Three social innovators – Saha Global, TREND and CONIWAS – have received grant awards totaling $112,000 to implement initiatives that boost access to universal safe and affordable water in Ghana. These initiatives are aligned and implement the 3 collaborative pathways that were identified: finding a demand-driven business model for water delivery, setting water quality standards, and identifying solutions to provide water to vulnerable households. The catalytic fund is a mechanism to source cutting edge solutions from a variety of innovators, including NGOs, community-based organizations, social enterprises, individuals, and businesses. This type of fund, widely used in the private sector, is increasingly used as an accelerator for international development. The SDG Philanthropy Platform launched the innovation challenge to complement the efforts of government in providing accessible clean water. A steering committee of development experts selected these 3 prize winners who had high impact, and truly innovative development initiatives. This innovation challenge model has now been formally adopted by the Ghanaian government to identify disruptive approaches to tackle the existing development challenges in Ghana.
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