The Spark Fund for Collaboration Returns

September 29, 2026

No one knows where the next great idea will come from. It might begin when two leaders compare what they have tried: one sees a possibility in the other’s experience, and together they imagine something neither would have pursued alone.

Across Rising Tide Foundation’s (RTF) Freedom in Practice community, partners share a belief in the value and agency of individuals. Yet each brings knowledge shaped by different experiences. When they learn from one another, they can see familiar challenges in new ways and discover possibilities neither could have developed in isolation.

That kind of exchange is at the heart of writer Matt Ridley’s view of innovation: when people share what they know, their ideas meet and combine, opening unexpected possibilities and driving us forward. But turning what emerges into action takes more than a conversation. People need spaces and communities to meet, the chance to dream together, the freedom to test what emerges, and support to act on what they discover.

To encourage that exchange and innovation, RTF is launching the third iteration of the Spark Fund for Collaboration. Current and former RTF grantees can apply for small grants through a simplified process to develop and test a joint project involving at least two grantees.

The fund gives partners room to explore an idea together: to combine approaches, test whether something works in a new setting, and learn from the results. A collaboration does not need to begin with a fully formed answer. Its value may lie in a useful experiment, a lesson that travels across the community, or an unexpected opportunity that emerges as the partners work together.

This third iteration builds on our experience with earlier rounds and on feedback from grantees. We have added the possibility of continued support for collaborations that uncover a particularly promising opportunity and want to grow the project or reach more people. Partners can begin with a focused experiment and, if it reveals something worth pursuing, explore where to take it next.

We cannot predict which exchange will spark a new idea. We can support the conditions that allow ideas to meet—and trust the people doing the work to recognize exciting opportunities. Through the Spark Fund, we look forward to learning alongside our partners as they find creative ways to put freedom into practice.

Current and former RTF grantees who have identified a partner can write to rtfcommunity@risingtide.ch to request access to the application form or ask questions about the fund.