To deliver funds allocated under the GCRF across a range of challenges in the EPSRC space. GCRF overall Fund objectives are detailed here: https://www.ukri.org/research/global-challenges-research-fund/

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) acting as part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

UK universities and RCUK-eligible research organisations; non-UK higher education institutions and other research organisations; not-for-profit and private sector organisations with appropriate research capacity.

Various project partner including research organisations, NGOs, government functions, private enterprise in LDCs.

Joint research projects with LDC partners and projects including LDCs as study areas.

Total budget of £11.3 million over 9 projects – this covers LDC participation as well as participation from middle income partners as well as UK partners

Knowledge transfer in the fields of: Engineering; water engineering; healthcare diagnostics; medical prosthetics and orthotics; renewable energy; energy systems and decentralised use of energy, modelling healthcare management approaches (e.g tracking infectious disease), mathematical sciences, physical sciences.

The programme will deliver activities centered around increasing knowledge and addressing specific challenges faced by LDCs through research and technology, as well as to develop mutually-beneficial multi-disciplinary partnerships between researchers in the UK and developing countries, with the benefit of capacity building within LDCs.

Actuel ou en cours

These projects range from 1-4 years in duration with the latest finishing in September 2022. Note that many are under extension due to the disruption from the global pandemic.

www.ukri.org

Ellie Gilvin; ellie.gilvin@epsrc.ukri.org

This programme aims to support translational projects that deliver tangible outputs to in-country users in the form of more sustainable or enhanced agriculture/aquaculture production systems. Projects must be developed and executed in partnership with non-academic collaborators/user organisations based in ODA countries.

UKRI (BBSRC, NERC)

The programme is funded by the BEIS managed Global Challenges Research Fund and other-ODA funding.

Academics based at UK research organisations are the primary award holders. All projects are developed collaboratively with in-country partners (non-academic organisations including third sector, private sector or public sector organisations e.g. businesses, agricultural cooperatives or other user organisations).

Cash grant for consumables and travel. Towards the end of these projects, route to application could involve licensing agreements with third parties, spin-out formation, formation of a social enterprise.

£3.2 million allocated

Biotechnology and biological sciences, natural environment. Sector; agriculture, aquaculture.

This programme will support: - Development of technologies that improve effectiveness, resilience, and environmental impact of production systems. - Translation of fundamental and applied biosciences into application in LMIC countries. - Research and innovation capacity building in DAC-listed countries with strengthened international collaboration links for future work. - Improved access future funding (public or private) having developed technologies further.

Actuel ou en cours

Up to 22 months

https://www.ukcdr.org.uk/funding-call/sustainable-enhancement-of-agriculture-and-aquaculture-production-translation-call/

adam.bowen@bbsrc.ukri.org jennifer.wickens@nerc.ukri.org

To bring together the UK’s and partner countries’ strengths and capabilities in business-led innovation and commercialisation, harnessing their collective power to deliver impact on the SDGs in developing countries.

Innovate UK through the Global Challenge Research Fund

Grants are provided and managed by Innovate UK

UK SMEs had the opportunity to partner with organisations in LDCs

Cash grants

Up to £60k was awarded per project at Phase One, with these projects then eligible to go on to apply for up to £500K at Phase Two, for both ‘Rounds’. The total grant budget for two rounds was £18.6m.

Up to £60k was awarded per project at Phase One, with these projects then eligible to go on to apply for up to £500K at Phase Two, for both ‘Rounds’. The total grant budget for two rounds was £18.6m.

As the primary benefit, we expect that: 1. innovative, affordable and accessible products and services are developed and deployed from these UK-developing country collaborations (outcome), positively impacting upon the relevant Global Goals. As a result, people within developing countries (particularly poor and disadvantaged) have access to or benefit from these products and services, leading to positive change in their lives (impact). People may be able to directly access new product or services, or may benefit as a result of e.g. a government providing upgraded health services. 2. wider economic value from the partnership with the UK and deploying these new solutions is left within the partner developing country that contributes to its economic growth. As secondary benefit, we expect that: 1. UK businesses find new markets for their products and services, and potentially new R&D partners (outcomes) leading to business growth and increased return to the UK economy (impact). GCRF funding helps ‘unlock’ these opportunities for UK businesses to contribute to a GG challenges and access new knowledge, skills, expertise and markets. 2. new partnerships also help position the UK as a ‘partner of choice’ for science, technology and innovation with key developing countries both at the business-business level, and the high level (diplomatic/political engagement).

Autre

Round One, Phase One projects took place from March 2020 – Feb 2021. Round Two, Phase One projects took place from October 2020 – July 2021.

https://ktn-uk.org/global-alliance/gcrf-demonstrate-impact/

Jo Hill, Innovate UK jo.hill@innovateuk.ukri.org

This project aims to enhance the food security, nutrition and welfare of the poor through greater involvement of the private sector, both UK and African, in innovation for agriculture and food systems.

Innovate UK through the Global Challenge Research Fund and FCDO funding

Grants are provided by Innovate UK, funded by FCDO and the Global Challenge Research Fund

Each project includes at least one partner from the UK and one from a developing country. Research organisations must partner with private companies.

Cash grants

£19.5m

Agriculture and good supply chain

- Increased pace and scale of uptake of food security and food systems innovation by farmers in South Asia and Africa. - Increased investment by the private sector in sustainable intensification and post-harvest innovation.

Actuel ou en cours

9 years: 2013 – 2022

https://www.gov.uk/international-development-funding/the-agri-tech-catalyst

Kathryn Miller, Innovate UK kathryn.miller@innovateuk.ukri.org

To build meaningful relationships and trust between the UK, South African and Kenyan urban innovation ecosystems connecting with a variety of stakeholders from businesses (SMEs and Large Businesses), academia, civil society (NGOs, Tech Hubs) and major global investors. This has been delivered by the Connected Places Catapult (contracted by Innovate UK) through: City Solutions Open Call funding business-business collaboration between the UK and South African or Kenyan organisations; City Hublinks connecting UK and African Tech hubs; Market intelligence reports; online collaboration platform

Innovate UK contracted Connected Places Catapult to provide support for UK-African partnership and engagement support and to issue cash grants to UK businesses in collaboration with Kenyan or South African organisations

Innovate UK through the Global Challenge Research Fund

Organisations in South Africa and Kenya, in collaboration with UK SMEs, have been eligible for this incentive

Cash grants by value of up to £25k - £40k to UK SMEs in collaboration with Kenyan or South African organisations as an equitable partnership, at varying grant rates available, alongside engagement with the wider ULA programme providing analysis, partnership building, networking support.

£1.8m

Environment/climate change mitigation

Primary benefits: 1. Have identified six city challenges in the six African cities and introduced six technology and innovation solutions that result in an improved quality of life for citizens in those cities. 2. Established equitable partnerships for ongoing innovation and technology sharing between African and UK cities, innovation hubs and stakeholders 3. Created an initial cohort of six trained and innovation ready African cities (and additional learning cities in the pipeline) Secondary benefits: 1. Practically and tangibly have introduced UK innovation solutions to current development challenges across two African countries and six African cities 2. Developed a UK Innovation Offer for challenges of urbanisation African cities (DIT involvement will increase likelihood of beneficial impact) 3. Created a framework for UK innovation in Africa through HMG’s ongoing commitment that can then be replicated across additional city cohorts (Cross-HMG engagement, including DFID and DCMS Technology and innovation hubs)

Terminé

18 months – 2019 – 2021

https://www.urbanlinksafrica.com/

Frances Medaney, Innovate UK frances.medaney@innovateuk.ukri.org

Energy Catalyst accelerates the innovation needed to end energy poverty. Through financial and advisory support, and by building strategic partnerships and uncovering new insights, Energy Catalyst helps bring to market technologies and business models that can improve lives in Africa and Asia. To be eligible companies must aim to create technologies and or business models which are low cost, low carbon and secure, while also taking into account Gender Equality and Social Inclusion.

