The World Bank GovTech AI Bootcamp 2026 is inviting government institutions in low- and middle-income countries to apply for a fully funded five-day technical programme in Seoul. Selected teams will explore AI in governance, public administration, citizen services, transparency and other public-sector applications, with applications due October 2, 2026.
About the World Bank GovTech AI Bootcamp 2026
The GovTech AI Bootcamp for Governance and Public Administration is a new technical learning initiative led by the World Bank, together with the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) and the National Information Society Agency (NIA).
The programme is designed for government institutions in low- and middle-income countries that are already developing, piloting or deploying AI-enabled solutions for public-sector challenges.
Rather than focusing only on the theoretical potential of artificial intelligence, the bootcamp is intended to help participating teams address practical implementation issues. Participants will learn from Korean practitioners and World Bank experts while developing implementation roadmaps for their own government AI initiatives.
The application deadline is October 2, 2026.
Apply through the official World Bank GovTech submission form
What Is the Purpose of the Programme?
Governments around the world are increasingly developing digital-government strategies and exploring artificial intelligence to improve public administration.
However, moving from an AI strategy to an operational system can involve significant challenges involving data, infrastructure, algorithms, institutional coordination, procurement and implementation capacity.
The World Bank says the bootcamp is intended to help bridge this gap through practical learning, peer exchange and direct engagement with institutions that have implemented AI solutions at scale.
The programme is therefore particularly relevant to government teams that have already identified a concrete public-sector problem and are working toward an AI-enabled solution.
Who Can Apply?
The call is open to government institutions in low- and middle-income countries pursuing AI initiatives in public administration.
Potential areas include:
- Public financial management
- Civil service and human resource management
- Citizen services
- Civic technology
- Citizen engagement
- Public procurement
- Anticorruption
- Transparency
- Other public-sector applications of artificial intelligence
The strongest applications are expected to demonstrate that the proposed initiative is already being developed, piloted or deployed.
This means the opportunity is not simply designed for institutions that are considering AI in general. Applicants should have a defined implementation challenge and a credible AI initiative that can benefit from the technical and practical learning offered through the programme.
Two-Person Team Requirement
Each application should nominate a two-person team.
The team should include:
- A policy leader with decision-making authority.
- A technical practitioner who is directly involved in implementing the initiative.
This structure is intended to bring policy and technical perspectives together during the bootcamp.
Participants should also be comfortable participating in discussions and workshops conducted in English. The programme will include simultaneous Korean-English interpretation.
What Will Selected Teams Receive?
Up to five government teams will be selected for the programme.
Selected teams will participate in a fully funded five-day technical bootcamp in Seoul.
During the programme, participants will have opportunities to:
- Learn from Korean public-sector AI practitioners.
- Engage with World Bank experts.
- Interact with Korean public and private institutions.
- Examine approaches to implementing AI at scale.
- Explore data management and governance issues.
- Examine institutional coordination challenges.
- Consider procurement and deployment approaches.
- Participate in practical workshops.
- Develop technically grounded implementation roadmaps.
Following the Seoul bootcamp, participating teams may receive follow-up support and technical feedback, depending on the strength and viability of their proposals and the expert advice provided during the programme.
Why Korea?
Korea has developed public-sector AI systems across areas including public financial management, tax administration, citizen services and social welfare.
The bootcamp will give participants an opportunity to learn directly from organizations involved in designing and operating these systems.
The programme can therefore provide exposure to practical questions that governments face when moving AI projects beyond experimentation, including:
- Institutional coordination
- Data management
- Governance
- Procurement
- Technical infrastructure
- System deployment
- Scaling AI across government
Where relevant, participants may also engage with technology providers involved in supporting system deployment.
Bootcamp Structure
The programme will take place in three main phases.
1. Call for Proposals
Government institutions submit applications describing their AI initiatives and implementation challenges.
The application deadline is October 2, 2026.
Applicants are expected to explain the public-sector problem they are addressing, their proposed AI solution and the current stage of development or implementation.
