Frontier Technology Livestreaming call for applications and new Futures offer officially launched

2019 has begun with a bang for all things frontier technology at the UK Dept. for International Development (DfID).

DfID Permanent Secretary Matthew Rycroft kickstarted the launch event at Whitehall

Permanent Secretary Matthew Rycroft launched the 2019 call to DFID staff for new Frontier Tech pilot ideas.

He met a range of technology innovators from our Digital Marketplace* and heard from DFID Pioneers about their pilots so far. These have been doing everything from applying blockchain to the humanitarian supply chain, to seeding an electric motor taxi industry in Rwanda, to harnessing drones to deliver better health outcomes in Mozambique.

Steven Hunt, DfID (Senior Responsible Officer) and Lea Simpson, Brink (Team Leader) share their reflections and excitement on the programme.

Livestreaming is now officially open for ideas from DFID staff. The selected pilots receive:

• Funding to test, learn from, and apply the latest technology solutions to our work
• Matchmaking with specialist technology innovators and entrepreneurs
• Support to work in new, agile ways, including handling of all programme management by a specialist Frontier Tech Hub

Our new cohort of Frontier Technology Pilots will be announced on Monday 25th February, 2019

Alex Jones, DfID (Head of Emerging Futures & Technology) launched our new Frontier Technology Futures offer.

The event also marked the opening of Frontier Technology Futures, a complementary strategic capacity-building offer for DFID country offices and departments. For proposals that are taken forward in futures, the Frontier Tech Hub will:

• Design a bespoke series of engagements tailored to priorities
• Deliver a weeklong immersive futures experience
• Deepen engagement with tech trends, local tech ecosystems and innovative methodologies

Our selected teams for Futures trips will be announced on 19th March, 2019

LEFT: Over 100 DfID people joined us for the launch, both in person and virtually from around the world. RIGHT: We were also joined by 10 technology innovators such as Blue Tap (a 3D printing start-up spun out of Cambridge University) already applying cutting edge tech to development challenges.

*if you are a technology entrepreneur, inventor or innovator who would like to take part in our work, please apply to be part of our Digital Marketplace.