Innovate UK through the Global Challenge Research Fund

Grants to businesses, research organisations and others are provided by Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation. The programme is co-funded by, The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Business Energy and Industrial Strategy International Climate finance and Global Challenge Research Fund

Each project includes at least one partner from the UK (admin lead) and for late stage, at least one partner from an in scope LDC. Research organisations must partner with private companies.

Cash grant plus non-financial support in the form of travel and business incubation support.

Total ODA Energy Catalyst budget 2015 – 2025, including non grant and opex costs is as follows: - £40m DFID - £28.8m GCRF - £8m ICF

Energy access

Accelerate access to affordable, clean energy services for poor households and enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia by supporting the development, testing and/or scale up of innovative technologies and business models. Increased investment by the private sector in energy access innovation.

Actuel ou en cours

The programmes ODA element began in 2015 and is currently due to run until 2025 with individual projects which vary from 6 months to over 3 years.

https://energycatalyst.ukri.org/

Alice Goodbrook, Innovate UK alice.goodbrook@innovateuk.ukri.org +44 (0) 7826513670

To sustain a substantial portfolio of MRC research awards (grants) aiming to improve Global Health through collaborative partnerships of the world's best researchers and contribute to overseas development assistance. Research projects within the Global Health Portfolio focus on improving the research evidence to promote the health and welfare of populations in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs). The portfolio currently comprises just under 360 active research projects of which around half specifically relate to health research in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Of particular relevance are the large-scale research studies undertaken within the MRC Units in Africa (The Gambia www.mrc.gm and Uganda www.mrcuganda.org).

UK Research Organisations eligible to receive UKRI research funding

Research Organisations in LDCs eligible to receive UKRI research funding

Technology transfer is through joint participation (UK and LDC) in research projects involving academic researchers, technical staff, research or healthcare and delivery organisations, stakeholders, study participants and policy makers (e.g. Ministries of Health). Research funding also supports capacity strengthening in terms of provision of laboratory equipment, training and career development.

In the 2020/21 financial year The MRC spent £111m on the described Global Health Portfolio projects, of which approx. half relates to LDC.

Joint research projects - shared knowledge, methodological approaches, shared tools, skills, shared equipment, shared access to data and software, capacity strengthening and training.

The MRC Global Health Portfolio will provide robust and accessible evidence to improve human health and welfare across a spectrum of disease priorities in LDCs. Research projects within the MRC Global Health Portfolio will develop new methodologies and approaches and new research knowledge around pathogen identification and surveillance, diagnostics and treatment developments, behavioural interventions, evidence to support health systems management and delivery, predictive models of disease transmission, improved prevention technologies, across the spectrum of priority infectious and non-communicable diseases in LDCs. Research outputs are reported to MRC through the ResearchFish system and will include: research publications, collaborations, staff secondments, dissemination of ideas, scientific meetings, workshops, policy influence, research tools and methods, databases, software, IP, product development and spin-outs.

The Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) is an urgent global issue. It is a serious criminal industry, estimated to be worth between £7bn and £17bn a year. IWT threatens some of the world’s most iconic species, such as elephants and rhinos, with extinction; it damages economic growth and sustainable development. It is fuelled by corruption and undermines good governance and the rule of law. The UK government is committed to tackling the illegal wildlife trade. The IWTCF provides financial support to practical projects around the world which help: - developing sustainable livelihoods and economic development, to benefit people directly affected by IWT - strengthening law enforcement - ensuring effective legal frameworks - reducing demand for IWT products

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through the Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme.

Organisations that can demonstrate that they meet the Fund’s requirements, which includes demonstrating that the benefits of the work will be realised in ODA eligible countries.

Organisations that can demonstrate that they meet the Fund’s requirements, which includes demonstrating that the benefits of the work will be realised in ODA eligible countries

This varies depending on the project – see examples in section 10.

The IWTCF has committed over £27m since 2014 to 92 projects around the world, in over 50 countries. Not all feature technology transfer.

Introduction or improvements to systems that support effective enforcement of measures to counter the illegal wildlife trade e.g. anti-poaching activity. Examples of projects which include an element of technology transfer include: PROJECT TITLE: Strengthening anti-poaching techniques and countering wildlife trafficking in Uganda - ROUND 5 Start: 01/04/2019 End: 31/03/2022 Lead partner: Wildlife Conservation Society Summary: This project is addressing critical capacity gaps within the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and other security and law enforcement agencies in combating illegal wildlife trade. As requested by UWA, WCS is providing technical support, equipment and infrastructure to UWA, and training on combatting local and international wildlife crime. This will enhance cross-sectoral coordination and cooperation among security and law enforcement agencies through the newly formed National Wildlife Crime This project is addressing critical capacity gaps within the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and other security and law enforcement agencies in combating illegal wildlife trade. As requested by UWA, WCS is providing technical support, equipment and infrastructure to UWA, and training on combatting local and international wildlife crime. This will enhance cross-sectoral coordination and cooperation among security and law enforcement agencies through the newly formed National Wildlife Crime Coordination Task Force (NWCCTF) led by UWA. FUNDING: £449,927 PROJECT NAME: Dismantling wildlife trafficking cybercrime networks in Southeast Asia Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore ROUND 6 Start: 01/03/2021 End: 31/08/2023 Lead partner: Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), University of kent Summary: To address the high volume of transnational online wildlife trafficking in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, this project will: 1. Develop and test an enhanced set of tools to identify, monitor and report online IWT 2. Train government, civil society and private sector partners in these tools 3. Implement a multi-agency approach using these tools to significantly disrupt online IWT transactions 4. Monitor, evaluate and disseminate project results and incorporate lessons learned into an ongoing improvement of the law enforcement response FUNDING: £360,348

The outputs vary from project to project, but can include: - Improved real time information about illegal wildlife trade activity in an area affected by poaching - Tools communities can use to monitor and report on illegal activities, critical natural resources, and enforcement actions - More systematic and easily shared information relating to criminal and legal processes e.g. databases. The projects supported by the IWTCF should help to: - reduce poaching levels - Provide tools to combat corruption linked to poaching - improve security for communities and support efforts to protect the natural resources communities rely on

Actuel ou en cours

The first awards were made in 2014. Now ongoing.

https://iwt.challengefund.org.uk/

IllegalWildlifeTrade@defra.gov.uk

The Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) is an urgent global issue. It is a serious criminal industry, estimated to be worth between £7bn and £17bn a year. IWT threatens some of the world’s most iconic species, such as elephants and rhinos, with extinction; it damages economic growth and sustainable development. It is fuelled by corruption and undermines good governance and the rule of law. The UK government is committed to tackling the illegal wildlife trade. A British military counter-poaching taskforce works to train African park rangers to use more effective and safer counter-poaching techniques as they seek to disrupt poaching. Work is conducted in partnership with countries to provide support for activities such as tracking, navigation, communications and intelligence information sharing to support capacity building to tackle poaching, This work will result in safer, more effective counter-poaching in locations where training has taken place; better integration of counter-poaching work and local communities leading to a more sustainable future for counter-poaching efforts; more effective communication and intelligence sharing between parks and countries; and better supported and more professional park rangers. In some instances, small amounts of light equipment (e.g. compasses, patrol bags and cookers) may be purchased for the benefit of the rangers to ensure they have the minimum equipment necessary to complete the task. Training is also given on effective radio operating.

