Grassroots innovations (GRIs) emerge from communities as context-driven solutions to local challenges. These innovations mobilise tacit knowledge, social capital, and frugal materials to create practical, affordable, and inclusive technologies. In Malaysia, GRIs take root in rural and peri-urban settings, where innovators respond to livelihood and infrastructural gaps through informal and iterative experimentation. Case evidence from local agricultural and energy contexts demonstrates how innovators—despite limited formal education—develop tools and systems that significantly enhance productivity and community resilience. In general, GRIs typically evolve through two stages: an initial phase of local ideation and problem-solving, followed by trans-local dissemination and institutional engagement. Governance and policy interventions often arrive late or misalign with grassroots logic, risking over formalisation and detachment from real needs. Effective support requires decentralised, flexible, and participatory approaches that empower communities while respecting their autonomy. Multi-level governance involving non-governmental organisations (NGOs), research institutions, local councils, and national agencies can foster enabling ecosystems through peer learning, resource mobilisation, and policy recognition.