Central question: How can actors from decentralised levels of state - such as cities, districts and regions - join forces and create synergies across countries to find innovative solutions to sustainable development challenges?

• The Decentralised Development Lab was created in 2020 to address this question with the following activities:
  • Formulate common challenges between German federal states and decentralised actors from partner countries
  • An up to twelve-month incubation and funding program
  • Teams from different federal states and their partner countries receive coaching, training, expert exchange, and financial support to develop solutions and maximize social impact for specific challenges

The Decentralised Development Lab was implemented by the German Government and Federal States Programme in its second phase (2019-2023) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It was implemented in collaboration with minds&makers GmbH and enpact e.V.

A description of the whole DDLab together with our learnings is available in our brochure (only in German): DDLab-Abschlussbroschüre-Layout-final-digital-260623.pdf (bund-laender-programm.de)

Overview of the process: The Decentralised Development Lab started in the beginning of 2021 with a Call for Challenges that was spread across the world. The DDLab team received more than 25 challenges that were handed in from federal states, research institutions, NGOs or governmental institutions from partner countries. Together with the BMZ the DDLab team selected four challenges. These challenges were refined together with the so called "Challenge Owners" to formulate a concise challenge question and develop a challenge description. All of this happened within an agile development process. The four developed challenges surrounded the topics sustainable e-mobility, inclusive digitalisation, female entrepreneurship and mangrove friendly aquaculture (you can learn more about the challenges below). In November 2021, the second phase of the DDLab started with the launch of the Call for Ideas. During this call, we were looking for teams of creative individuals and from diverse backgrounds to develop solutions to the four challenges (you can learn more about the Call for Ideas below). We received more than 180 ideas from all over the world! With a transparent selection process, we shortlisted 19 teams and conducted interviews with them to assess their ideas in more depth. In the end, four teams were selected which started with a five-month incubator program. During this phase of the DDLab, the four selected teams received financial benefits, coaching sessions, technical expertise and the opportunity to test and validate their solutions. All the teams gathered in Berlin for a Midterm workshop to meet stakeholders and have a short design sprint.

Have a look at their Midterm Workshop experiences here: A look into the Decentralised Development Lab Experience - YouTube

In the end of July 2022, the four teams handed in detailed project proposals which were further evaluated by a jury as well as GIZ technical and regional experts and their coaches. On the 29th of August, they had the chance to pitch their ideas to the jury and a broader audience. 
Since two of the teams had the same scorings, we decided together with the BMZ to have two winning teams that will share the financial benefit and access to an acceleration programme.

Between September 2022 and March 2023 the two winning teams (TRANSISI, working on the e-mobility challenge and Becoming Nala working on the female entrepreneurship challenge) were in the seven-month acceleration phase. During this time, they had continued access to coaching and trainings as well as three in person workshops in Berlin, Jakarta and Kigali. Additionally, they received each financial support to contract service providers to start the piloting of their solution.

At the end of the accelerator  in March 2023, the two teams came together with GIZ and enpact in Kigali, Rwanda for the Wrap Up Workshop of the DDLab. There, Becoming Nala launched their platform to the broader public during an event at GIZ's Digital Transformation Center in Kigali where different Rwandan ministries, GIZ projects and the German embassy were present. Additionally, TRANSISI had the chance to exchange with a leading start-up from Rwanda's e-mobility sector about strategies to incorporate their businesses in existing governmental investments. The workshop offered the chance for both teams to prepare themselves for the steps after the end of the DDLab.

Have a look at the Wrap Up Workshop here: Decentralized Development Lab | A model for global collaboration towards sustainable development - YouTube

Both teams could develop convincing Minimum Viable Products (MVP) and are ready to enter the market. TRANSISI developed a digital dashboard for providers of charging infrastructure and are also advising the Indonesian government on their e-mobility strategy. Becoming Nala developed a virtual matching platform for Rwandan entrepreneurs from rural areas and the city to connect them with funding opportunities, mentors from all around the world and capacity building opportunities. 

Find out more about the two teams here: Becoming Nala and TRANSISI

You can learn more about the Decentralised Development Lab and its call for ideas here: Decentralised Development Lab - YouTube