The North's first lab for social innovation.
ஒன்றாகச் சிந்திப்போம், ஒன்றாகச் செய்வோம்.Let's think together. Let's build together.
Idea Factory is a social innovations lab in Jaffna. We bring together the people who live with a problem and the people who can help solve it, then test ideas in real communities across the Northern Province until they work.
About the lab
Good ideas already exist in the North. What is often missing is a place to test them, the right people around the table, and the patience to keep improving them.
We help communities in Northern Sri Lanka design, test and grow their own answers to local problems.
Idea Factory is a space for residents, students, entrepreneurs, public officers, researchers and the diaspora to work on the same challenge together. We run hands-on programmes, support early ideas, and stay with the best ones until they are ready to stand on their own.
- Community firstThe people affected by a problem help decide what solving it looks like.
- Made hereIdeas are built with local skills, materials and knowledge, in Tamil first.
- Test before scalingSmall, cheap experiments before big promises.
- Open by defaultWe share what we learn, including what didn't work.
Where we focus
We start from challenges people in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya name for themselves. These are the areas we hear about most.
Sea and lagoon livelihoods
Fair prices, cold storage and new markets for fishing families along the coast and the islands.
Farming and land
Helping small farmers add value to onions, chillies, grapes and palmyrah products.
Water
Practical answers to groundwater salinity and drought for households and farms on the peninsula.
Youth and work
Turning skills into local jobs and ventures so young people can build a future at home.
Women-led enterprise
Support for women-headed households and the businesses they run.
Learning
New ways for schools, libraries and families to learn together, in Tamil first.
How a project moves through the lab
We don't arrive with answers. Each project follows the same path, and the community is in the room at every step.
Listen
Spend time in the village, the market or the school. Hear the problem from the people who live it.
Frame
Agree on one clear question worth solving, and who needs to be part of answering it.
Prototype
Build cheap, quick versions of several ideas with local makers, students and experts.
Test locally
Try the best ideas with real users. Keep what works, drop what doesn't, and try again.
Grow
Hand working solutions to the community, a local business or a public partner to run and expand.
Programmes
Four ways to work with the lab, from a single afternoon to a long-term partnership.
Challenge Labs
For anyone with time to giveShort, intense sprints on one community challenge. Mixed teams of residents, students and professionals design and test solutions together.
What to expect
- A real challenge brought by a community group
- Field visits and interviews
- Prototyping with coaches
- A showcase to the community and partners
Innovators Fellowship
For founders and teamsA cohort programme for early-stage social entrepreneurs from the North, with mentoring, workspace and help finding first customers and funding.
What to expect
- Regular mentoring sessions
- Use of the lab space
- Customer testing in the field
- Introductions to funders and partners
Community Studio
For everyoneOpen days where people drop in with a problem or an idea and leave with a next step, a contact or a collaborator.
What to expect
- No application needed
- One-to-one conversations with the team
- Tamil, English and Sinhala spoken
Partner Projects
For organisationsWe work with local government, NGOs, universities and the diaspora to design and test services with the people they serve.
What to expect
- A scoping conversation
- A co-designed project plan
- Community research and testing
- Shared learning and reports
Get involved
Idea Factory works because many people bring a little of what they know. Pick where you fit and we'll take it from there.
Questions people ask
Can't find your answer? Send us a message.
Who can take part?
Anyone who cares about the North. Residents, students, farmers, fishers, teachers, public officers, business owners and members of the diaspora all take part in different programmes.
Do I need a finished idea?
No. Many people come with only a problem they want to fix. Our process starts with understanding the problem, not with a ready-made solution.
What languages do you work in?
We work mainly in Tamil and English, and can support Sinhala speakers too.
Does it cost anything?
Community Studio days are open to everyone. Any costs for other programmes are shared when applications open. Write to us if cost is a barrier.
I live abroad. Can I help?
Yes. Diaspora members mentor online, connect us to expertise, and support projects in their home villages. Use the "Partner or fund" or "Mentor or volunteer" form to start.
Where is the lab?
We are based in Jaffna and run activities across all five districts of the Northern Province. Book a visit and we'll send you directions.
Get lab news
Hear when programmes open and what we're learning. Once a month at most.
Contact us
Write to us, or come by during a Community Studio day. We speak Tamil, English and Sinhala.
- info@ideafactory.lk
- Where
- Jaffna, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
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