Five ways to work with SDC.

SDC designs a bespoke programme architecture for your specific context, selection criteria, curriculum or competition format, mentorship structure, and milestone framework, grounded in research on your sector, target founder profile, and objectives.

SDC then manages delivery end-to-end: applicant recruitment, selection, programme execution, a culminating showcase, and post-programme reporting. Every engagement closes with a documented impact summary.

Your organisation gets access to SDC OS, SDC's proprietary learning platform, customised with your branding, learner community, and a tailored content track.

SDC's curriculum is pre-loaded and adapted to your audience. You own the learner experience and receive real-time data on enrolment, completion, and engagement.

SDC produces original research on behalf of, or in collaboration with, a partner on the African startup ecosystem, venture-building dynamics, or specific sectors.

Outputs include co-produced reports, custom ecosystem analyses, bespoke datasets, sector-specific briefings, and M&E frameworks for founder programmes. Partners can commission research outright or co-produce it, contributing data, field access, or funding in exchange for co-authorship and early access to findings.

High-value, low-volume engagements where SDC works directly with an institution's leadership to design or improve their founder support infrastructure: what frameworks to use, how to structure programmes, how to measure outcomes.

Typical outputs include programme design documents, framework application guides, M&E frameworks, ecosystem strategy papers, and structured recommendations. SDC does not embed in the partner's operations; it applies its frameworks to your specific context and hands over recommendations.

SDC trains your internal team to design, manage, and run your own founder or innovation programmes through structured workshops, executive training sessions, and applied capacity-building modules grounded in SDC's research and frameworks.

Centred on institutional strengthening in innovation management and innovation development. SDC's role ends at capability transfer. Once your team is trained, SDC is not running the resulting programme. It can stand alone, or follow a Research & Data or Advisory engagement as the applied next step.