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ACP Innovation Fund

The ACP Innovation Fund (IF) is a key component of the OACPS Research and Innovation (R&I) Programme, focused on enhancing

R&I capacity across African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) member countries. Its goal is to unlock innovation potential and support the transition to knowledge-based economies for sustainable development. R&I investments are most effective when embedded in an inclusive innovation ecosystem and paired with efforts to develop a skilled workforce aligned with labor market needs.

The Innovation Fund finances projects in areas such as:

  • Expanding access to digital literacy and emerging technologies;
  • Strengthening links between R&I skills development and labor market demands;
  • Fostering synergies within the research and innovation ecosystem, including private sector collaboration and technology transfer;
  • Promoting the integration of local and indigenous knowledge with formal knowledge systems.
Following a Call for Proposals in October 2019, the Innovation Fund is supporting consortia that provide financial and technical assistance to ACP R&I actors (or ‘third parties’) through capacity building, mentoring, networking, and policy advocacy.
These third parties include academic institutions, university spin-offs, VET providers, organisations representing indigenous communities, gender equality advocates in R&I, national science and innovation agencies, NGOs, tech hubs, innovation labs, and start-ups.

IF FAQ