Taking impactful innovations to scale
Innovation Hub
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The Innovation Hub is Enabel’s key open innovation mechanism to scout and support scalable social innovations. What started in 2018 as the Wehubit programme, financed by the Belgian Cooperation, evolved into a multi-sectorial scaling facility for innovative and impactful not-for-profit initiatives and organisations.
In 2024, building on the legacy of Wehubit and following Enabel’s ambitions to foster innovation, the Innovation Hub has a track of 27 past and 23 ongoing projects financed through different programmes and donors.
Our approach
The Innovation Hub supports its partners in accelerating the first steps from pilot to scale, through a unique threefold approach:
- Financial support: a financial contribution to the learning and scaling pathway of its partners, linked to a solid financial monitoring
- Support & Learning: needs-based support and capacity building to understand and accelerate the pathways to scale
- Knowledge Exchange Network: a unique network of peers, both alumni and current project partners, allowing to share experiences and knowledge gained.
Calls for Proposals & Sub-Programmes
Wehubit
Wehubit is funded by Belgium and supports the scaling of digital social innovations. The programme enhances the adoption and accessibility of digital solutions as a means to accelerate inclusive and sustainable development, reduce inequalities, and empower people in Enabel’s partner countries.
Through the Innovation Hub, the programme supports 3 innovations that are ready to scale up and are aligned with the objectives of Enabel’s country portfolios.
Digital and Green Innovation Action
The Digital and Green Innovation Action (DGI) is funded by the European Union and seeks to advance the twin transition to a green and digital economy, with a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation. The action promotes digital solutions that address environmental challenges, such as climate change and biodiversity loss, while supporting circular and resilient local economies.
Through the Innovation Hub, the Action supports 5 digital and green innovations that are either ready or transitioning to scale. Its objective is to increase the adoption and accessibility of digital solutions as tools to address environmental challenges, including climate change, while fostering inclusive and sustainable development across African countries.
Data Governance in Africa Initiative
The Data Governance in Africa Initiative (DGA) is funded by the European Union and supports the strengthening of national and regional digital and data ecosystems to develop and implement data-driven solutions for societal challenges, such as bridging gender, rural/urban, connectivity, and other disparities.
Through the Innovation Hub, the initiative has selected 7 projects under European funding to support the scaling of data-driven Digital Social Innovations (DSIs) in Africa. By combining financial support (grants) with capacity building, the programme enables targeted entities to scale existing, early-stage data-driven DSIs.
Regional Teachers’ Initiative for Africa
The Regional Teachers’ Initiative for Africa (RTIA) is funded by the European Union supports African countries in improving the quality of teacher education and training, while contributing to increasing the availability of qualified teachers.
Through Enabel’s Innovation Hub, the initiative supports 8 projects focused on scaling up innovative solutions to enhance the quality, relevance, and effectiveness of both initial and continuous teacher professional development.
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Enabel is a steadfast innovation partner, committed to supporting creative entrepreneurs and courageous intrapreneurs, across the globe, across sectors.
Pioneering innovative development
Tackling global challenges through the prism of digital social innovation? That was the goal of the Wehubit Days.