Moonshots for Development (M4D) Open Innovation Challenge

• Revenue-stage organisations including NGOs building innovations to address global development challenges.

About this scheme

The Moonshots for Development (M4D) Open Innovation Challenge represents a significant global initiative spearheaded by an international consortium of development powerhouses, including IFAD, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), IDB Lab, CGIAR, and the European Space Agency (ESA), among others. This ambitious program is fundamentally designed to scout, nurture, and scale innovative, technology-driven solutions that directly address some of the most pressing development challenges faced by rural communities and smallholder farmers worldwide. Its overarching purpose is to foster resilience, reduce fragility, and promote sustainable practices in critical areas such as food systems, climate-resilient agriculture, and digital service delivery in underserved regions.

The challenge offers a multi-phased funding structure, providing substantial financial backing to promising growth-stage enterprises. Selected participants can receive up to 830000 INR (approximately $10,000 USD) in Phase 1, progressing to up to 8300000 INR (approximately $100,000 USD) in Phase 2, and potentially securing up to 20750000 INR (approximately $250,000 USD) in Phase 3. This tiered funding model is complemented by a robust ecosystem of support from its global partners, offering invaluable mentorship, resources for pilot implementation, and crucial opportunities for scaling successful solutions. The strategic impact of the M4D Challenge lies in its capacity to accelerate the deployment of cutting-edge technologies like AI, geospatial analysis, and various digital tools to empower vulnerable populations, enhance food security, and combat the effects of climate change. The program actively seeks solutions across specific challenge tracks, including developing insurance for resilient food systems, strategies to reduce fragility in rural communities, innovative digital extension services, and advanced agroecology practices. It specifically benefits growth-stage enterprises, including startups, SMEs, NGOs, and academic institutions, that have already demonstrated the impact of their working solutions with a validated business model, aiming to further their reach and influence globally.

Who can apply

• Growth-stage enterprises only.
• Must be legally registered organisations with validated business models.
• Requires a working solution already deployed with demonstrated impact.
• Target beneficiaries must include smallholder farmers, rural communities, or indigenous populations.
• Accepted entity types: Startups, SMEs, NGOs, non-profits, academic institutions, social enterprises, private companies.
• Global applicants are welcome, with no geographic restrictions.

Eligible entity types: LLP, Partnership, Private Limited, Proprietorship, Section 8 / NGO

Frequently asked questions