2. Seoul Bootcamp
The Seoul programme is scheduled for December 7–11, 2026.
The first part will expose participants to Korea’s public- and private-sector AI ecosystem through site visits and exchanges with practitioners.
The second part will focus on hands-on work. Participants will work with Korean AI practitioners and World Bank experts to refine their approaches and develop implementation roadmaps.
The workshop will address technical issues including algorithms, data and infrastructure, while also helping teams identify dependencies and contingencies that could affect successful deployment.
3. Follow-Up Support
After the bootcamp, participating teams may receive additional technical feedback and support to help advance their initiatives.
However, the source specifies that this support is not automatic and will depend on the strength and viability of proposals as well as the expert advice provided during the programme.
Key Dates
| Activity | Date |
|---|---|
| Call for Proposals Launch | August 12, 2026 |
| Application Deadline | October 2, 2026 |
| Notification of Results | October 16, 2026 |
| Seoul Bootcamp | December 7–11, 2026 |
| Final Roadmap Submission | January 23, 2027 |
| Selection of Follow-Up Support Teams | February 13, 2027 |
Government institutions interested in participating should take note of the October 2, 2026 deadline and allow sufficient time to prepare the institutional and technical information requested.
What Should Applicants Include?
Applicants will be asked to provide information about several important aspects of their proposed initiative.
These include:
Public-Sector Challenge
Applicants should clearly explain the government or public-administration problem they are trying to solve.
A clearly defined challenge is important because the bootcamp is focused on practical implementation rather than general AI awareness.
Proposed AI Solution
The application should describe the proposed AI-enabled solution and how it is intended to address the identified challenge.
Technical and Data Readiness
Applicants should provide information demonstrating the technical and data readiness of the initiative.
This can help reviewers understand whether the proposed project is sufficiently developed to benefit from the programme.
Institutional Support
Applications should demonstrate strong institutional commitment to the initiative.
This is particularly important for public-sector AI projects because implementation can require coordination across departments, decision-makers and technical teams.
Implementation Risks
Applicants should identify relevant implementation risks and explain how they are considering these challenges.
Learning Objectives
The application should explain what the government team hopes to learn from the bootcamp and how that knowledge could support its initiative.
Planned Next Steps
Applicants should describe what they intend to do after participating in the programme.
Supporting documents may also be submitted, including endorsement letters, technical diagrams, policy documents, budget commitments and other relevant materials.
How Applications Will Be Assessed
Applications will be reviewed by representatives of the World Bank, MOIS and NIA.
According to the programme information, strong proposals will demonstrate several characteristics, including:
- A clearly defined public-sector implementation challenge
- A realistic AI-enabled solution
- Evidence that the initiative is being developed, piloted or deployed
- Strong institutional commitment
- Technical feasibility
- A credible pathway toward implementation
- Clear learning objectives
- Potential for the bootcamp to accelerate the initiative
Applicants should therefore focus on demonstrating how their government project could realistically benefit from the programme rather than presenting AI as a purely theoretical concept.
How to Apply
Government institutions interested in the opportunity should complete the official submission form before October 2, 2026.
Official Application Form – World Bank GovTech AI Bootcamp
Prospective applicants can also review the World Bank GovTech programme for additional context on GovTech and public-sector innovation.
The initiative is also connected with Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Korea’s National Information Society Agency.
Final Thoughts
The World Bank GovTech AI Bootcamp 2026 provides a targeted opportunity for government institutions in low- and middle-income countries that are already working on AI-enabled public-sector solutions.
Its emphasis on implementation makes the programme particularly relevant to teams that need to move from an existing AI initiative toward stronger technical planning, institutional coordination and practical deployment.
With only up to five government teams expected to be selected for the fully funded Seoul bootcamp, eligible institutions should carefully review the requirements and prepare a strong proposal demonstrating their implementation challenge, technical readiness, institutional backing and plans for using the knowledge gained.
The most important deadline to remember is October 2, 2026.
For questions not addressed in the programme FAQ, the source provides the GovTech team contact: govtechbootcamp@worldbank.org.
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