The UK is seen as a leader in research and a higher level of UK involvement will add value to global research efforts. DFID has committed to the production and use of high-quality evidence, data and innovation to accelerate progress towards the Global Goals. Following extensive internal and global consultation, the following areas were identified as being gaps and an opportunity for the UK to intervene, given our relative strengths:

Structural Change and Economic Growth (STEG). DFID will support high quality research that generates new understanding on the process of and options for enhancing structural change, productivity and growth that have clear policy and programme relevance and can be put into practice in developing countries.

DFID intends to award a contractor in circa 2019 for an initial term of 5 years with a budget of GBP 12 000 000.

DFID may extend the duration up to an additional 4 years with a total contract value of GBP 22 000 000.

The impact of this programme is that ‘developing country governments, NGOs and the private sector design and implement strategies, policies and programmes which better facilitate productivity gains, structural change and sustained growth’. The purpose of the programme is to design and deliver a programme of research and to foster significant uptake of the research findings, ultimately promoting structural change and growth in developing countries. The outcome of this programme will be new understanding of:

1) the process of, and

2) options for enhancing structural change, productivity and growth in low to middle income countries.