The Moonshots for Development (M4D) Initiative is proud to announce the launch of the latest Open Innovation Challenge, a USD 2 million IFAD-sponsored global grant, co-financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the European Institute of Innovation for Sustainability (EIIS) and the European Space Agency.
 

The Open Innovation Challenge will award up to $1 million to breakthrough ventures addressing high-priority needs across the partners’ operations and aligned with IFAD’s mission to end rural poverty and transform food systems.  It aims to source, pilot, and prepare high-potential innovations for integration into IFAD and partner portfolios, generating evidence, learning, and pathways for broader adoption across country programmes and partner operations. The Challenge seeks to identify and pilot growth-stage, market-ready innovations that strengthen climate resilience, support smallholder farmers, and advance inclusive rural development across vulnerable rural contexts.

 

Applicants are invited to align their proposals with one of four thematic tracks, which reflect shared priorities across M4D partners:

Track 1: Insurance Solutions for Resilient Food Systems

Track 2 : Reducing the Drivers of Fragility

Track 3: Digital Extension for Accountable Service Delivery

Track 4: Agroecology for Productive, Climate-Resilient Systems

 

Cross-cutting approaches leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Geospatial Analysis are encouraged across all tracks.

 

The Moonshots for Development Open Innovation Challenge invites ventures of all sizes developing innovations aligned with IFAD’s mission to participate. Selected enterprises will participate in a multi-stage programme that includes validation support, tailored mentorship, milestone-based non-equity funding, and opportunities to pilot solutions with IFAD and partner organizations, with access to a program funnel of up to USD 360,000 in total non-equity support.

 

This year's challenge builds on a successful pilot, which awarded $200,000 in total funding and demonstrated the potential for strategic innovation partnerships within the development finance ecosystem.

 

The Open Innovation Challenge is supported by a coalition of partners, including the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Innovation Lab of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB LAB), the European Institute of Innovation for Sustainability (EIIS), the Accelerate for Impact Platform (A4IP) of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, CGIAR, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the International Innovation Hub, among other members of the Moonshots for Development Alliance, and is being implemented and administered by VentureWell. 

 

Interested teams are encouraged to apply- Applications are now open and will close on 30 March 2026.

 

Apply here: https://oms.aws.venturewell.org/go/m4d-stage0-2026

Learn more: https://www.m4d.org/openinnovationchallenge