FID marks its fifth anniversary with a new partner:
the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)

Despite progress in recent decades, poverty, multiple crises, and the effects of climate change continue to weaken many countries. Addressing these challenges requires more effective international cooperation, grounded in global public goods, risk-sharing, and joint investment in innovative solutions based on rigorous evidence of impact.

FID promotes dialogue between research and innovation teams to pilot, test, and evaluate project impact using rigorous scientific methods and by supporting the large-scale adoption of innovations whose effectiveness has been demonstrated.

After five years of operation and more than 100 projects funded, FID has consolidated its model and is now welcoming a new strategic partner that shares its ambition and vision.

As a global leader in research and innovation, Switzerland is reinforcing its commitment to advance innovative, evidence driven approaches within its international cooperation. SDC’s contribution to FID reflects this commitment by supporting the large scale adoption of proven solutions, fostering policy change in low and middle income countries, and strengthening local research and innovation ecosystems.

The partnership between FID and SDC is built on a shared vision: leveraging social, technological, financial, and organizational innovations to sustainably transform public policies and reduce poverty and inequalities.

SDC fosters transformative research to reduce poverty, minimise global risks, and promote sustainable development. Its research and innovation programme aims to strengthen the links between research and practice, foster equitable partnerships, build capacity, and promote collaboration across academia, public institutions, civil society, and the private sector.

By focusing on supporting projects throughout their innovation lifecycle, from early-stage ideas to large-scale implementation, SDC fully aligns with the FID’s gradual, evidence-driven approach, as well as with key shared principles such as geographic openness and multi-sector engagement. For FID, this collaboration opens new opportunities to expand and strengthen its work.

In a context where economic and financial challenges call for coordinated responses, the partnership also reflects a shared commitment to a more coordinated and integrated European approach to innovation financing.

"Current global challenges call for collective responses. This new partnership with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation helps amplify the impact of the Fund for Innovation in Development by strengthening its capacity to identify, evaluate, and support the deployment of the most effective solutions in the fight against poverty. It also represents an initial milestone in elevating FID’s ambition to a European level and attracting other organizations aligned around a common ambition to scale impactful innovations." Esther Duflo, Chairperson of the FID Board.

"This partnership with SDC is a structuring milestone for FID. It will enable us to support the emergence of new projects, the testing of others, and the scaling of proven solutions, while remaining true to our approach and methodology. It also creates opportunities for collaboration and visibility at the European level, while strengthening knowledge sharing." Juliette Seban, Executive Director of FID.

"No single actor can generate the scale of impact needed to address today's complex development challenges. By pooling resources, evidence, and expertise, we can create the conditions for relevant stakeholders to move forward together from the start and accelerate the uptake of proven solutions." Odile Robert, Head of the Analysis and Research Section at SDC.