovTech AI Bootcamp 2026

Applications are now open for the 2026 World Bank GovTech AI Bootcamp for Governance and Public Administration in South Korea, an international opportunity designed to help government institutions use artificial intelligence to improve public administration and government services.

The program is organized by the World Bank, in partnership with the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) and the National Information Society Agency (NIA). It is aimed at government institutions in low- and middle-income countries that are developing, testing, piloting, or deploying AI-powered solutions for public-sector challenges.

Unlike many scholarship and fellowship opportunities that are designed for individual applicants, this program is specifically intended for government institutions. Successful institutions will nominate a two-person team consisting of a policy leader and a technical practitioner directly involved in the relevant AI initiative.

The program offers selected teams an opportunity to travel to South Korea for an intensive five-day bootcamp, learn from Korean public-sector and technology experts, and develop a practical roadmap for implementing their AI solution.

What Is the GovTech AI Bootcamp?

The GovTech AI Bootcamp focuses on one of the biggest challenges facing governments today: moving from AI strategies and ideas to real-world implementation.

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Many governments are exploring artificial intelligence for areas such as public services, taxation, financial management, human resources, procurement, transparency, anti-corruption, and citizen engagement. However, turning an AI concept into a reliable government service can involve significant challenges related to data, infrastructure, technical capacity, governance, procurement, cybersecurity, and institutional coordination.

The World Bank created this bootcamp to help participating governments address these challenges through practical learning and peer exchange. Participants will have the opportunity to study Korea's experience in implementing AI and digital government systems at scale.

What Does the Fully Funded Opportunity Cover?

The selected teams will receive support to participate in the five-day bootcamp in South Korea.

The program covers international travel and accommodation costs for the two selected team members. The World Bank will also provide official invitation letters and coordinate with relevant Korean authorities to facilitate the visa process for selected participants, although the final visa decision remains with Korean immigration authorities.

Participants will also benefit from technical learning, expert guidance, peer exchange, and exposure to Korea's public and private-sector AI ecosystem.

Importantly, the program is not simply a conference. It is designed as a hands-on technical and policy learning experience where participants work on their own government AI initiatives.

Who Can Apply?

The opportunity is open to government institutions in low- and middle-income countries that are working on an AI initiative addressing a specific public-sector or governance challenge.

Eligible areas include:

• Public financial management
• Civil service and human resource management
• Citizen services
• Civic technology and citizen engagement
• Government procurement
• Anti-corruption initiatives
• Transparency and accountability
• Public administration
• Other government applications of artificial intelligence

The applying institution should have a specific AI initiative that is at the concept, prototype, pilot, or deployment stage. A project does not necessarily need to be fully developed before applying. However, proposals with clear objectives, institutional support, technical feasibility, and a realistic implementation pathway are likely to be stronger.

Two-Person Team Requirement

Each selected country will have two participation slots.

The proposed team should include:

1. Policy Leader: A senior government official with genuine decision-making authority over the AI initiative. This person should be capable of directing resources, assigning staff, and advancing the project through government institutions.

2. Technical Practitioner: A person directly involved in designing, implementing, managing, or overseeing the technical aspects of the AI solution.

The technical practitioner does not necessarily have to be a programmer. According to the official FAQ, people such as data analysts, system administrators, technically experienced project managers, or professionals overseeing technical vendors may qualify.

What Will Participants Do in South Korea?

The bootcamp is scheduled for December 7–11, 2026.

The first part will expose participants to Korea's public and private AI ecosystem through site visits and discussions with practitioners responsible for implementing AI solutions.

The second part will involve hands-on workshops with Korean AI practitioners and World Bank experts. Participants will work on their own initiatives, undertake practical exercises, and develop technically grounded implementation roadmaps.

The roadmap will address important implementation issues, including data availability, infrastructure, algorithms, technical dependencies, risks, and contingencies.

What Matters Most When Applying?

Applicants should pay particular attention to the quality of their proposal.

The World Bank evaluates applications using four equally weighted criteria:

• Public Value and Impact – 25 points
• Specificity of Problem Definition – 25 points
• Technical Feasibility and Data Availability – 25 points
• Risk Management and Governance Arrangements – 25 points

This means applicants should avoid submitting a vague description such as "we want to use AI to improve government services."

Instead, the proposal should clearly explain the exact problem, who is affected, what AI solution is being developed, what data is available, what stage the project has reached, what institutional support exists, and how the bootcamp will help move the project toward implementation.

Institutional backing is especially important. Supporting evidence can include an endorsement from senior leadership, a budget allocation, an inter-agency agreement, or another formal government document demonstrating commitment to the initiative.

Important Dates

The key dates for the World Bank GovTech AI Bootcamp 2026 are:

• Call for Proposals Opens: August 12, 2026
• Application Deadline: October 2, 2026
• Notification of Results: October 16, 2026
• Seoul Bootcamp: December 7–11, 2026
• Final Roadmap Submission: January 2027
• Selection for Follow-Up Support: February 2027

Is English Required?

Yes. Applications must be submitted in English.

The bootcamp itself will be conducted in English with Korean-English interpretation support. Applicants do not need to speak Korean.

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How to Apply

Government institutions interested in participating should prepare a strong proposal describing their AI initiative, the public-sector challenge being addressed, technical and data readiness, institutional support, implementation risks, learning objectives, and plans for applying the knowledge gained from the bootcamp.

Applicants may also provide supporting documents such as endorsement letters, technical diagrams, policy documents, and evidence of budget commitments.

Apply through the official World Bank GovTech AI Bootcamp application page:

Final Thoughts

The World Bank GovTech AI Bootcamp 2026 is a highly relevant opportunity for government institutions seeking to turn artificial intelligence ideas into practical public-sector solutions.

The most important point to remember is that this is not an individual scholarship for students or job seekers. Applications must come from eligible government institutions, and each selected institution will participate with a two-person team.

For institutions already developing or implementing an AI solution, the program offers much more than international travel. It provides access to World Bank experts, Korean government and technology practitioners, practical workshops, peer learning, and the opportunity to develop a credible implementation roadmap.

Eligible government institutions should therefore begin preparing early and ensure that their proposal clearly demonstrates public impact, a well-defined problem, technical feasibility, available data, institutional commitment, and a realistic path to implementation.

With an application deadline of October 2, 2026, interested institutions have an important opportunity to prepare a strong and evidence-based application for this fully funded international GovTech program.

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