Apply Now: SDG Blockchain Accelerator Program

The SDG Blockchain Accelerator is a global initiative that helps UN teams and technology innovators develop and scale blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and other emerging technology solutions for sustainable development challenges. The programme focuses on practical applications that can improve trust, transparency, efficiency, inclusion, accountability, digital payments, identity systems, supply chains, and data protection.

The Accelerator provides selected participants with a structured four-month programme combining technical mentorship, business development support, solution architecture guidance, communications assistance, and access to technology and development ecosystems.

What Is the SDG Blockchain Accelerator?

The SDG Blockchain Accelerator is designed to connect development challenges with emerging technologies that can deliver practical and measurable results.

The programme works with UN teams and technology innovators to move promising solutions beyond the pilot stage and toward responsible implementation and scale.

The initiative has already supported two global cohorts, producing 46 implementation-ready solutions. According to the programme information, 70% of these solutions have been incorporated into ongoing national or regional programmes, while 12 have already been deployed in country contexts.

Why Does the SDG Blockchain Accelerator Matter?

Many development programmes face challenges involving fragmented data, limited transparency, inefficient transactions, weak traceability, and difficulties in reaching vulnerable populations.

Blockchain, AI, and related technologies can potentially address these challenges when they are appropriately designed and integrated into existing systems.

The Accelerator focuses on technologies that can help development programmes achieve:

• Greater transparency and accountability.
• More efficient service delivery.
• Improved digital inclusion.
• Secure and trusted transactions.
• Better data management and privacy.
• Improved traceability across supply chains.
• More effective digital identity systems.
• Scalable technology solutions for national and regional programmes.

The programme prioritizes practical development outcomes rather than technology for its own sake.

Key Focus Areas

The SDG Blockchain Accelerator supports solutions addressing several important technology and development areas.

Digital Payments

Projects may explore blockchain or AI-enabled approaches that make digital payments more transparent, efficient, accessible, or secure.

Digital Identity

Technology solutions can address challenges related to identity verification, access to services, inclusion, and secure digital credentials.

Traceability and Supply Chains

Blockchain-based systems can potentially improve transparency and traceability across supply chains, helping development programmes monitor products, transactions, and resources.

Data and Privacy

Projects may focus on responsible data management, privacy protection, secure information sharing, and technologies that improve trust in digital systems.

What Support Does the Accelerator Provide?

Selected UN teams and technology innovators participate in a four-month structured acceleration process.

Support can include:

• Business development: Assistance in developing practical implementation and scaling strategies.
• Technical mentorship: Guidance from technology experts on appropriate technical approaches.
• Solution architecture: Support to design technology systems that can respond effectively to identified development challenges.
• Communications support: Assistance in communicating the value and impact of solutions.
• Ecosystem access: Opportunities to connect with relevant technology, development, and implementation partners.
• Implementation planning: Support for moving solutions toward real-world deployment.
• Post-acceleration support: Continued assistance aimed at integration and scaling.

The programme therefore helps bridge the gap between an early-stage technology pilot and an implementation-ready development solution.

Who Is Eligible?

The programme is intended for both UN entities and technology innovators that can contribute to practical sustainable development challenges.

Eligible participants can include:

• UNDP Country Offices.
• UNDP regional bureaux.
• Other UN entities presenting relevant development challenges.
• Technology companies.
• Technology innovators.
• Organisations with relevant blockchain, AI, or emerging technology capabilities.

Technology innovators should be able to contribute appropriate products, technical expertise, or implementation support.

Projects should generally:

• Be connected to an active UNDP programme or portfolio.
• Address a practical development challenge.
• Relate to one or more of the Accelerator’s focus areas.
• Have a realistic opportunity for technology-enabled implementation.
• Demonstrate potential for measurable development impact.
• Show readiness to collaborate with UN teams and relevant stakeholders.

How the SDG Blockchain Accelerator Works

The Accelerator follows a collaborative model rather than simply providing funding for technology development.

Step 1: Identify a Development Challenge

A UN team identifies a specific development problem that could potentially benefit from an emerging technology solution.

Step 2: Identify the Appropriate Technology

The programme helps participants determine whether blockchain, AI, or another emerging technology is appropriate for addressing the challenge.

Step 3: Develop the Solution

UN teams and technology innovators collaborate to refine the proposed solution, including its technical architecture, implementation model, and expected development outcomes.

Step 4: Participate in the Acceleration Programme

Selected teams participate in the four-month acceleration process and receive technical, business, communications, and ecosystem support.

Step 5: Prepare for Implementation

Solutions are developed toward an implementation-ready stage, with attention to responsible technology use, scalability, integration, and measurable impact.

Step 6: Scale and Integrate

Following acceleration, implementation planning and post-programme support can help integrate successful solutions into existing national, regional, or UN development programmes.