UK Government – funded by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The Ministry of Defence and the British Army receive funding to deliver this training, and work directly with beneficiaries in Official Development Assistance (ODA) eligible countries.

Parks in countries that are ODA eligible that can demonstrate that the benefits of the work meet the ODA criteria.

Funding of capacity building/training.

For financial year 2021/2022 £400k of ODA has been allocated to this programme.

Improvements to systems that support counter-poaching activity, and which support implementation of effective measures to counter the illegal wildlife trade. Skills such as tracking, navigation, communications, radio operation and intelligence information sharing. In some instances, small amounts of light equipment (e.g. compasses, patrol bags and cookers) may be purchased for the benefit of the rangers to ensure they have the minimum equipment necessary to complete the task.

The training should help to: - reduce poaching levels - combat corruption linked to poaching - improve safety and security of communities, and protect natural resources - Increase the professionalism of rangers - Empower rangers to combat poaching and protect their natural resources

Actuel ou en cours

The initiative commenced in 2018 and is ongoing.

IllegalWildlifeTrade@defra.gov.uk

To work in partnership with the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of developing countries, assisting them towards being sustainable organisations delivering effective services. This includes provision of equipment, training and technology transfer. Note – many, but not all, countries worked with are LDCs.

The UK contribution to the WMO VCP is funded through the UK Public Weather Service programme.

The beneficiaries are mainly the NMHSs of developing countries.

Developing country institutions where engagement will: - Improve protection of life and property overseas through the provision of sustainable public weather services (including local warning delivery). - Sustain, and optimally improve, levels of observation data and forecasts available globally.

Developing country institutions where engagement will: - Improve protection of life and property overseas through the provision of sustainable public weather services (including local warning delivery). - Sustain, and optimally improve, levels of observation data and forecasts available globally.

1st July 2020 – 1st July 2021 expenditure: ~£806,693

Support includes: - Observations: providing support to significant, remote upper air observations on small islands - Forecast Information/Delivery: including access to Met Office model information/data and training - Support for media communications (TV, radio, web) and effective delivery of forecasts and warnings - Climate Data Management: including support for software, and training, to aid the effective management of data, and provision of products to stakeholders (national, regional, global) - Scientific/management training to help build capacity - Emergency support especially in terms of natural disasters

Support includes: - Observations: providing support to significant, remote upper air observations on small islands - Forecast Information/Delivery: including access to Met Office model information/data and training - Support for media communications (TV, radio, web) and effective delivery of forecasts and warnings - Climate Data Management: including support for software, and training, to aid the effective management of data, and provision of products to stakeholders (national, regional, global) - Scientific/management training to help build capacity - Emergency support especially in terms of natural disasters

Autre

1st July 2020 – 1st July 2021

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/what/working-with-other-organisations/international/development/vcp

Karen McCourt, UK VCP Manager, Met Office (karen.mccourt@metoffice.gov.uk)

AT2030 tests ‘what works’ to improve access to life-changing Assistive Technology (AT) for all. The AT2030 consortium brings together partners who have not traditionally focused on AT with experts, innovators and AT users to experiment with new ideas and thinking. Innovations are being trialled across three domains: community-led, systems-focused and market-driven interventions, divided into programme clusters: Data & Evidence, Innovation, Country Implementation and Capacity & Participation.

Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)

Grants to United Kingdom and international partner institutions and organisations working on research and innovation for assistive technology, and assistive technology innovators. Provided by FCDO through grant manager and administrator GDI Hub CIC.

The programme is mainly targeted at LMICS in Africa and South Asia including several LDCs. Every project includes at least one programme partner one from a developing country, including within the LDCs in which we work. UK research and innovation organisations partner with locally based research and innovation organisations.

AT2030 provides AT innovators with grant funding, and tailored venture building support including technical assistance on product development from global experts. Additionally, AT2030 provides access to learning materials, and mentorship opportunities, facilitating the brokering and matchmaking of partners, investors, and experts, providing access to a growing global network of disability pioneers and innovators.

AT Impact Fund: £3.3m Country Capacity Assessments: £1.2m Remaining programme which facilitates technology transfer: £1.7m

Fields or sectors that AT2030’s activities fall within: assistive technology, healthcare, global coordination, research, evidence and impact, AT innovation, market shaping, education, global standards, community work.

As of the end of March 2021, AT2030 had achieved the following outcomes and impact. To note, while a proportion of AT2030 (around 33%) operates in or for LDCs, the statistics are not disaggregated by LDCs only (unless otherwise noted). Many of the global public goods produced by the programme will however be as relevant for LDCs as they are for LMICs. - 12 million people reached directly and indirectly with AT or AT services or programmes. - 7 new models to improve access to AT have been tested and have begun to scale with a focus on innovative technologies, AT ventures, innovative service delivery, models and global capacity support. These are global public goods and particularly relevant to LDCs. - 32 AT tools developed and lessons shared to support LDC countries and global agencies working in LDCs improve access to AT. These are global public goods and available to all but particularly relevant for LDCs and LMICs. - 55 partnerships with organisations have been established and supported to improve access to AT and its related services. - AT Impact Fund (in-country pilot activities are underway in 3 LDCs: Sierra Leone, Togo, and Uganda. These will stimulate demand, improve the supply of AT and create a more enabling and sustainable market environment.

Actuel ou en cours

October 2018 – September 2024.

- https://www.at2030.org/ - https://atimpactfund.com/ - https://www.disabilityinnovation.com/who-we-are/where-we-work

Joel Burman, Director of Operations, Global Disability Innovation Hub, Tel: 0203 108 6577 j.burman@ucl.ac.uk  

The Global Innovation Fund is an independent charity which was set up jointly by the UK and US in 2014 and is now co-funded by various bilateral donors, foundations and corporations. GIF invests in innovations which improve the lives of millions of low-income people in the developing world. Through grants and risk capital (debit, equity, bonds etc.), it invests in innovations that are risky but offer prospects of large benefits to millions of people. GIF’s five most mature innovations alone have generated more than $400m in social benefits over the last five years, with $84m directly attributable to GIF’s investments (based on GIF’s own social rate of return calculations). By 2030, GIF expects the innovations it supports to improve the livelihoods of 130m people. The UK has committed £50m to GIF between 2014-2022.

Global Innovation Fund

Any type of organisation may apply to GIF. This includes social enterprises, for-profit companies, non-profit organisations, government agencies, international organisations, and research institutions. Individual innovators, entrepreneurs, or researchers need to apply through an affiliated organisation.

Global Innovation Fund

Leadership, entrepreneurship, and workforce readiness skills training for students; training for smallholder farmers; government support

- Educate: $0.61m (FCDO share 38%/ $0.23m) - One Acre Fund: $15m (FCDO share 39%/ $5.85m) - Behaviour Insights Team: $3.9m (FCDO share 46%/ $1.8m)

GIF is built on the belief that innovation can come from anyone, anywhere. The programme accepts applications working in any sector. Technology transfer projects which GIF has funded in LDCs include: - Educate: Provides leadership, entrepreneurship, and workforce readiness skills training and mentorship for secondary school students and rigorously assesses its impact. - One Acre Fund: Provides smallholder farmers a package of credit, farming inputs, training, and market linkages and rigorously assesses its impact. - Behaviour Insights Team: Helps governments use behavioural science to (re)design public services to improve their performance and support citizens to make better choices.

