Deadline: 23-Jun-2026
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Armenia is inviting applications under its “NEST: National Ecosystem for Skills and Technology” initiative to strengthen digital literacy, AI literacy, cybersecurity, employability, and entrepreneurship skills across Armenia. The program offers funding of up to USD 40,000 for organizations delivering structured hybrid training and capacity-building programs with a special focus on inclusion in the Marzes of Armenia.
The 4.5-month initiative targets youth, women, displaced populations, public servants, and vulnerable groups through integrated upskilling programs that combine digital skills, soft skills, entrepreneurship, and employment readiness training.
What is the UNDP Armenia Innovation Challenge?
The UNDP Armenia Innovation Challenge is a skills development and capacity-building initiative designed to strengthen Armenia’s digital and AI literacy ecosystem. The program is implemented under UNDP Armenia’s “NEST: National Ecosystem for Skills and Technology” initiative, which focuses on improving digital infrastructure, workforce readiness, institutional capacity, and inclusive human capital development.
The challenge supports organizations that can design and implement structured training programs combining digital literacy, cybersecurity, AI literacy, employability skills, and entrepreneurship development into a single integrated course.
The initiative also supports regional inclusion by ensuring participation from communities across Armenia, particularly in the Marzes.
Program Objectives
The initiative aims to:
- Improve digital and AI literacy across Armenia.
- Strengthen cybersecurity awareness and technical skills.
- Enhance employability and workforce readiness.
- Promote entrepreneurship and innovation.
- Support human capital development and institutional strengthening.
- Increase inclusion and participation from regional communities.
- Strengthen Armenia’s national skills and technology ecosystem.
Key Focus Areas
The Innovation Challenge focuses on multiple skill development and capacity-building areas.
Supported areas include:
- Digital literacy.
- Cybersecurity education.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy.
- Soft skills development.
- Employability enhancement.
- Entrepreneurship training.
- Curriculum and course design.
- Human capital development.
- Institutional capacity building.
- Regional and social inclusion.
The initiative particularly promotes integrated and practical learning approaches that improve both employment opportunities and entrepreneurial potential.
Funding and Program Duration
The Innovation Challenge provides:
- Funding of up to USD 40,000.
The program duration is:
- 4.5 months.
Selected organizations are expected to implement all activities within the specified project timeline.
About the NEST Initiative
The Innovation Challenge is part of UNDP Armenia’s broader “NEST: National Ecosystem for Skills and Technology” initiative.
The NEST initiative focuses on:
- Strengthening digital and AI literacy infrastructure.
- Building national workforce readiness.
- Supporting policy and institutional development.
- Promoting innovative learning and incentive mechanisms.
- Improving curriculum design and skills training systems.
- Expanding inclusive access to technology education.
The initiative contributes to Armenia’s long-term digital transformation and economic development goals.
What Selected Partners Must Deliver
Selected implementing partners are required to design and deliver a structured upskilling course that integrates multiple competencies into one training program.
The course must include:
- Digital literacy training.
- Cybersecurity education.
- AI literacy modules.
- Soft skills and communication development.
- Employability enhancement activities.
- Entrepreneurship and business development support.
The course should also include:
- Behavioral and motivational learning components.
- Job activation support.
- Entrepreneurial mindset development.
Training Delivery Requirements
The program must be delivered through a hybrid learning model across Armenia.
Training requirements include:
- At least 20 classroom learning hours.
- At least 10 online learning hours.
- Maximum of 22 participants per class.
- Regional accessibility and inclusion.
- Provision of required learning resources to participants.
The program must ensure accessibility and participation for learners from different regions, particularly the Marzes.
Required Training Team
Selected partners must engage qualified experts to deliver the program.
The implementation team must include:
- At least one digital, AI, or cybersecurity specialist.
- At least one soft skills development specialist.
Partners are encouraged to involve trainers and facilitators with practical industry and educational experience.
Participant Recruitment Requirements
Selected organizations are responsible for recruiting and engaging participants from across Armenia.
Special attention must be given to:
- Regional inclusion.
- Participation from Marzes.
- Diversity and accessibility.
Partners must also maintain participant databases containing:
- Demographic information.
- Participation and engagement data.
- Monitoring and evaluation information.
Additional Program Components
The Innovation Challenge includes several participant engagement and support activities.
Required components include:
- Peer support mechanisms.
- Team-building activities.
