Catalysing and Scaling Innovation In Tanzania

CATALYSING AND SCALING Innovation in Tanzania: A review of approaches • Executive summary
Collaborate and coordinate with other funders
to avoid duplication of efforts and to direct
appropriate levels and types of funding to the
areas where it is most needed.
How: Set up an integrated information system that
maps the stage of each innovator and the available
finance. Establish a neutral coordinating body to provide
overall coordination of innovation support efforts.
Seek out the unknown and avoid the
temptation to support the most visible players
to the detriment of less visible innovators.
How: Exchange information about current or
recently active programmes as well as participating
grantees. Consider supporting the same ones only if
you can be sure your activity drives them into a new
space or catalyses further growth.
Highlight the activities of local intermediaries
and hubs at a global level in order to attract
external investment.
How: Share your own information
actively and openly. Blog and promote
others’ success. Do this jointly with
other funders if you can.
Be a neutral player and be mindful of cliques
and groups within the innovation ecosystem
that may not be easy to spot.
How: Take the time to listen to different people,
attend various events, and pay attention to who
is there. Do not be quick to jump to conclusions or
follow recommendations based solely on marketing
and visibility.
As with all of HDIF’s knowledge and learning
products, this report is not intended to be a
complete or scientific analysis of all the innovation
support present in Tanzania, but rather lead-in
to what is available. We do not pretend to know
everything there is to know about supporting the
country’s innovators and are aware that there is no
one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, we hope that
in sharing this broader collection of experiences
and analysis, we can contribute to a
much-needed body of evidence
on the innovation ecosystem
in Tanzania.
Left
Angel (second left),
a beneficiary of the
Sense International
‘Inclusive Education
for Children with
Deafblindness
and Multi-Sensory
Impairment in
Tanzania’ programme
with her family in
Mbezi, Dar es Salaam.
KUMI MEDIA
PHIL KABUJE
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