- Educate!: People reached directly: 160,000 students - One Acre Fund: People reached directly/ total people benefitting: 1.1 million farmers/ 5.5 million people - Behaviour Insights Team: People reached directly: More than 11 million people

Actuel ou en cours

- GIF: set up in 2014 - Educate!: GIF funding: 2015 - 2021 - One Acre Fund: GIF funding: 2016 - 2021 - Behaviour Insights Team: GIF funding commenced in 2016 - TBC

https://www.globalinnovation.fund/

Luisa Odell, Innovation Advisor, Technology and Innovation Unit, luisa.odell@fcdo.gov.uk

˗ To reduce the impact of zoonoses on poor people and their livestock by generating new knowledge and evidence that enables the mitigation of risks from zoonotic disease. ˗ To forge mutually beneficial inter- and multi-disciplinary partnerships between researchers in the UK and developing countries and enhance the scientific capabilities of southern partners for the longer term.

UK Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council and FCDO

Grants are provided by the UK Government through FCDO, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Medical Research Council, the Economic and Social Sciences Research Council, the Natural Environment Research Council and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.

Academic institutions

Grant

£20.5M of new grants for research.

Technology/innovation of relevance to the surveillance of zoonotic disease, including vaccines, research methods and penside tests.

- Scientific evidence to inform the selection of risk-based and cost-effective prevention and control options for major zoonotic diseases which contributes to decreasing the likelihood of occurrence, prevents their transmission to humans, and reduces their impact on human health. 15 students from the UK and developing countries will receive doctoral training in ZELS related research - Enhanced scientific capabilities for developing country partners. £1.5M of the funding has been set aside for this. Improved health and well-being of animals, humans and the environment.

Actuel ou en cours

10 years: 2012 – 2022.

http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/opportunities/2012/zoonoses-emerging-livestock-systems

Duncan Barker, Livelihoods Adviser, FCDO, Abercrombie House, Eaglesham Road, East Kilbride, Glasgow G75 8EA Tel: +44 7469 121997

This project aims to enhance the food security, nutrition and welfare of the poor through greater involvement of UK and African private sector entities in innovation that will support the development of sustainable, productive, climate resilient agriculture and food systems. The programme will develop new agricultural innovation that will be applied in developing countries.

Grants are provided by Innovate UK, who are funded by FCDO.

Each project includes at least one partner from the UK and one from a developing country. Research organisations must partner with private companies.

Each project includes at least one partner from the UK and one from a developing country. Research organisations must partner with private companies.

Cash grant.

£19.5m

Technology/innovation of relevance to food security, nutrition and food systems, including livestock, fisheries, primary crop production, food processing, distribution, storage, retailing, marketing, nutritional quality, and food safety

˗ Increased pace and scale of uptake of food security and food systems innovation by farmers in South Asia and Africa. ˗ Increased investment by the private sector in sustainable intensification and post-harvest innovation in South Asia and Africa.

Actuel ou en cours

9 years: 2013 – 2022.

http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/opportunities/2012/zoonoses-emerging-livestock-systems

Duncan Barker, livelihoods Adviser, FCDO, Abercrombie House, Eaglesham Road, East Kilbride, Glasgow G75 8EA, Tel: +44 7469 121997

To help poor people in Africa and Asia to protect their livestock, their livelihoods and their health by developing and delivering high impact animal health products and encouraging animal health market development in developing countries. The project aims to reduce the risks of livestock disease by developing vaccines that are cheaper, more effective (provide stronger and longer lasting immunity) and more efficient (ie: will address several diseases in one vaccine and can be easily transported and delivered) than current vaccines and getting these to farmers. It addresses two interlinked problems, firstly that current products either don’t exist, or are not suited for developing country small-holder markets and don’t meet demand, and secondly because of weak demand, there are no commercial distribution networks to get products to end users.

FCDO

FCDO provides support to GALVmed a registered Charity and a Not-for-Profit company based in Edinburgh with offices in Nairobi and South Asia. GALVmed is a Product Development Organisation that develops new animal health products to meet demand in developing countries and transfers these to commercial partners in those countries.

GALVmed works with national governments and private veterinary suppliers and agribusiness in developing countries, to help build sustainable commercial networks to connect farmers to animal health product markets and create an enabling regulatory environment for the import and deployment of new products by the private sector.

A mixture of commercial contracts and research grants to support development of new, more effective vaccines, support to commercial partners seeking to obtain regulatory approval and to build manufacturing capacity. Financial support to the development of commercial entities able to access new vaccine technology and establish effective and sustainable commercial distribution networks

£12.6m

Health-related technology Food and agriculture

Improved animal health, reduced risk to both humans and animals from livestock disease, increased agriculture productivity, improved incomes, nutrition and health.

Actuel ou en cours

June 2018 to March 2023.

https://www.galvmed.org

Alan Tollervey, Livelihoods Adviser FCDO, Abercrombie House. Eaglesham Road, East Kilbride, Glasgow, G75 8EA Tel: +44 7469 122 111  

To develop new human health technologies (e.g. diagnostics, drugs, vaccines etc.) and to ensure that they are acceptable, affordable and available to those that need them in low income countries.

The UK Government provides support to a number of different organisations including product development public private partnerships (PDPs), which are not-for-profit organisations based in a number of different countries, working with partners across the globe, depending on the disease and type of technology being developed.

In each country a research organisation works with a range of international, national and regional health institutions, national governments, regional governmental organisations, private sector companies, major research organisations and institutions

Each research organisation, or PDP, works with a range of international, national and regional health institutions, private sector companies, major research organisations and institutions in many different countries.

Grants and in-kind support to product development, at all stages of development including proof of concept, clinical testing, technology transfer, cost of regulatory approval, access, manufacturing and commercialisation.

£373m

Human health products including diagnostics, drugs, vaccines, microbicides, insecticides etc.

Improved human health, lives saved, reduced impacts of antimicrobial resistance.

Actuel ou en cours

2017-2022

N/A

Dr Jo Mulligan, Team Leader, Health Research, Research and Evidence Division, FCDO jo.mulligan@fcdo.gov.uk

To develop new human health technologies (e.g. diagnostics, drugs, vaccines etc.) for epidemic diseases including COVID-19 and to ensure that they are acceptable, affordable and available to those that need them in low income countries.

The UK Government provides support to a number of different organisations including the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator (CTA) and product development public private partnerships (PDPs), which are not-for-profit organisations based in a number of different countries, working with partners across the globe.

Each organisation works with a range of international, national and regional health institutions, national governments, regional governmental organisations, private sector companies, major research organisations and institutions in many different countries.

Each individual PDP, or other product development research organisation, works with a range of international, national and regional health institutions, national governments, regional governmental organisations, private sector companies, major research organisations and institutions in many different countries.

Grants and in-kind support to product development, at all stages of development including proof of concept, clinical testing, technology transfer, cost of regulatory approval, access, manufacturing and commercialisation.

£317m

Human health products including diagnostics, drugs, vaccines, microbicides, insecticides etc.

Improved human health, reduced risk of epidemics and outbreaks, reduced impacts from pandemic threats.

Actuel ou en cours

2017-2022

Dr Jo Mulligan, Head of Health Research, Research and Evidence Division, FCDO jo.mulligan@fcdo.gov.uk

To build a body of evidence around how sector reforms, innovative technologies and best practice solutions can maximise the economic impacts of larger scale energy projects in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, and bring benefits of modern energy services to poorer people.

UK Government through FCDO.

Research is commissioned by the research manager, Oxford Policy Management, to research organisations, institutions, and universities following open or country-specific calls for research. All research grants have a local capacity building component.

Partnering researchers and beneficiaries in LDCs including universities, national research groups, NGOs with research capability.