- At least two inspirational speaker sessions per course.
- Motivation and engagement activities.
- Psycho-social support where necessary.
These activities are intended to improve learner motivation, reduce participant dropouts, and strengthen successful course completion.
Employment and Entrepreneurship Packages
Participants are expected to complete both employment and entrepreneurship development components.
Employment Package
Participants must develop:
- Professional CVs.
- Motivation letters.
- Interview preparation materials.
- Job readiness and employability skills.
Entrepreneurship Package
Participants must also prepare:
- A micro-business concept.
- Basic business plans.
- Market research activities.
- Budgeting plans.
- Marketing and promotion strategies.
These components help participants strengthen both employment and self-employment opportunities.
Assessment and Certification
Learning outcomes will be evaluated using structured assessment methods.
Assessment activities include:
- Pre-training tests.
- Post-training tests.
- Final assignments and evaluations.
- Skills assessment activities.
Successful participants will receive:
- Certification upon course completion.
The assessment system ensures accountability and measurable learning outcomes.
Reporting and Monitoring Requirements
Selected partners are required to submit regular reports to UNDP Armenia throughout the project period.
Required reporting may include:
- Recruitment reports.
- Interim progress reports.
- Final implementation reports.
- Monitoring and evaluation data.
- Participant engagement and attendance information.
Partners must also support:
- Monitoring visits.
- Evaluation activities.
- Participant feedback collection.
These systems help ensure program quality and impact measurement.
Who is Eligible to Participate?
The program targets several population groups across Armenia.
Eligible target participants include:
- High school students aged 15–17.
- Youth aged 18–29.
- Women aged 30–40.
- Recipients of social and family benefits.
- People displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh.
- Public servants from Yerevan and the Marzes of Armenia.
The initiative strongly promotes inclusion and regional participation.
Why This Initiative Matters
The UNDP Armenia Innovation Challenge supports Armenia’s transition toward a more digitally skilled, resilient, and inclusive workforce.
Key benefits include:
- Strengthening digital and AI skills development.
- Improving employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
- Expanding access to technology education in regional areas.
- Supporting vulnerable and underrepresented populations.
- Building institutional and workforce capacity.
- Promoting innovation and economic resilience.
- Supporting Armenia’s digital transformation goals.
The initiative also helps bridge regional and social gaps in digital access and workforce readiness.
Tips for Preparing a Strong Application
Organizations can improve their applications by focusing on the following areas:
- Design practical and context-relevant training programs.
- Demonstrate strong expertise in digital and AI education.
- Include clear participant engagement and support strategies.
- Show regional outreach and inclusion capacity.
- Provide realistic implementation plans and timelines.
- Include experienced trainers and technical experts.
- Demonstrate strong monitoring and evaluation approaches.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid the following issues:
- Submitting unclear or incomplete training methodologies.
- Failing to integrate all required learning components.
- Weak regional inclusion and outreach strategies.
- Insufficient trainer qualifications or expertise.
- Unrealistic implementation timelines or participant targets.
- Weak monitoring and reporting systems.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the maximum funding available?
Selected partners can receive funding of up to USD 40,000.
What is the program duration?
The total implementation period is 4.5 months.
What skills areas are supported?
The program supports digital literacy, AI literacy, cybersecurity, employability, entrepreneurship, and soft skills development.
Who are the target participants?
Target participants include youth, women, displaced populations, social benefit recipients, public servants, and students across Armenia.
Is the program delivered online or in-person?
The program must use a hybrid delivery model that includes both classroom and online learning.
What are the training hour requirements?
The course must include at least 20 classroom hours and 10 online learning hours.
Are implementing partners required to provide reports?
Yes. Selected partners must submit recruitment, interim, and final reports along with monitoring and evaluation information.
Conclusion
The UNDP Armenia Innovation Challenge provides important funding and partnership opportunities for organizations working to strengthen digital, AI, employability, and entrepreneurship skills across Armenia. Through the NEST initiative, the program supports inclusive workforce development, institutional capacity building, and regional participation with a strong focus on future-ready skills and digital transformation.
By combining technical education, soft skills, entrepreneurship support, and participant engagement activities, the initiative contributes to Armenia’s long-term economic resilience and human capital development. Organizations with expertise in digital training, youth engagement, and inclusive education are encouraged to develop strong and innovative applications for this opportunity.
For more information, visit UNDP.