• The centers are primarily intended for ITU Membership
• BDT will provide the secretariat for the initiative
• The Digital Transformation Lab, to be based in Geneva, will support the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of centers via cooperation agreements and projects
• Through well-defined BDT-developed frameworks and processes, each center will be designed around the needs and priorities of countries and adapted to the existing stakeholders and the countries’ unique context
• Applying organizations should identify preliminary resources to fund their centers, including human and financial resources
• Some technical assistance requests may be available for preliminary assessment and evaluation for the concept design of a center
• Organizations with existing centers can go through a design and evaluation process to become Partner ITU acceleration centers
• The cost of each center depends on the chosen strategic objective, scope, ownership model and number of flagship initiatives
• An admitted center will benefit from a three-year approval, renewable after evaluation and requalification
• A center can be upgraded from one type to another with improved resource availability and experience

Selection Process for the Regional Centers and the Digital Innovation Board

Qualification for regional centers owned by countries will be based on open, transparent calls, and more information will be available publicly on the ITU-D website.

The multistakeholder Digital Innovation Board led by the BDT Director is open to:

1. Ministers and other high-level officials from ITU Member States, sector members and academia members, upon nomination by countries, institutions, and approval by the BDT Director.
2. Distinguished leaders, recognized experts and representatives of strategic partner organizations, upon nomination by the BDT Director.