What Types of Projects Are a Strong Fit?

Strong proposals are likely to be those where emerging technology addresses a clearly defined development problem.

Potential examples include:

• Blockchain-enabled systems for transparent humanitarian payments.
• Digital identity solutions supporting access to essential services.
• AI-supported systems for development programme decision-making.
• Supply-chain traceability platforms.
• Privacy-preserving data-sharing solutions.
• Digital systems that improve accountability and transparency.
• Technology solutions supporting financial inclusion.
• Platforms that strengthen monitoring of development interventions.

The key consideration is not simply whether a project uses blockchain or AI, but whether the technology provides a meaningful solution to a real development challenge.

Key Benefits for Participants

Participation can provide several strategic advantages for UN teams and technology innovators.

For UN teams, the programme can help:

• Identify appropriate emerging technologies.
• Access technical expertise.
• Develop implementation-ready solutions.
• Strengthen innovation within existing programmes.
• Build partnerships with technology companies and innovators.
• Explore scalable approaches to persistent development challenges.

For technology innovators, the programme can provide:

• Access to real-world development challenges.
• Opportunities to work with UN teams.
• Technical and implementation mentorship.
• Exposure to development-sector networks.
• Support for scaling technology solutions.
• Opportunities to demonstrate measurable development impact.

Important Considerations Before Applying

Applicants should ensure that their proposed solution is connected to a genuine development need.

Key points to consider include:

• Clearly define the problem before proposing the technology.
• Explain why blockchain, AI, or another emerging technology is appropriate.
• Demonstrate how the solution can be implemented in practice.
• Identify the intended beneficiaries and stakeholders.
• Establish measurable development outcomes.
• Consider data protection, privacy, inclusion, and responsible technology principles.
• Demonstrate potential for integration with existing programmes.
• Consider how the solution could be maintained and scaled after the acceleration period.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants can strengthen their proposals by avoiding common weaknesses such as:

• Focusing on technology instead of the development problem: The solution should respond to a clearly established need.
• Using blockchain or AI without justification: Explain the specific value the technology adds.
• Lacking measurable outcomes: Define how success and development impact will be assessed.
• Ignoring scalability: Consider whether the solution can move beyond a small pilot.
• Overlooking privacy and inclusion: Responsible technology considerations should be incorporated from the beginning.
• Failing to explain collaboration: Clearly establish the roles of UN teams, technology partners, and other stakeholders.

What Makes the Accelerator Different?

The SDG Blockchain Accelerator is not simply a technology incubation programme. Its distinguishing feature is the co-development model, where development organisations and technology innovators work together to solve concrete challenges.

The programme combines:

• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Blockchain technology.
• Artificial intelligence.
• Digital transformation.
• Responsible innovation.
• Technical expertise.
• Development-sector implementation.
• Business and ecosystem support.
• Scaling and integration.

This approach is intended to increase the likelihood that technology solutions will move from experimentation into practical development programmes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SDG Blockchain Accelerator?

The SDG Blockchain Accelerator is a global programme that helps UN teams and technology innovators co-develop and scale blockchain, AI, and other emerging technology solutions addressing sustainable development challenges.

Who can participate in the SDG Blockchain Accelerator?

UNDP Country Offices, UNDP regional bureaux, other UN entities, technology companies, and technology innovators can participate, provided they meet the programme’s requirements and can contribute to relevant development challenges or technology solutions.

What technologies does the Accelerator support?

The programme focuses primarily on blockchain, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies that can improve development outcomes. Key application areas include digital payments, digital identity, traceability and supply chains, and data and privacy.

How long is the acceleration programme?

Selected participants take part in a four-month structured acceleration process. The programme is followed by implementation planning and potential post-acceleration support for scaling and integration.

Does a project need to be connected to UNDP?

Projects should be connected to an active UNDP programme or portfolio and address a practical development challenge that can benefit from an emerging technology solution.

What support do selected participants receive?

Participants can receive technical mentorship, business development assistance, solution architecture guidance, communications support, ecosystem access, implementation planning, and post-acceleration support.

What is the main objective of the programme?

The main objective is to turn promising blockchain, AI, and other emerging technology concepts into responsible, scalable, implementation-ready solutions that can address real sustainable development challenges and generate measurable impact.

Conclusion

The SDG Blockchain Accelerator provides a collaborative pathway for UN teams and technology innovators to apply blockchain, AI, and emerging technologies to real-world sustainable development challenges. With a four-month acceleration process, technical mentorship, business development support, ecosystem access, and implementation planning, the programme is designed to help promising solutions move from early-stage pilots toward scalable deployment.

For potential applicants, the strongest opportunity lies in demonstrating a clear development problem, an appropriate technology solution, measurable impact, responsible implementation, and realistic potential for scale and integration into existing programmes.