Stage 3 of the Fund for Innovation in Development: fast-tracking the scale-up of innovative solutions

Article by L'équipe du FID

29 May 2024

FID Information

Since its inception in 2021, FID has offered applicants the opportunity to apply for one of its five grant stages. This choice hinges on the development level of their innovative solution, as well as its prospects for scaling up or even institutionalization. Among these grants, Stage 3 funding supports the scaling-up of already tested and proven innovative solutions. Find out more below.

What is the stage 3 - “Scaling up” grant of FID?

By adapting innovative projects with an already-proven impact to a new context, Stage 3 is designed to facilitate their transition to larger-scale implementation for the benefit of tens or hundreds of thousands of people, in one or more countries.

This funding allows project teams to focus on scaling up their solutions and, where possible, embedding them into government systems, with the aim of enhancing their long-term impact.

What are the benefits of a Stage 3 FID grant?

The Stage 3 grant can finance projects up to €4,000,000.
It covers costs associated not only with implementation, but also for monitoring, evaluation & learning. It also includes costs related to capacity-building for large-scale deployment.
Once selected, projects are included in the FID portfolio and teams are monitored by the FID team, which is actively involved in sharing the knowledge gained from the studies and projects it finances.
FID assists project teams by facilitating their participation in public policy dialogue and supporting their efforts to mobilize additional resources and funding. The aim is to support them in promoting a wider and more sustainable adoption of the solution.

« We applied for funding from FID because it was interested in scaling up tried and tested innovations. And that’s exactly what we want to do: we seek to scale up this project, prove it’s effective and help solve a major global development problem »

Alison Naftalin, Lively Minds Chief Executive Officer

Supporting the scaling up of a community-based early childhood education program

Which projects are eligible for Stage 3?

FID Stage 3 is open to all kinds of organizations, whether applying independently or as members of a consortium, including research institutions, governments, NGOs, private companies, universities, etc.

Applications for Stage 3 funding must meet three key criteria:

Rigorous evidence of impact. Each applicant team must convincingly demonstrate the direct causal link of their solution to the desired impact. The minimum requirement is that a rigorous impact evaluation with a counterfactual (ideally a randomized controlled trial) must have been carried out, with conclusive, substantive and published results.
Cost-effectiveness. Each applicant team must convincingly demonstrate, using the underlying impact indicators, that the innovation to be scaled-up offers more value for money than alternative solutions.
Potential for high scalability and sustainability. Each applicant team must demonstrate that their innovation is on track to have a lasting impact and benefit for vast numbers of people.