International Growth Centre (IGC): pre-qualification round
The FCDO invites applications by 20 May 2026 to a pre-qualification round for an economic research and policy programme of up to £20.3 million.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is launching the next phase of its flagship economic development programme, the International Growth Centre (IGC). The IGC generates independent, rigorous research to inform economic growth policy making in low and middle-income countries.
In September 2026, the IGC will enter a new phase to maximise impact and sustainability, characterised by a greater emphasis on translating research to policy, greater local partnerships, and an innovative delivery model .
The new phase of the programme will run from September 2026 to March 2029 (2.5 years), with funding over that period of up to £20.3 million.
What the fund will achieve
The IGC aims to promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth in developing countries through advancing following objectives:
- effective, responsive, flexible policy support: the IGC should provide effective policy support in-country presence, with the majority of resource deployed in-country rather than elsewhere
- research excellence: the IGC should maintain and strengthen its position as a leading source of frontier research on economic transformation and productivity growth in developing countries
- gender mainstreaming: the IGC should ensure mainstreaming of gender and inclusion considerations across the programme
- localisation: locally-led policy impact, based on strong, sustainable partnerships with local institutions and governments
- financial stability: readiness to achieve this should be demonstrated in full proposals via a roadmap to long-term financial independence and diversified funding, which will be assessed as part of evaluation
Requirements for organisations wishing to apply
This opportunity is open to organisations in all ODA-eligible countries.
Eligible organisations can include:
- international non‑governmental organisations
- not-for-profit academic institutions and research bodies
- mixed consortia (for-profit organisations may only join as downstream partners)
Further information is in the pre-qualification criteria document.
How to apply
Organisations should email proposals for the pre-qualification round to Haris.Butt@fcdo.gov.uk and Matthew.Bursnell@fcdo.gov.uk by 1pm UK time on 20 May 2026. Responses received after this time will not be considered.
Responses should be submitted in Word or ODT format and must cover all questions and criteria in the pre-qualification criteria document.
- an early market engagement (EME) session was conducted on 10 April 2026. The presentation and post EME report including Q&A from the session are attached
- the latest business case, lessons learned and other relevant documents are attached
- information on the IGC including annual reports can be found on the IGC website
We will inform organisations that pass the pre-qualification round in the coming weeks. We will invite those organisations to submit full proposals in response to the statement of outcomes.