Research Grants through competitive calls for proposals.

EEG programme fund is £15.5m

Energy - electricity grid access and reliability; productive use of electricity and large scale renewables.

Enhanced planning and decision support capability for LDC country partners. £4M of the funding is used for research uptake activity.

Actuel ou en cours

June 2016 to September 2022.

https://energyeconomicgrowth.org/content/about-eeg

Andy Hinsley, FCDO.

HVT research covers strategic road and rail networks from both a passenger and freight perspective along national and regional transport corridors and within cities in developing countries in Africa and South Asia. As an applied research programme, HVT seeks to provide evidence-based solutions to specific transport problems and guidance to assist governments in developing countries make better decisions on transport investments to stimulate growth.

UK Government through FCDO.

Research is commissioned by the research manager IMC Worldwide to universities, national and international research groups and organisations with research capability.

Researchers and beneficiaries in LDC universities, national research groups, NGOs with research capability.

Research Grants through competitive calls for proposals.

HVT programme fund is £18m.

Transport (national road and rail, urban).

To enable low-income countries to make better decisions on strategic and urban road and rail transport investments that are safe, lower carbon and inclusive.

Actuel ou en cours

July 2015 to January 2023.

https://transport-links.com/about/

Andy Hinsley, FCDO.

To achieve conditions for infrastructure investment in developing countries that both supports economic growth and is low-carbon. CCG does this by providing tools and evidence that support investment decision-makers in countries in Africa and Asia to take an integrated and climate compatible approach to deployment of critical infrastructure capital. With a focus on energy and transport, the research addresses how the design of physical infrastructure, regulatory and market systems can promote decarbonisation and how different infrastructure systems interact and can evolve to secure low carbon futures.

UK Government through FCDO.

Universities; National and International Research Groups and Organisations with research capability.

Universities, national research groups, NGOs with research capability

CCG national partnerships component supported by research grants through competitive calls for proposals.

CCG programme fund is £18m.

Focus on systems and system inter-dependency across multiple other infrastructure sectors. Initially energy and transport.

Lenders, investors and governments identify appropriate low-carbon development pathways, and access the best policy, regulatory, market model and risk mitigation options to implement them.

Actuel ou en cours

October 2020 to March 2025.

https://climatecompatiblegrowth.com/

Andy Hinsley, FCDO.

ReCAP research aimed to improve the evidence base on: - Planning, designing, constructing and maintaining cost-effective and reliable low volume roads; - Planning and delivering appropriate rural transport services. ReCAP also aimed to increase local (national) capacity to initiate, carry out and disseminate research.

FCDO.

Proposals driven primarily by partner country governments. Research was commissioned by the research manager, Cardno, through open calls for research to which research organisations, institutions and universities could apply

Partner country governments. Projects had to include researchers and beneficiaries from a partner LDC.

Co-produced research, workshops, knowledge transfer projects and events, training, curricula support, learning visits.

£28.5m

Transport

- Enabling LDC officials, practitioners and researchers to design guidelines and best practice for low volume rural road planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation. - New Masters degree programme in Transport Leadership at the Centre for Sub-Saharan Transport Leadership. - Enhanced planning and decision support capability for planning rural low-volume roads in LDCs.

Terminé

2014 to 2020.

http://research4cap.org/SitePages/Home.aspx

Andy Hinsley, FCDO.

MRLIC is a partnership between the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It aims to generate high-quality applied research on macroeconomic issues in low-income countries (LICs) and ensure research uptake by working with policymakers within and outside the IMF. This involves deploying macroeconomic research outputs, toolkits and frameworks in IMF technical assistance missions and IMF training courses.

UK Government through FCDO.

International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The key stakeholders/beneficiaries of MRLIC research uptake in LDCs include the government bodies (Finance Ministries and Central Banks) and IMF country offices

Not applicable.

MRLIC programme fund is £19.8m over 10 years.

Macroeconomic policy including fiscal, monetary and structural policies.

Enhanced macroeconomic policy-making capability in low-income countries, leading to faster economic growth and poverty reduction.

Actuel ou en cours

June 2012 to March 2023.

https://www.imf.org/external/np/res/dfidimf/

Andy Hinsley, FCDO.

The programme aims to increase the availability and use of rigorous research and impact evaluation (IE) evidence for the selection, design, and implementation of transport infrastructure projects, particularly in low income and lower-middle income countries or fragile and conflict affected states (FCAS). It conducts impact evaluations on urban mobility, transport corridors, road safety and rural roads. It works with country government partners and multilateral development bank partners to conduct the evaluations, and uses this as a way to do training and build capacity (knowledge transfer) to those in LDCs.

FCDO through the World Bank.

Partners include the developing country governments as decision makers for transport projects and policies, the multilateral development banks as the major investors in the sector and civil society as implementers and influencers. Proposals driven between World Bank Development Impact Evaluation (DIME) team and Transport Global Practice staff in collaboration with partner country governments. Research is commissioned internal to the World Bank by the IE Trust Fund, DIME, through open calls for research to which World Bank staff can apply.

Partner governments or multilateral development banks. Research is commissioned internal to the World Bank by the IE Trust Fund, DIME, through open calls for research to which World Bank staff can apply.

Research, workshops, knowledge transfer projects and events, training, learning visits. The World Bank covers some of the cost of the impact evaluation, with the partner covering the majority of the cost. An important incentive is the extensive training and capacity building that government officials receive through a learning-by-doing approach over several years of working together.

£12.25m over 5 years.

Transport

ieConnect aims to increase the use of evidence for policymaking, decision making and project development, contributing to faster, fairer and more inclusive economic development and poverty reduction. It does this by increasing the amount of evidence available, by influencing governments and the MDBs to do impact evaluations on their projects and improving their capacity to do and use the IEs and disseminating the evidence. While much of the impact will happen at the end of the evaluations, ieConnect have found that 56% of impact evaluation baseline studies (at the beginning) informed loan project design or implementation. ieConnect is currently conducting 34 impact evaluations, of which 31 are supported by the FCDO.

Actuel ou en cours

November 2016 – March 2022.

https://www.worldbank.org/en/research/dime/brief/transport

Andy Hinsley, FCDO.

The programme aims support increased life expectancy, improved productivity and economic growth in our partner countries. To achieve this high-level impact it has two overarching health goals: - To tackle the issue of premature death and illness due to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and heart disease. - To reduce incidents of premature mortality and morbidity (e.g. infections contracted in hospitals) by improving access to safe, quality care.

UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.

FCDO funds technical collaboration through commercial contracts with its four implementing partners and an MoU with its strategic partner (a consortium of NHS organisations).

The four implementing partners are free to subcontract for technical expertise globally.

FCDO provides funding for its implementing and strategic partners to provide technical assistance/collaboration to beneficiaries in our partner countries’ health systems.

Original budget up to £79.3m ODA funding.

Health system strengthening technical assistance/collaboration.

- Outcome 1: Increased coverage and utilisation of effective support and services for NCD prevention, treatment and management. - Outcome 2: Improved equitable access to safe and quality healthcare. - Impact: Ensure health lives and promote wellbeing (SDG 3) by reducing premature mortality from NCD through prevention, treatment, management and quality of care.

Actuel ou en cours

Programme started delivery in 2019 and is expected to continue until end of 2022.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/better-health-programme

Henry Eddlestone (Head of Global Better Health Programme, FCDO) Henry.eddlestone@fcdo.gov.uk

The HIF develops and tests innovations in the humanitarian system. It is an independent, grant-making programme open to the entire humanitarian community.

Elrha

Grants made to academic/research institutions, private sector, or NGOs.

