Building international projects: how to collaborate and deliver success

Key learnings for successful international collaboration

Over the past year, our Climate-Smart Agriculture Partnership: UK-Brazil-Africa programme has brought together people and organisations from across the UK, Brazil, Ghana and Nigeria to support climate-smart agriculture in Africa. Through its Innovation Awards, international project teams have collaborated to develop and test climate-smart innovations for agriculture.

Project partners share what they have learned, and what they would recommend to others looking to undertake international collaborative projects. These tips will be useful for anyone looking to build international collaborations or working on multi-partner projects.

1. Ensure genuine complementarity between partners

Several partners warned against “adding partners just because it’s trilateral”. Strong projects had a natural fit where each partner brought an essential piece of the solution.

2. Allocate time for relationship-building and travel

Success depended heavily on people who were responsive, willing to travel, and genuinely invested. As one partner put it, “personalities, passion, and shared goals mattered as much as technical expertise”.

Teams with prior collaborations moved faster, trusted each other more, and navigated challenges more smoothly. Partners emphasised that existing relationships were especially valuable for short-term projects.

3. Embrace the diversity of expertise

Projects thrived when partners brought different scientific, technical, and market perspectives. This diversity created richer solutions and stronger learning for everyone involved.

4. Prioritise strong project coordination

Tools like shared trackers, clear documentation, and regular check-ins helped teams stay aligned. Good leadership also held projects together and ensured any logistical challenges were navigated successfully.

5. Keep the project scope tight and focused

With short timelines, partners stressed the importance of tackling one or two clear problems, not trying to do everything. Focused projects delivered better results and were easier to manage.

6. Understand institutional and regulatory realities before you begin

Universities and businesses all operate differently. Partners recommended discussing “rules of engagement” upfront to avoid surprises and preparing collaboration agreements early on. Understanding how long logistical issues take, such as shipments of project materials between countries, can prevent delays.

7. Plan for cash-flow needs under reimbursement funding models

Businesses stressed the need to assess whether they can absorb upfront costs and to be clear how the project aligns with long-term business strategy.

Find out more

The Climate-Smart Agriculture Partnership: UK-Brazil-Africa is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and delivered by Innovate UK.

To discuss this programme, its projects, or potential future collaborations, please get in touch with our expert Joanna Scales.