544 Proposals from 73 Countries: Innovative Ideas Leveraging DPI Gathered from Around the World

Applications for the “DPI4PP (Digital Public Infrastructure for People and Planet) COP30 Innovation Challenge,” co-hosted by JICA in the lead-up to COP30 in Belém, Brazil this November, officially closed on July 11, 2025.

The challenge received advance registrations from 1,658 organizations and institutions around the world, resulting in 544 proposals submitted from 73 countries and regions. The countries with the highest number of submissions were India (151), Kenya (39), Nigeria (37), Colombia (24), and Bangladesh (24). In addition, a large number of proposals were submitted from across Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe, and North America.

Many proposals introduced innovative approaches to solving diverse challenges by utilizing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Digital Public Goods (DPGs).
By sector, the majority of submissions focused on agriculture (about 38%), followed by energy (20%), forests and biodiversity (18%), disaster resilience (16%), water (15%), public health (12%), and transportation (11%).

In terms of applicant types, 420 proposals (about 77%) came from private companies, 90 (17%) from non-profit organizations, and 34 (6%) from universities and research institutions.

Applicants were given the option to indicate whether their proposed solutions could be made open source, and 69% of private companies expressed a willingness to do so. This percentage was particularly high in Africa, where 81% of private sector applicants supported open-sourcing—reflecting a strong commitment to public value and locally rooted innovation.

In the coming months, all submissions will be screened, and 30 to 50 organizations will receive acceleration support. From these, five finalists will be selected to present their proposals at an official side event at COP30.

JICA DXLab will continue working in partnership with global stakeholders to support innovative, DPI-driven solutions that contribute to a sustainable society that leaves no one behind.
Updates on the challenge will be posted regularly on this website.