Grants made to academic institutions, private sector, or NGOs.

Competitive grant-making process based on calls for proposals on specific topics. Larger grants for innovations with proof of concept.

£15m.

Humanitarian-affected populations

Improve outcomes for people affected by humanitarian crises by identifying, nurturing and sharing more effective and scalable solutions.

Actuel ou en cours

2019-2023

https://www.elrha.org/programme/hif/

Tarah Friend, t-friend@dfid.gov.uk

CHIC is a challenge fund for supporting humanitarian innovation in conflict. CHIC identifies and scales innovations that apply new insights, technologies and approaches to increase survival or improve the lives of the most vulnerable people and the hardest-to-reach in humanitarian crises caused by conflict.

Grand Challenges Canada

Grants made to academic/research institutions, private sector, or NGOs.

Grants made to academic institutions, private sector, or NGOs.

Seed grants (smaller grants for promising early-stage innovations) and ‘Transition to Scale’ (TTS) projects (larger grants to more mature innovations, with proof of concept, assessed as being ready to scale). These are selected through open Request for Proposals (RFPs) for Seed innovations, and through a combination of calls and more targeted invitations for TTS.

The total lifetime value of the fund now stands at around £28 million. The UK contribution is £9m.

Conflict-affected populations.

Increased survival and improved lives among the most vulnerable populations affected by humanitarian crises caused by conflict through the implementation of humanitarian innovations.

Actuel ou en cours

2019-2023

https://humanitariangrandchallenge.org/

Tarah Friend, t-friend@dfid.gov.uk

PENDA is a consortium led by the International Centre for Evidence in Disability at LSHTM, generating evidence around what works in disability inclusive development (DID) to achieve long term improved wellbeing and inclusion in the lives of people living with disabilities in LDCs. The programme builds capacity in LDCs via a PhD programme for people with disabilities and training for research institutes in LDCs. PENDA also provides grants for LDC research institutes to deliver RCTs in disability inclusive research whilst also producing tools to improve disability inclusive evidence generation.

FCDO and a philanthropic funder

Entities eligible to receive funds are academic research institutions, with prioritisation given to LIC and LDC based institutions. LSHTM partners with LDC researchers to deliver research and capture data within six of ten evaluations. For four of the ten evaluations PENDA commissions grants, preferably for LDC research institutions to lead evaluations in partnership with UK or international academic institutions if desired

Research institutions and higher education institutions

Primary objective to build capacity of researchers and institutions in LMICs and LDCs including through commissioning out research grants

£2.67m Commissioning grants to LDC led research partnerships. £0.27m Capacity building programme of PhD and training. £1.125m LDC research partnerships with LDC institutions to deliver DID research including capacity building and sharing of knowledge and research methodologies

Research Evidence generation Impact Health care Inclusion Randomised Control Trials Shared knowledge, methodological approaches, shared tools, skills and shared access to data and software.

- Knowledge - The programme generates knowledge on what works in Disability Inclusive Development (DID) explicitly in relation to education, health, livelihoods and reduced stigma. This includes conducting Randomised Control Trials (RCTs) or impact evaluations in LMICs and LDCs. The programme also focuses on engaging new and existing researchers in the field, by commissioning out a further series of impact evaluations on the thematic areas listed above. Ten RCTs will be delivered in total, of which six will be delivered by LSHTM and four will be commissioned out as grants. - People - The programme is working on improved research capacity on DID through 1) Collaboration and support with LMIC and LDC academic partners, 2) Training Southern Academics with disabilities through a PhD scheme (including in LDCs), 3) Training people with disabilities to be participants in data collection and analysis, 4) Building the reputation of Southern partners in DID research. Three PhD studentships will be completed and 12 organisations will have their capacity built in DID research. - Tools - The programme is developing and validating tools to help assess what does and doesn't work in DID. This includes four quantitative indicator tools and qualitative approaches, which are being included in trials for testing. These will be global public goods relevant for all researchers in high, middle-and-low income countries, and in LDCs.

Actuel ou en cours

5 years, November 2018 – November 2023.

https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres-projects-groups/penda

Georgie Gaskell, Project Manager, LSHTM, Georgina.Gaskell@lshtm.ac.uk

This is a trilateral programme, jointly implemented with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT). The objective is to address pressing global development challenges in food security and maternal and child health by blending the best of UK and Indian science with developing country experience from Asia and Africa. The programme provides an innovative way in which the UK-India cooperation is extended to new tripartite partnerships on science and research. The expected results are to: (i) deliver new institutional arrangements and research that provide new solutions to key development challenges, (ii) test new innovations/models across different environmental and cultural settings, and (iii) build the global evidence base for poverty reduction.

Grants to research organisations in the UK, Asia and Africa to carry out trilateral research projects based on competitive bidding. Funds are provided from FCDO to UKRI [MRC, BBSRC] who in turn disburse funds to research organisations. The programme is co-funded by UKRI and DBT, with DBT paying for the Indian research organisations and FCDO and UKRI supporting developing country and UK research partners.

Each project includes at least one partner from the UK and one from a developing country in scope for the competition.

18 collaborative research projects have been supported across 14 countries in Asia and Africa including in LDCs such as Nepal, Malawi, Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda.

Cash grants for research, trans-national collaborations and travel as well as non-monetised benefits of research capacity strengthening through three-way collaborations between research organisations in the UK, India/Asia and Africa

Total ODA budget committed from FCDO during 2014 – 2024: £6,128,571. This is match funded by UKRI and DBT.

(a) Aquaculture for development, and (b) women and children’s health

High quality scientific knowledge that will impact on poverty and food security by delivering (a) research products (e.g. laboratory and field techniques, tools, new knowledge, policy recommendations) developed jointly through trilateral international science partnerships, and (b) individual and organisational capacity building in developing countries. For example, a range of new evidence on the impacts of antibiotic use for sustainable shrimp aquaculture in South Asia is benefitting thousands of livelihoods in India and Bangladesh; new findings around rotavirus immunogenetics will have implications for vaccine implementation practice and policy making in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa; an award-winning novel device to prevent pre-eclampsia in low-resource settings is being trialled across multiple countries and saving lives in countries in Asia and Africa; and a wide range of studentships have been funded under several projects.

Actuel ou en cours

Feb 2014 – March 2024.

Multiple projects have individual websites so it is not possible to list all of them.

Nupur Barua, Head FCDO South Asia Research Hub Nupur.barua@fcdo.gov.uk

In developing Commonwealth countries with rapid growth of internet access, to protect people and small businesses by promoting and giving free access to high quality, timely and relevant information about how they can protect themselves. This falls under the CSSF programme. The CSSF Cyber and Tech Programme Team supports the delivery of the current and likely future priorities under the UK’s National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSS) through capacity building projects across the globe.

UK based NGO – Get Safe Online

This Project will deliver to individuals, businesses and communities in developing countries freely accessible, high quality, timely and relevant information with which they can take steps to protect themselves. It will be backed up by locally driven promotional campaigns to land the most important messages with the widest possible audience. It will transfer into much needed new territory a body of intellectual property, good practice and proven economic and effective prevention measures that have been created in the UK through years of experience, and engagement with pre-eminent stakeholders and partners in the public, private, voluntary and academic sectors.

Information provision - Information on cyber awareness and hygiene via locally hosted websites and supporting campaign work.

