Innovation for Development

The Challenge

Climate change, environmental destruction, and armed conflict are adding to the already high levels of poverty and global inequality. At the same time, new technologies and inventions offer unprecedented opportunities to poor communities. Our challenge is to encourage the adoption of innovative practices in developing countries, and to do it better and faster than ever before. 

Our Vision

To be a catalyst of innovation for development – to identify and support new ways of “doing different things” and “doing things differently.”

Our Approach

We provide face-to-face and online platforms for nurturing and sharing innovative practical solutions to development challenges. We work with local and international partners and networks to solicit and screen new ideas through the Development Marketplace model, innovation labs, and innovation fairs. 

Development Marketplace: The Next Generation

Since 2000, an estimated 20,000 entrants, and 1,000 finalists have been vetted by thousands of expert jurors and assessors, resulting in 220 Development Martketplace projects. Winning ideas receive up to $200,000 in seed money, as well as guidance, training, and technical support for implementation.

Over $60 million dollars has been awarded through these global and regional competitions for early stage innovation with strong potential for development impact and replication.

Winners of these  competitions are bringing better health care, clean water, and other tangible benefits to hundreds of thousands of poor people in developing countries.  Supported by a consortium of partners including the World Bank Group, Development Marketplace is a centerpiece of WBI’s new Innovation Practice.
  
Join the conversation at the Development Marketplace Blog (http://blogs.worldbank.org/dmblog).