Putting Data and Innovation to Work for the SDGs: the Data Innovation Fund Photos from the Data Innovation Fund (DIF) project teams Progress toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is contingent on the availability of good quality data, and no small amount of innovation. However, persistent data gaps plague low- and middle-income countries, due to a range of challenges, such as statistical capacity constraints, insufficient access to or use of data collection tools and technologies, the lack of public-private partnerships to enable access to actionable data from the private sector, and more. The DIF issued three international calls for innovative proposals in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Each round underwent a rigorous review and selection process; out of more than 900 proposals, a team of judges selected 38 projects which targeted data priorities in support of SDGs across all regions. The highest percentage of projects took place in Sub-Saharan Africa (59% of the total), and SDG 11 (“Sustainable cities and communities”) received the largest proportion of support.