2021-21: £1.5m (Total Project Cost) £0.15m (Estimated LDC spend)

Cyber hygiene, Cyber awareness

Output One: a locally presented, freely accessible online resource about cyber risks - will enable people to understand and therefore better protect themselves from the cyber risks most likely to cause them the most harm. Output Two: locally driven awareness and promotional campaigns, highlighting the most prevalent and highest risks - will accentuate public awareness where it is most acutely needed. Output Three: growth of local capability and capacity - creation a global network of Commonwealth of Nations / Get Safe Online Advocacy (CoNGA). These CoNGA Advocates will be people with the right skills and aptitudes, selected by the sponsoring government departments. Trained and supported by GSO experts, provided with material and session packs, and empowered to deliver mini-workshops to audiences within their own country - in English and also where possible in locally spoken languages. According to an independent the evaluator the combination of awareness raising campaigns, Ambassador-led events and resource-focused websites was effective in raising cyber awareness and relevant to communities’ needs; changed people’s behaviours; and helped raise the level of cybersecurity capacity in a nation as assessed in Dimensions 2 and 3 of the Oxford CMM

Terminé

July 2020-March 2021 Current project period (2018-2021 full project period)

https://www.getsafeonline.org/get-safe-online-around-the-world/

Tehrime Khan: Tehrime.Khan@fcdo.gov.uk

To foster a truly cross-government approach (criminal justice, ISPs, CERT, interior and foreign affairs) to strategically counter and respond to cybercrime challenges. The project will deliver strategic change in tactics, operations, strategy and policy, thus enhancing national regional and international security. This programme directly addresses the current and likely future priorities under the UK’s National Cyber Strategy. The focus is on tackling cyber security threats, building resilience, promoting trusted and secure technology and increasing our international influence.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Niger, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Angola, Mauritania, Chad - government and law enforcement.

N/A

Regional assessments of needs in cybersecurity and for Niger, Mauritania, Chad and Senegal, training on cyber-patrolling, cyber infiltration, cyber investigations and investigations into cryptology and cryptocurrencies.

This was part of a larger project for which the budget was £0.5m overall. Funding by country is not available.

Cyber policy advice and training for criminal justice practitioners and law enforcement.

- Providing apolitical, objective, expert cyber policy advice to multiple countries so that they can play their full role in regional and international cyber political processes, as well in designing and strengthen their normative framework in countering cybercrime. - Strengthening capacities of criminal justice practitioners and law enforcement officers on how to investigate, prosecute and judge cyber-dependent and cyber-enabled offenses.

Terminé

November 2020 – May 2021

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/cybercrime/index.html

Luke.champion@fcdo.gov.uk

Following the disruption caused by COVID-19, this interim project is designed to re-invigorate the African Cyber Experts’ Fellowship, hold a remote Fellowship Network Meeting to rebuild momentum, and ensure long-term sustainability of the network through initiating its transition to the Commonwealth Secretariat. This programme directly addresses the current and likely future priorities under the UK’s National Cyber Strategy. The focus is on tackling cyber security threats, building resilience, promoting trusted and secure technology and increasing our international influence.

Protection Group International

Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia - government

N/A

This short project aims to ensure continuity as the ownership and management of the African Cyber Experts Fellowship programme transitions from FCDO and PGI to the Commonwealth Secretariat. The original aim of the African Cyber Experts Fellowship was to create a working network of 40 African cyber security policy experts across up to 10 countries who could act as a hub for cascading across the continent best practice in key information security challenges. After a period of inactivity due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the purpose of this interim project is to re-establishment the network, hold a remote Fellowship Network Meeting and Discussion on current cybersecurity development initiatives and initiate the transition of the network to the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Other countries were covered by this project, the overall budget was £0.04m. A country breakdown is not available.

Cyber policy advice and expertise.

Following the disruption caused by COVID-19, this interim project is designed to re-invigorate the African Cyber Experts’ Fellowship, hold a remote Fellowship Network Meeting to rebuild momentum, and ensure long-term sustainability of the network through initiating its transition to the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Terminé

March 2021

https://thecommonwealth.org

Michael.potter@fcdo.gov.uk

The project aims to strengthen the capability of cybercrime units within law enforcement agencies in the Africa region to respond effectively on cyber incidents. Through joint cross-jurisdictional operations within the region coordinated action will be implemented to reduce the global impact of cybercrime and protect communities for a safer world.

The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)

AFJOC will primarily target law enforcement units across the Africa region, however, planned deliverables include cyber hygiene awareness campaign to upskill the general population in the region on steps they can take to protect themselves online. Other planned deliverables include: establishing an Africa Desk at Interpol consisting of 12 staff in the interim; collaborating with INTERPOL Africa member countries including those recognised by the WTO as LEDCs to form a framework for a coordinated response to cybercrimes; publishing an Africa Cybercrime Threat Assessment annually to inform stakeholders of the key threats and consolidate regional knowledge; and undertaking operations on a regional and intra-regional level to collectively address cyber threats based on actionable intelligence.

Online Campaign - information awareness campaigns to address the threats of cybercrime at the public level in African states through social media and other mediums. Operations – cross-jurisdictional operations to collectively address cyber threats in the region. Threat assessment report: Annual threat assessment report to inform law enforcement units in Africa of key cyber threats that they’re exposed to, and identified gaps in capability.

This is part of a larger project started in 2021 and due to end in 2023, with an estimated total value of £2.8m. Funding by country is not available, especially as many activities will be joint and involving a number of countries at the same time.

Cyber hygiene, Cyber awareness, cyber operations

Outcome Two: INTERPOL Africa Cyber Desk established with initial 12 staff recruited and on-boarded. Outcome Two: Regional Implementation of an Africa Strategy to Combat Cybercrime Outcome Three: Strengthened Regional Law Enforcement Cooperation through joint operations against cybercrime conducted by the INTERPOL Africa Desk. Outcome Four: Develop African States law enforcement units operational agility for dynamic and nimble operations to sustain proactive efforts against cybercrime through the use of INTERPOL virtual collaboration platforms.

Actuel ou en cours

2021-2023

https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Cybercrime/Cybercrime-operations/AFJOC-African-Joint-Operation-against-Cybercrime

Simeon Onaji – simeon.onaji@fcdo.gov.uk

The requirements to be addressed by the NCRA+ project are based on the NCRAs conducted with Uganda, Cameroon, Sierra Leone and Malawi during FY19/20, and a capacity building workshop held in Malawi in November 2019 (attended by 10 African Commonwealth countries). This project will seek to engage all 19 African Commonwealth countries: - Additional NCRA projects for those that were not included in the first wave of 4 countries; - Support the 4 existing NCRA trained countries to customise the NCRA process and tools to meet their needs for the second NCRA; - Develop training and guidance for building national cyber security capability; - Deliver a NCRA remote learning solution via a web portal. - Deliver an African Commonwealth capacity and community building workshop for all 19 countries. This falls under the CSSF programme. The CSSF Cyber and Tech Programme Team supports the delivery of the current and likely future priorities under the UK’s National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSS) through capacity building projects across the globe.

FCDO

Representatives of Government, National authorities

Cyber Risk Assessment Training, Access to E-Learning packages, Workshops

Total Project Cost 2020/21 - £0.7m. Funding by country is not available.

Cyber Risk, Cyber Hygiene, Countering cyber crime

1. The profile/awareness of cybersecurity has been raised in all 16 African Commonwealth countries that participated in the NCRA+ project (this was verified throught feedback gathered at the November conference and workshops) 2. Cyber security vulnerabilities are highlighted as part of the NCRA this has enabled Uganda, Cameroon, Sierra Leone and Malawi to focus on risk mitigations. The November 2020 conference training sessions and cyber attack simulations provided practical examples of cyber security vulnerabilities and mitigation measures. 3. The competence and capability of all 16 participating African Commonwealth countries has been improved through on-line training, simulation exercises, threat intelligence updates and workshops covering cyber skills, countering cybercrime, CNI protection, testing/exercising and incident management.

