Grants for Innovative Solutions to Poverty and Inequality

Deadline: 31-Dec-2026

The Fund for Innovation in Development (FID) provides ongoing grant funding to organizations and collectives developing innovative solutions to reduce poverty and inequalities in low- and middle-income countries. The program offers funding from €50,000 to €4 million, depending on the stage of the innovation, its evidence base, cost-effectiveness, and potential for wider scale-up. What Is the Fund for Innovation in Development? The Fund for Innovation in Development is designed to encourage the development and adoption of new solutions that can improve the lives of disadvantaged populations. Unlike programs focused on a single sector or type of intervention, FID can support projects: - At different stages of development. - Across a wide range of sectors. - Implemented in eligible low- and middle-income countries. - Led by different types of organizations or collectives. - Focused on testing, evaluating, improving, scaling, or deploying innovative solutions. The program maintains a continuously open call for proposals, allowing applicants to submit projects throughout the year rather than only during a fixed annual application period. What Does FID Support? FID supports innovative projects that have the potential to create sustainable and measurable improvements for disadvantaged populations. Funding can be used for activities such as: - Developing prototypes. - Testing innovative approaches. - Conducting pilot projects. - Carrying out rigorous impact evaluations. - Demonstrating cost-effectiveness. - Preparing innovations for scale-up. - Supporting initial scaling. - Facilitating public-sector deployment. - Generating evidence for public policy. - Supporting the transition of proven innovations toward larger-scale implementation. Projects should demonstrate a clear pathway from innovation and evidence generation to meaningful development impact. What Are the FID Funding Stages? FID uses different funding stages depending on the maturity and evidence behind an innovation. Funding increases as an innovation demonstrates stronger evidence, cost-effectiveness, and potential for scaling. The program includes six funding stages. Preparation Grants Preparation grants provide up to €50,000. These grants can help applicants prepare an innovation or develop the foundations needed for future implementation and testing. They are particularly relevant to projects that require preparatory work before moving into a pilot or more advanced development stage. Pilot Grants Pilot grants provide up to €200,000. This stage supports projects that are ready to test an innovative solution in an appropriate real-world setting.

Applicants should demonstrate:

- A clearly defined innovation. - A relevant development challenge. - A target population. - A realistic implementation approach. - Potential for measurable impact. Pilot funding can generate the evidence needed to determine whether an innovation should progress toward further development or scale-up. Pilot and Scale-Up Positioning Grants Pilot and scale-up positioning grants provide up to €1.5 million. This funding stage is intended for innovations with stronger evidence and greater potential for wider implementation. Projects may use this support to strengthen their position for scale-up, generate additional evidence, assess cost-effectiveness, or prepare an innovation for broader adoption. Transition-to-Scale Grants Transition-to-scale grants range from €1.5 million to €4 million. This is the highest funding stage under the FID program. It supports innovations that have demonstrated sufficient evidence and potential to transition toward larger-scale implementation. Applicants should be able to demonstrate why the innovation is ready for substantial expansion and how additional funding can contribute to sustainable impact. Innovation and Public Policy Grants FID also provides grants of up to €500,000 for Innovation and Public Policy. This funding can support projects that connect innovative solutions with public policy and government systems. The objective is to help promising innovations contribute to policy development, public-sector implementation, or broader systemic change. Proof of Impact and Public Policies Grants FID provides grants of up to €500,000 for Proof of Impact and Public Policies. This stage supports activities focused on demonstrating the impact of innovations and generating evidence relevant to public policy. Strong evidence can help decision-makers determine whether an intervention should be adopted, expanded, or integrated into public systems. How Does FID Decide Funding Levels? Funding is linked to the maturity and potential of the proposed innovation.

Important considerations include:

- Strength of available evidence. - Expected development impact. - Cost-effectiveness. - Potential for sustainable results. - Feasibility of implementation. - Potential for scaling. - Relevance to disadvantaged populations. - Ability to generate useful evidence. - Potential contribution to public policy. Applicants should therefore request an amount that corresponds to the stage of development of their innovation rather than simply seeking the maximum available grant. Who Is Eligible to Apply? FID has a broad applicant base.

Eligible applicants can include:

- Non-profit organizations. - For-profit organizations. - Research organizations. - Civil society organizations. - Social enterprises. - Other eligible organizations and collectives. - Consortia bringing together multiple organizations. Organizations can apply independently or as part of a consortium. Who Is Not Eligible? The following are not eligible to apply: - Individuals - International organizations Applicants should ensure that the lead applicant is an eligible organization or collective before developing a proposal. Where Must Projects Be Implemented? Projects must be implemented in countries classified as low- or middle-income countries according to the OECD Development A