Innovations Fund project portfolio
The Innovations Fund supports projects that explore and test innovative approaches to strengthening the impact and effectiveness of sustainability systems. Explore these projects below, and access available outputs and learnings.
Voices in Verification: Empowering communities and building engagement in aquaculture certification
Aquaculture Stewardship Council (September 2025 – August 2026) are embedding community knowledge into audits, ensuring certification is risk-based, inclusive, context-sensitive - strengthening trust and accountability between producers and local communities.
Empower & Exchange: Empowering producers of sugarcane products through data access and providing insights on responsible, efficient data exchange to meet the needs of the supply chain
Bonsucro are developing a framework for chain of custody and assurance requirements, enabling credible impact claims and assisting due diligence for certification scheme users (September 2025 - June 2027).
A climate-focused data integrity framework
Value Change Initiative are developing a climate-focused technical guidance framework that is context-agnostic and designed for integration into diverse sustainability systems (September 2025 - October 2026).
Digital Tools Platform: Strengthening data foundations and interoperability in sustainability systems
Preferred by Nature are creating a Digital Tools Platform to provide a shared benchmark for evaluating tool capabilities, and boost tool adoption, interoperability, and trust (July 2025 - September 2026).
Prescriptive assurance
Assurance Services International are developing a new assurance model that uses prediction and prescription functionalities to notify sustainability systems of high and emerging risks (August 2025 - August 2027).
Frameworks for recognition: Unlocking certified flows across sustainability systems
Establishes Forest Stewardship Council as a pilot platform to explore recognition of certified non-forest bio-based fibres (NFBFs), developing more connected, adaptive certification infrastructure (September 2025 - September 2027).
Enhancing accuracy and integrity of first mile traceability data through digitalisation and process innovation
Better Cotton are addressing the core challenges of first mile traceability, developing a streamlined digital system with benefits for smallholders and intermediaries alike (August 2025 - July 2027).
Nature data that can meet the needs of VSS, Governments and Indigenous Peoples
Accounting for Nature are integrating Indigenous knowledge and ecological data through their environmental accounting platform, strengthening alignment between sustainability systems and stakeholders in mine rehabilitation (September 2025 – August 2027).
A Regenerative Incentives System for Smallholders
This project is developing and piloting a Regenerative Incentives System that supports cotton and soy farmers in India to transition to Regenerative Agriculture. This will address the unique constraints smallholders...
STEPPE Project: Supporting Traditional Ecological Practices for Pastoralist Engagement
Sustainable Fibre Alliance's STEPPE project acknowledges the millennia of interactions between people and their livestock across rangelands, which has resulted in complex socio-ecological systems, and will explore the role that...