# Vignette 19: Sudan's solution fair
"Nobody had asked the question before – what do development solutions look like in Sudan? Where are they? What are they doing?" reflects Basma Saeed, Head of Solutions Mapping at UNDP Sudan's Accelerator Lab. These simple questions led to Sudan's first development ecosystem forum that would reveal how local solutions connect and evolve.
The team began by casting a wide net, using an open questionnaire to understand what solutions existed across the country. From 108 responses, they selected 56 solutions spanning private sector, academia, public institutions, and what they called "mutants"[\[1\]](#endnote-1) – innovative solutions that didn't fit conventional categories. These were arranged in an exhibition hall by stakeholder groups for a three-day Solution Fair in February 2020 (Figure 34).
What emerged surprised everyone. Rather than just showcasing individual solutions, the fair created conditions for the ecosystem to see itself. "For the context of my country, Sudan, nothing like this has actually happened before," notes Saeed. Solutions began forming unexpected connections: some became funders for others, while some discovered complementary approaches to shared challenges. In one case, two energy solutions working at different scales – one focused on household solar power, another on larger infrastructure – discovered how their approaches could complement each other.
The fair's impact extended far beyond its three days. When COVID-19 hit Sudan at its peak in April, the community of 56 solutions became a valuable network for understanding how grassroots innovations were adapting to the crisis. Some solutions had to close, but others rapidly pivoted their models to respond to new challenges. The network also revealed unexpected gems, like the "Solar-in-the-Box" prototype, which gained new relevance during Sudan's energy crisis, eventually leading to a €2.5 million partnership to deploy solar-powered facilities supporting women-owned enterprises in conflict-affected communities.
"The fair ended up creating a bridge between stakeholder islands that tend to stay within rigid boundaries," explains Saeed. This bridge-building created new opportunities for policy engagement. "The government is beginning that initial exercise to put the frameworks for what an innovation policy would look like," she notes. "We're starting from scratch with the policy at a national level and we want grassroots to be on the table from day one." The fair also led to concrete partnerships: UNDP's governance team began working with one of the solutions, while another solution found an investor during the fair itself.
{% hint style="info" %}
#### **Key takeaways:**
* **Openly share solution data:** A solution fair is one step in a longer process of collecting and sharing data. Share solutions data (with consent) to enable continuous ecosystem learning beyond the event.
* **Facilitate organic connections:** Create an environment where collaborations emerge naturally among solution providers.
* **Build bridges between levels:** Help grassroots solutions connect with institutional resources while ensuring institutions learn from ground-level innovation.
* **Look for unexpected value:** Solutions that seem less relevant today may become crucial as circumstances change.
* **Track long-term impact:** Maintain relationships with solution providers to understand their evolution and impact over time.
{% endhint %}
***
## Notes
1. The word "mutant" may conjure up images of a creature stitched together from different animals, much like how the Platypus was thought to be a taxidermist's hoax when it first reached Europe in the 18th century ("Platypus," 2024). In this vignette we refer to mutants as uncommon innovation actors – who combine different approaches and disciplines in unconventional ways – that operate at the edges of traditional development (Quaggiotto, 2016). Due to their unconventional nature, development institutions often struggle to engage and work with them, leaving a significant pool of talent and expertise untapped. Sudan's Solution Fair demonstrates how creating the right environment can help mutants and development institutions connect and collaborate. [↑](#endnote-ref-1)
---
# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.
Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:
```
GET https://bas-leurss-personal-organization.gitbook.io/undp-accelerator-labs/doing-r-and-d/5.-r-and-d-practices/seeking-existing-solutions/vignette-19-sudans-solution-fair.md?ask=
```
The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.