IDB Group Unveils Six Finalists for Superheroes of Development 2024 Awards

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group has announced the six finalists for its prestigious Superheroes of Development initiative, which celebrates innovation, resilience, and knowledge-sharing in Bank-funded projects across Latin America and the Caribbean. The winners will be honored at a high-profile ceremony in Washington, D.C., on October 8, recognizing their outstanding contributions to improving lives in the region.

Finalists: Transformative Projects Across the Region

The six projects selected demonstrate how diverse approaches to development can overcome challenges and generate replicable lessons for other nations. The finalists are:

• Bolivia: Communities in Transformation: Self-governance and financial inclusion (IDB Lab) – Strengthening local communities through grassroots financial inclusion models.

• Brazil: Hospital Albert Einstein: Private management of public hospitals can save lives (IDB Invest) – Showcasing how private-sector management can improve efficiency and healthcare outcomes in public hospitals.

• Honduras: Program to Foster Camaraderie at Schools in Honduras (IDB) – Focusing on student well-being, community engagement, and reducing violence in schools.

• Panama: From Crisis to Legacy for Latin America: Surviving, transforming and transcending (IDB Lab) – Highlighting resilience strategies that turn crisis-driven challenges into opportunities for long-term growth.

• Panama: Sparks of Connection: Electrifying hope in Panama's remote communities (IDB) – Bringing electricity and clean energy solutions to marginalized rural areas.

• Peru: Internet For All, Connecting the Unconnected (IDB Invest) – Tackling digital exclusion by expanding affordable internet access in underserved regions.

These projects stand out not only for their impact but also for their adaptability, as they have navigated obstacles during implementation and produced transformational solutions that can be applied across borders.

Sharing Knowledge Across the Region

Superheroes of Development is an initiative of BIDAcademy, the IDB Group’s knowledge and learning platform. It underscores the Bank’s role as the “knowledge bank” of Latin America and the Caribbean, dedicated to capturing and sharing lessons learned to strengthen current and future development projects.

By systematically disseminating insights, the IDB ensures that effective practices reach policymakers, development practitioners, and local communities, helping maximize the effectiveness and impact of development financing.

Selection and Evaluation

The finalists were chosen through a rigorous selection process led by a panel of IDB Group experts. They were evaluated across two categories:

1. IDB and IDB Lab projects that are ongoing or concluded since January 2016.

2. IDB Invest projects with completed or ongoing final evaluation reports (Expanded Supervision Report—XSR).

On October 8, the six finalists will present their projects before a panel of senior IDB officials. From these, three winners will be selected, recognized for their excellence in learning, innovation, and resilience.

A Platform for Inspiration

The awards ceremony, which will be open to the public both in-person and online, aims not only to celebrate the finalists but also to inspire knowledge transfer across the region. By highlighting practical lessons and success stories, the IDB hopes to help other countries replicate effective solutions, adapt them to local contexts, and avoid repeating mistakes.

The initiative ultimately reinforces the IDB Group’s mission: to foster sustainable, inclusive development by learning from real-world experiences and promoting the scaling-up of what works best.

As the finalists prepare for the final round, their projects represent the best of innovation, collaboration, and commitment to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean—true “superheroes of development.”