Overview : The FUNGUO Innovation Programme (also simply referred to as FUNGUO or the Programme in this document) is a new programme implemented by UNDP Tanzania and currently funded by UNDP, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the European Union Delegation to Tanzania (EU). FUNGUO builds on the legacy of the Human Development Innovation Fund (HDIF) and works in partnership with the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) from the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology. The aim of the programme is to increase the number of successfully scaled innovation ventures to contribute to the national development goals and the SDGs in Tanzania. This will be achieved through its contribution in addressing the stumbling blocks and gaps in the innovation ecosystem that hinder innovative impact ventures from scaling, while promoting an environment that empowers innovators and enablers. FUNGUO’s key activities will include, but not be limited to the following: - Building a healthy pipeline of investment-ready innovative start-ups through a combination of various approaches.
- Take steps that will facilitate the creation of a permanent innovation facility to ensure stainability of the programme initiatives.
- Contribute to the enhancement of the capacity of existing innovation enablers (hubs, incubators, labs, etc.) and other business development service providers through technical assistance and sourcing services from them.
- Convene and facilitate strategic innovation ecosystem events and forums to promote innovation, engage in policy dialogues, and provide platforms for visibility and networking to innovation stakeholders. One of the forums that will be convened through the programme is the Strategic Innovation Platform (SIP).
In this undertaking, FUNGUO will work with the UNDP Accelerator Lab - the fastest learning platform on development challenges within the agency. The Lab reinforces locally sourced solutions at scale while mobilizing a wide and dynamic partnership of actors contributing to knowledge, resources, and experience. The initiative is part of UNDP’s drive to be an incubator for the future. The lab is designed to close the gap between the current practices of international development in an accelerated pace of change. One of the topics that FUNGUO and the Accelerator Lab will jointly work on under the Strategic Innovation Platform is “Innovation & Commercialization at Tanzanian Universities”, hence the genesis for this assignment |