The DEEP Madagascar Challenge Fund launched

The launch event brought together key stakeholders from government, academia, civil society, and international development partners. More than 180 people attended the launch event in person, which was also live streamed to venues across the country, including in, Mahajanga, Toamasina and, Toliara, reaching a further 128 people.

Jamie Williams, Project Manager of the DEEP Challenge Fund, said: “It was a pleasure to present at the DEEP Madagascar Challenge Fund launch workshop. Over the past few weeks, we’ve heard a range of valuable perspectives, and it’s exciting to shape the Challenge Fund’s themes around the Malagasy context. We’re looking forward to receiving strong, impactful research proposals that can inform efforts to tackle poverty across the country.”

The DEEP Madagascar Challenge Fund is being run in collaboration with the Malagasy NGO ARAKE, a local NGO dedicated to bridging research, policy, and action and driving lasting positive change among Malagasy communities. To ensure that the fund is aligned with national priorities and grounded in local expertise, a local steering committee will be established. This committee will be composed of Malagasy researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from various public and private organisations, and will provide guidance on the selection and strategic orientation of funded projects.

About DEEP:

Data and Evidence to End Extreme Poverty (DEEP), is a consortium of the Universities of Cornell, Copenhagen, and Southampton led by Oxford Policy Management, in partnership with the World Bank’s Development Data Group and funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. DEEP’s focus countries are Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Madagascar, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria and Tanzania.