20 - 21 October 2026. The Scaling Forum 2026 of ENABEL (Belgian Agency for International Cooperation), brought together development agencies, research organisations, innovation funders, investors, public institutions and social entrepreneurs to explore how promising innovations can achieve sustainable impact at scale.
Building on Enabel's experience supporting more than 50 innovations, the Forum explored pathways for moving beyond fragmented projects and short-term grant funding towards sustainable business models, strategic partnerships, institutional adoption and coordinated financing. Discussions were structured around four interconnected transitions:
- from projects to organisations built for scale;
- from scale-ready to investor- or funder-ready;
- from supply-ready to adoption-ready;
- and from fragmented support to collective action.
Highlights from Enabel’s Scaling Forum 2026
1. Shifting the Funding Paradigm: Beyond Grant Dependency
Speakers: Nadait Gebremedhen, Michael Gilligan and Sonja Betschart — Catalyst Now, Shifting the Funding Paradigm working group.
This session explored alternatives to conventional grant-dependent development financing. It addressed how social enterprises and development organisations can diversify their funding sources, strengthen their financial sustainability and develop business models capable of supporting long-term growth. The discussion was particularly relevant to organisations seeking to move from donor-funded pilot projects towards sustainable operations and systemic impact.
2. Connecting Grant Funders and Social Investors
Speaker: Lucia Santirso Richards — Bridges Outcomes Partnerships.
The session examined opportunities to strengthen collaboration between grant-making organisations, philanthropic institutions and social investors. It explored how different forms of capital can complement one another throughout the innovation lifecycle, from experimentation and validation to expansion and institutionalisation. Particular attention was given to overcoming financing gaps that often prevent successful innovations from progressing beyond the pilot stage.
3. Venture Clienting and Public-Sector Innovation Procurement
Speakers: Alessandra Celani de Macedo and Adnan Šerić — United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
This session focused on the role of governments and public institutions as early adopters and customers of innovative solutions. Rather than relying exclusively on grants and subsidies, public procurement can generate demand, create markets and accelerate the adoption of innovations. Venture clienting offers an alternative pathway through which public institutions can test, purchase and integrate solutions that respond to development challenges.
4. Strategic Collaborations for Scaling
The session explored how strategic partnerships can accelerate the scaling of innovations by connecting research institutions, development agencies, financing organisations and implementation partners. It highlighted the importance of moving beyond isolated interventions towards coordinated approaches that combine scientific evidence, financial resources, institutional capacities and local ownership.
The participation of CGIAR and the Global Innovation Fund was particularly relevant to agricultural research and innovation, where scaling requires collaboration among researchers, national agricultural research systems, governments, farmers, private enterprises and development partners.
Implications for agricultural research and innovation
First, scaling agricultural innovations requires more than successful research outputs or technology demonstrations. It depends on creating enabling environments, strengthening national and regional institutional capacities, mobilising financing and ensuring that innovations respond to the priorities of farmers, communities and markets.
Second, the discussions on public-sector innovation procurement and institutional adoption offer important perspectives for National Agricultural Research Systems can play a central role in adapting, validating and disseminating innovations, while helping governments integrate successful approaches into national programmes and investment strategies.
From promising innovations to systemic transformation
A central message from this meeting is that scaling is not simply about replicating successful projects, but about building the institutional, financial and collaborative conditions that allow innovations to become sustainable and widely adopted.
For agricultural research and innovation, this means moving beyond isolated research projects towards partnerships that connect scientific knowledge with farmers' needs, market demand, public policies and investment opportunities.
Further information: Enabel Scaling Forum 2026 – Event announcement
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