What this function covers
Innovation at CLINK is practical. It starts with a problem young people recognise from their own experience, and it ends with something that has been tested with the people it is meant to serve.
Teams work through a simple sequence: understand the problem, research what already exists, design a response, build a prototype or intervention, test it, and improve it based on what they learn. Technology is used when it is genuinely the simplest reliable option, not by default.
Who it is for
Young people with ideas about problems in their communities, and teams who are already working on something and want structured support, technical validation and connections to specialists.
What we run
The Innovation Lab and the Youth Solutions Challenge sit at the centre of this function, supported by design thinking workshops, prototyping support, digital tools and solution testing. Solutions can take many forms: a campaign, a service, a product, a community intervention, a digital tool or a policy response.
How partners contribute
Specialist partners validate technical assumptions, help teams avoid preventable mistakes, and connect promising solutions to the systems and services that can sustain them. CLINK brings youth engagement, facilitation, coordination and evidence.
What we measure
We track problems identified, ideas developed, prototypes built and tested, and whether solutions are adopted, improved or continued after the pilot phase.