As a part of the Policy Action Award, the Policy Action Grant 2025 was organised to celebrate the initiatives selected under the grant and to serve as a bridge between previous grant winners and the current cohort of recipients. The event created a shared platform for learning, reflection, and exchange, where current grant winners were recognised for their ideas and had the opportunity to engage with those who had previously implemented policy action initiatives. Throughout the event, participants shared ideas and implementation experiences, while IID colleagues actively took part in these candid conversations, reinforcing a culture of collaboration and collective learning.
The event took place on 10 January 2026 from 2:30 PM to 6:00 PM at Ascott The Residence Dhaka in the Baridhara Diplomatic Zone. The gathering aimed to strengthen connections between policy ideas and practical action, creating a space that encouraged dialogue, learning, and reflection beyond formal discussions.
The event was built upon an idea conceptualised by IID in 2023 and first implemented in 2024, through which grants are provided to selected initiatives via an open proposal submission process to address gaps in policy implementation. The focus of the Policy Action Grant 2025 was to work closely with youth-led organisations and teams, particularly grassroots and community-based groups, to support locally driven solutions that can translate policy commitments into action on the ground.
The programme began with an interactive ice-breaking session designed to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for participants who had travelled from various parts of Bangladesh. Through participatory engagement and informal interaction, the session helped ease initial barriers, allowing participants to connect naturally and engage in open, meaningful conversations across diverse social and geographic contexts.
During the opening segment, Kazi Ferdous Pavel, Senior Joint Director of IID, reflected on the background and intent of the initiative, emphasising its role in strengthening grassroots action. He noted, “IID initiated this idea to ensure that policies do not remain confined to documents, but are taken forward by community-based and grassroots organisations that can deliver locally driven solutions and contribute meaningfully to implementation.” His remarks underscored IID’s commitment to empowering actors who remain closely connected to the communities they serve.
In a subsequent session, IID’s CEO Syeed Ahamed articulated the broader mission and vision behind both the Policy Action Grant and the Policy Action Award. He observed that while ideas are often widely celebrated, the outcomes and real-world results of those ideas receive far less attention. Drawing a parallel with policy processes, he explained that policies frequently generate enthusiasm at the time of adoption but fail to achieve full implementation. “We celebrate the brilliance of ideas, but what truly matters is the power of results,” he said, adding that IID now seeks to move from evidence to implementation and, as he expressed, “We want to move from process to change.” He further explained that the initiative operates through two complementary modalities: the grant, which nurtures and supports ideas during implementation, and the award, which will recognise and celebrate the tangible realisation of those ideas through policy action across multiple categories.
The project presentation session highlighted the diversity of the supported initiatives and the issues they seek to address. Manobotar Dak Somaj Kollan Songothon from Srimongal presented their approach to strengthening social accountability in education through community engagement to encourage children’s school attendance. The RUET IoT Club shared how observing gender disparity in a science fair inspired the establishment of the club and the development of technology-driven solutions aimed at inclusion. The YouReach team highlighted the civic exclusion experienced by residents of Char Khanpur and demonstrated how collaboration with local government institutions could help restore civic participation and access to rights.
An interactive session titled “If You Were the…” invited participants to imagine themselves in the positions of marginalised individuals, prompting reflection, discussion, and collective problem-solving. This was followed by a conversation with previous grant winners, where participants gained practical insights into translating grants into impact. Representatives from TREE Ltd. shared how effective documentation and strategic social media engagement amplified their initiative’s reach, while Prantoz Foundation reflected on how financial constraints and political hostility could not deter their progress. Insights from Sopnopuron School and HEART Society further illustrated the tangible impact of working closely with marginalised teachers and children.
The event concluded with the grant-giving ceremony, during which the selected initiatives were formally awarded their grants and acknowledged for their commitment to policy action. IID expressed optimism for the successful implementation of these initiatives and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting efforts that move policy from intention to action and deliver measurable, community-level change.