The Fund for Innovation in Development (FID) is an independent body presided by Nobel laureate Esther Duflo and hosted by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
Through flexible grant funding, FID enables innovators and researchers to test new ideas, experiment and build rigorous evidence of what works, and scale the most cost-effective and highest-impact solutions to today’s most pressing challenges.
This Agora session was the opportunity for all development practitioners, including research institutes, NGOs, for-profit companies, governments and donors working on initiatives in all low- and middle-income countries to exchanges with FID’s team on its innovative approach and funding opportunities (from 50K€ to 4M€).
Synopsis
Applicants from any sector or geography can apply for funding by the FID, which has a very broad definition of innovation, the panel heard. The AFD-hosted body prides itself on giving a response to all applicants, typically within two to three months. Projects given as examples included the use of mobile phones to promote adult literacy, and the development of a mosquito-repellent ointment. The panel concluded that, although a French initiative, the FID aspires to be considered part of Team Europe.
