ANDE and the IKEA Foundation launched the second phase of a partnership to improve access to finance for waste and circularity enterprises in India and Kenya.

As part of this initiative, ANDE will deploy its Action Lab methodology to bring together a variety of sector stakeholders to identify innovative, collaborative solutions to systemic challenges facing the waste and circularity sector in Kenya.

About ANDE Action Labs

ANDE’s Action Lab model pioneers a participatory design approach to address complex challenges in the SGB sector by convening a diverse set of stakeholders  to collectively identify challenges and devise solutions.

Over 2024 and 2025, ANDE will run a Waste and Circular Economy Action Lab in Kenya. This initiative will build upon the successes of the Action Lab that took place in the first phase of the ANDE and IKEA Foundation partnership in 2022-2023, extending its focus to uncover additional challenges and foster innovative solutions specific to waste and circularity enterprises. The lab aims to develop testable solutions, leading to fundable pilot projects grounded in evidence-based strategies.

Composition and Impact

The Action Lab will unite over 20 pertinent stakeholders, enhancing the understanding of systemic obstacles within Kenya’s waste and circularity landscape. This collaborative effort is expected to yield innovative and comprehensive solutions, with the project offering grant funding to advance these initiatives.

Benefits of the Action Lab Methodology

Systemic Impact

The lab’s focus on systems-level issues allows it to identify solutions that benefit the entire ecosystem, rather than isolated entities.

Stakeholder Engagement

The lab will cultivate a network of stakeholders who are invested in the project’s success, fostering collaboration.

Practical Outcomes

The lab’s findings are designed to appeal to a broad audience, increasing the likelihood of implementation and impact.

Phases of Innovation within the Action Lab

The Action Lab uses a structured yet flexible approach to identify critical issues and foster a creative and collaborative environment for generating viable, scalable solutions.

• • Learn Phase: This initial stage involves understanding the sector’s challenges and pinpointing the fundamental causes.
  • Imagine Phase: Participants envision potential solutions and select the most promising for pilot testing.
  • Create Phase: A prototype is developed to quickly test the chosen solution.
  • Test Phase: The prototype undergoes real-world testing to gather feedback from potential users.
  • Learn Phase 2: Insights from the testing phase are used to refine the prototype into a finalized concept ready for broader application.

Get Involved

To learn more or to join the Kenya Action Lab, please contact Rosemary Amondi at rosemary.amondi@aspeninstitute.org.