Autre

July 2020-March 2021 Current project period (April 2018 – March 2021 complete project period with 2022 tbc)

Tehrime Khan - Tehrime.Khan@fcdo.gov.uk Kavisha Assani - Kavisha.Assani@fcdo.gov.uk

In FY19-20 the project was focused on raising the collective cybersecurity capability in low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries and developing relationships through 3 regional workshops and one culminating workshop, in the UK attended by representatives from 40 Commonwealth countries with 29 countries attending the final UK workshop. In FY20-21 the project sought to further develop the Commonwealth community by enabling information sharing through an online Commonwealth Cybersecurity Practitioners’ Community of Practice(“CCPC”). Alongside this, a series of webinars focused on technical skills development. The content covered standards and procedures which should be implemented to develop maturity of a countries CSIRT. A mentoring programme sought to progress a number of countries who identified key issues with progressing their CSIRT capability. Commonalities included lack of resources, knowledge and skills deficiencies, and competing national priorities. At the conclusion of the second iteration of the programme it is clear that the combination of information sharing, peer-to-peer / remote learning, and a focus on a number of countries to enable them to overcome issues with developing their CSIRT, is a highly effective approach to improving capability and raising cyber awareness. FY21-22 sees the requirement to continue to build the UK led CCPC to further support the member states to progress their nCSIRT capability, and promote international cyber security standards and skills across the Commonwealth.

Implementer – Torchlight Group

The programme will maintain contact with the Commonwealth member states from the previous programme and collaboratively diagnose their current situation, develop capability, and promote community engagement and sharing of information through the CCPC. The CCPC will serve as the focal point to foster peer to peer learning and collaboration across the states through the use of informal discussion, viewing focused webinars and hosting of a core resource library. Torchlight will support this developed learning by giving access to Torchlight’s UK accredited cyber security education and awareness web/app-based platform. Building from the understanding of the predecessor programme Torchlight will update the Remote Training Needs Analysis (R-TNA) to identify skills gaps and needs across the community and determine the specific focus for offline webinars and live discussions, including the countries who will be part of the mentoring programme. The outcome remains focussed on progessing the nCSIRT capabilities and enabling information sharing within the community. The R-TNA will also form the basis of the design and preparation of online training material, which will be uploaded to the CCPC for Platform Members to view.

Building from the understanding and self assessment forms completed as part of the predecessor programme Torchlight will conduct Remote Training Needs Analysis (R-TNA) to identify skills gaps and needs across the community and determine the specific focus of training and mentoring intervention with the outcome of progessing the nCSIRT capabilities and information sharing within the group. The R-TNA will form the basis of the design and preparation of online training and mentoring material, delivered by regular scheduled online training interventions through the CCPC with individual countries, by region, or by thematic focus using live webinars, online instruction, and regular VTC meetings.The CCPC will endure as a sustainable, UK led capability, through which the community of interest and intelligence sharing can continue.

March 2020 – March 2021 – £0.5m March 2021 – September 2021 - £0.2m Funding by country is not available.

Strengthening nCSIRT capabilities, building commonwealth information sharing community, and promoting international cyber security standards and skills in low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries.

Output One: Re-Engagement and Development of an on-line nCSIRT community of interest. Out of the 54 Commonwealth countries, the project has active engagement with 44 countries. A total of 37 countries have signed up to be members of the CCPC. CCPC created based on engagement with the delegates during the first phase of the project in 2019, initial re-engagement calls and wider calls with other cybersecurity capability development implementing partners. CCPC delivered and includes 3 main sections - recourses, retrospective information sharing and remote learning. Output two: Agreed Project Plan to increase nCSIRT Capability. TNA was conducted based on the information gathered during the re-engagement calls. Inception report submitted to determine who would receive the mentoring support and outlined which sessions we would deliver as webinar sessions. 20 countries were considered for the mentoring programme. 10 countries were selected for between 4 and 8 mentoring calls. Output three: Delivery of Online Training & Mentoring to enhance nCSIRT capability. 10 technical webinars delivered from November 2020 to February 2021. .

Autre

2019 – 2021

N/A

Kavisha.Assani@fcdo.gov.uk

This project delivers the initiation activities of a multi-year (1+1+1) programme of international cyber security capacity building which brings together Oxford Capacity Maturity Model (CMM) assessments, National Cyber Risk Assessments (NCRA) and National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSS) development into a single integrated package of UK assistance. The project aims to work with the national authorities within each country to deliver the following benefits: - Improving the resilience of government systems. - Improving cyber governance. - Improving cyber security and resilience of critical systems within the 6 target countries and by extension improve the security of any dependent UK systems. - Furthering UK overseas leadership and influence. - Identifying commercial opportunities for UK business.

Home Office, UK Government

The design of the integrated approach is now at an advanced state and will be ready to support the implementation of country projects at the start of FY21/22. Through the regular workshops with the Oxford University Global Cyber Security Capacity Centre (GCSCC) the model has been tested in various ways and has been progressively refined. The roles of all participants in the process have been modelled and greater understanding achieved

December 2020 – March 2021 – £0.15m

Output one: Establish integrated delivery working group. An appropriately skilled team is in place in October to deliver the initiation stage. A representative expert group is in place and providing working level coordination Output two: Complete country assessments (feasibility, risks and issues) and make initial contact with-in country authorities. The readiness of each country is assessed and documented in a standard format that accurately informs the tailoring of our approach. Output three: Initiate pilot project with a selected country. Early practical experience of working with one of the target countries to inform our approach and initial progress towards delivery in the pilot country. Output four: Develop integrated country delivery model. A documented, reviewed and approved methodology for bringing together strategy and assessment products.

Terminé

December 2020 – March 2021

N/A

Kavisha.Assani@fcdo.gov.uk

Uplift The Shadowserver Foundation’s proven public benefit services, with a focus on increasing coverage in the Africa and Indo Pacific regions, by expanding their state of the art global honeypot sensor network, adding novel Web Application and enhanced IoT attack detection capabilities, extending outreach and engagement activities, enhancing malware/botnet sinkholing and improving the volume and types of daily network remediation data feeds provided for free to National CSIRTs and network owners globally.

Shadowserver

National bodies of Internet responsibility (CERTs/CSIRTs/delegated authorities) Network owners Government IT ministries and representatives

Provision of free intelligence reporting and access to latest reports on cyber threats

Total project cost Feb 2021 – March 2021 £0.5m Funding by country is not available.

Cyber threats Intelligence, Cyber risk awareness

Through our CSSF Cyber and Tech programme funding, Shadowserver increased its coverage in the Africa and Indo-Pacific regions resulting in 30 new National CERTs/CSIRTs in the target regions being signed up to receive free daily network reports from The Shadowserver Foundation – providing a base-line of cyber security information that many previously lacked, helping to build and improve cyber resilience in the regions. It has also added 31 new CVEs to honeypots in the Shadowserver CAPRICA sensor network and expanded the footprint by 277 IP addresses across 84 sensors in 29 countries. This significantly uplifts not only the Foundation’s ability to monitor malicious activity on the Internet, but also to help make countries more aware of cyber threats, enabling them to better prepare themselves from cyber-attacks

Terminé

Feb 2021-March 2021

https://www.shadowserver.org/news/uk-foreign-commonwealth-development-office-funds-shadowserver-surge-in-africa-and-indo-pacific-regions/

Tehrime Khan – Tehrime.Khan@fcdo.gov.uk