C3 LABS - C3 - Collaboration for Complex Challenges

What is a C3 Lab?
WHERE COLLABORATION GETS TESTED
C3 Labs are live, experimental spaces where collaboration isn’t just talked about, it’s facilitated, supported, piloted and scaled.
Each Lab brings together systems change leaders from across institutions, sectors, and perspectives to tackle complex challenges at their roots.
From climate to food to biodiversity, our approach goes beyond silver bullet solutions and technical fixes.
We work on the messy stuff: broken relationships, misaligned incentives and rigid systems that resist change.
WHY IT MATTERS
C3 Labs are designed to change how change happens by working across the inner (mindsets), the relational (partnerships), and the structural (systems).
It's not a workshop series
It's not a siloed pilot
It's not a one off training
It’s where institutional transformation begins.
What Happens in a Lab?

Most Labs runs over 12 months and include:
A curated cohort of 30 Fellows who are systems thinkers, and in positions of significant leadership, from government, the private sector, development practitioners, civil society and academia.
In person, residential retreats, peer learning and coaching, with multiple virtual touch points.
Cross-sector Fellows explore collaboration and partnership opportunities accelerating existing initiatives and projects and, in addition, often leading to the design and implementation of new initiatives and programmes.
Support from facilitators, researchers, and policy advisors for over 12 months.
Where We Go,
Where We Focus
Types of C3 Labs
*The first phase of C3 Labs is being launched with an initial US$1.9 million in seed funding from the Global Environment Facility, starting with a focus on the climate-biodiversity-food systems nexus. Country Labs will take place in Thailand and Kenya.
City Labs
Urban-focused labs working at the intersection of local governance, infrastructure, and community innovation.
Country Labs*
National-level collaborations focused on urgent and important nexus issues.
Regional Labs
Cross-country or thematic collaborations across shared ecological, bio-regions, landscape or geopolitical contexts.
Global Labs*
Labs are tailored to connect learning across other Labs and generate collaborations and partnerships focused on nexus issues.
Get Involved

Whether you're a policy actor, practitioner, or potential host, find out how you can bring a C3 Lab to your country, city or region.

HOST A LAB
BECOME A LAB FELLOW

We are a multi-partner collective led by UNDP,  FAO, UNEP and Wageningen Social and Economic Research Center. Seed funding is provided by the Global Environment Facility. The founding coalition of partners for C3 includes UNDP (led by the Global UNDP Food Systems Team of the UNDP Nature Hub), Wageningen Social & Economic Research, FAO and UNEP. This visual presentation is for learning and information purposes only.
(c) 2025. All Rights Reserved. C3 Labs Comms & Brand World created by C3 Creatives in Residence Sophie Rucker & Max Lilley. 

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Join

What is a C3 Lab?

WHERE COLLABORATION GETS TESTED

WHY IT MATTERS

What Happens in a Lab?

Most Labs runs over 12 months and include:

Where We Go,Where We Focus

Types of C3 Labs

*The first phase of C3 Labs is being launched with an initial US$1.9 million in seed funding from the Global Environment Facility, starting with a focus on the climate-biodiversity-food systems nexus. Country Labs will take place in Thailand and Kenya.

City Labs

Country Labs*

Regional Labs

Global Labs*

Get Involved

Whether you're a policy actor, practitioner, or potential host, find out how you can bring a C3 Lab to your country, city or region.

Where We Go,
Where We Focus