London, UK — Results for Development (R4D) has been selected by the World Bank’s Innovation and Scaling (II@S) team as a Knowledge Partner to assess how governments in Ethiopia and Lesotho source, scale, and commercialize agricultural innovations, as part of a broader initiative spanning eight countries across Sub-Saharan Africa. R4D joins a Knowledge Partnership that includes Akademiya2063, the Bioeconomy Science Institute (BSI) of New Zealand, and CGIAR.
Through this engagement R4D will consult with a wide range of government and private actors in each country to understand current processes, partnerships and assets for scaling up innovations that enhance agricultural productivity and performance. The findings will inform new World Bank investments and operations in both countries, including the Bank’s upcoming AgriConnect Compact with the Government of Ethiopia.
R4D brings deep experience supporting African governments to strengthen innovation ecosystems and scale high-impact solutions. This includes its ongoing partnership with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health, its leadership of the FCDO-funded Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) Fund, its support to national innovation ministries in Nigeria and Ghana under the Sankore program, and the co-development of the Mountain Model for public sector innovation scaling used by the governments of Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
“We are excited at the opportunity to continue expanding our work supporting governments and their country partners to surface and synthesize insights informing locally owned strategies for strengthening agricultural systems. This is a timely opportunity to look at how to modernize agricultural practices and equip farmers with the latest innovations to help them thrive in challenging climate and economic environments,” said Thomas Feeny, R4D UK country director and Scaling Innovation Practice lead at R4D.
This initial phase of the program is expected to run through July 2026.
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About R4D
Results for Development (R4D) is a leading nonprofit global development partner. We collaborate with change agents — government officials, civil society leaders and social innovators — supporting them as they navigate complex change processes to achieve large-scale, lasting outcomes in health, education and nutrition. We work with country leaders to diagnose challenges, co-create, innovate and implement solutions built on evidence and stakeholder input. We also support them to engage in learning to adapt, iterate and improve the efficacy of programs. At the same time, we are working to strengthen global, regional and country ecosystems that support country leaders with expertise, evidence, and innovations. R4D helps country leaders solve their immediate challenges today, while also strengthening systems and institutions to address tomorrow’s challenges. And we share what we learn so others around the world can achieve results for development too. www.R4D.org
