Welcome to the Frontier Tech Helpdesk

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The Helpdesk can help you learn about frontier and emerging tech and how it might be applied in your work.​

We can help you explore or further an idea for a cutting-edge technology or innovation that helps meet an FCDO objective.​ The Helpdesk provides tailored, short-term support for research, resources, evidence and advisory support for learning about frontier technologies across specific contexts and sectors. ​

All you need to get started is an idea or learning question.​

Open to FCDO staff and strategic partners* 

Accepts request on a rolling basis​

*Strategic partners include government officials, CSOs, university partners, NGOs, or anyone collaborating on strategic objectives with FCDO or that has a contract or a downstream contract with FCDO.

We offer support on all aspects of frontier tech and innovation, including initial idea exploration and providing research and resources on specific topics tailored to your learning questions to allow you to develop and set the foundation for testing your idea.

Our team of specialists offer the following options of support: ​

Topic Brief:​

Research and resources on high-priority frontier tech topics. ​

Document Review:

Review of business case, implementation plans, TORs, Concept Notes.

Still unsure if your request is a fit for the helpdesk? Have questions not answered by the Q&A below?

Something Else:

Other support for frontier and emerging tech that would help you.

Programme or Policy Evaluation

Synthesis, analysis, and recommendations on applying or advancing tech in FCDO policy or programming.

  • Anyone working at the FCDO and strategic partners.

    Strategic partners include government officials, CSOs, university partners, NGOs, or anyone collaborating on strategic objectives with FCDO or that has a contract or a downstream contract with FCDO.

    1. The helpdesk receives and reviews your request. We evaluate if we are best placed to support your request and let you know if we are taking it forward.

    2. If we are able to help, we will set up a scoping call to understand your needs, context, and timeline.

    3. We will share a Terms of Reference with you outlining our proposed support, deliverables, next steps and what we need from you.

    4. The Helpdesk team will prepare the agreed output and share the deliverables with you and make any revisions or edits as needed.

    5. We will ask you for feedback, and explore any further support needed.

  • We encourage any request about frontier technology and innovation that contributes to an FCDO objective. We accept requests that are at any stage of conception; all you need to get started is an idea or learning question. If needed, we can work with you to narrow down your learning questions. Requests might seek to explore:

    • The impacts and considerations of specific technologies.

    • Trends relating to tech and innovation in a certain geographic area or sector.

    • Opportunities surrounding particular development or diplomacy challenges.