UNHCR Innovation Accelerator Funding for Humanitarian Solutions

The UNHCR Innovation Accelerator supports organizations with proven innovations that improve the lives of forcibly displaced and stateless people by helping them scale beyond successful pilot projects. The programme provides catalytic funding, technical assistance, mentoring, partnership development, evidence generation, and resource mobilization support to enable long-term, system-level impact.

UNHCR Innovation Accelerator Overview

The UNHCR Innovation Accelerator is a global initiative led by UNHCR Innovation in partnership with internal and external stakeholders and supported by the Government of Luxembourg. The programme is designed to help tested innovations transition from successful pilot projects to sustainable, large-scale solutions that improve protection and assistance for refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, returnees, and stateless people.

Many humanitarian innovations demonstrate positive results during pilot implementation but struggle to expand due to limited funding, partnerships, technical capacity, or operational integration. The Accelerator addresses this challenge by supporting high-potential initiatives that have already demonstrated proof of concept and are ready to scale across different operational contexts.

Rather than funding early-stage ideas, the programme focuses on strengthening existing innovations through technical expertise, strategic planning, partnership building, operational support, evidence generation, and catalytic funding. The overall goal is to increase long-term sustainability, institutional adoption, and system-wide impact while encouraging collaborative and community-driven approaches.

Programme Objectives

The UNHCR Innovation Accelerator aims to:

• Scale proven humanitarian innovations.
• Improve protection outcomes for forcibly displaced and stateless people.
• Support long-term sustainability of innovative solutions.
• Strengthen institutional adoption of successful initiatives.
• Build evidence for scaling and replication.
• Encourage cross-sector collaboration.
• Improve operational readiness.
• Mobilize additional financial resources.
• Strengthen innovation ecosystems across humanitarian settings.

Priority Focus Areas

The Accelerator supports initiatives related to:

• Humanitarian innovation
• Refugee protection
• Statelessness solutions
• Forced displacement
• Evidence generation
• Learning and knowledge sharing
• Sustainability planning
• Strategy and governance
• Partnership development
• Resource mobilization
• Technical assistance
• Operational readiness
• Innovation scaling
• System-level impact
• Collaborative humanitarian approaches

Why This Accelerator Matters

Innovative humanitarian solutions often demonstrate strong results during pilot implementation but face significant barriers when attempting to expand into larger programmes.

The UNHCR Innovation Accelerator helps bridge this gap by providing the expertise, partnerships, and resources needed to transform successful pilot projects into sustainable humanitarian solutions.

The programme enables organizations to:

• Expand successful innovations.
• Improve services for displaced communities.
• Build stronger partnerships.
• Increase organizational capacity.
• Generate evidence for wider adoption.
• Attract additional funding.
• Improve long-term programme sustainability.

Ultimately, the Accelerator contributes to stronger humanitarian systems capable of responding more effectively to displacement challenges worldwide.

Support Available

Selected initiatives receive a comprehensive package of support that may include:

• Catalytic funding
• Technical assistance
• Strategic mentoring
• Operational guidance
• Partnership brokering
• Networking opportunities
• Evidence generation support
• Learning and capacity building
• Resource mobilization assistance
• Fundraising guidance
• Communication and storytelling support
• Support for testing innovations in new operational contexts
• Assistance with scaling strategies
• Institutional integration support

The type and level of support are tailored to each selected initiative’s scaling needs.

Who Is Eligible?

The Accelerator is intended for organizations with proven innovations that have already demonstrated successful pilot implementation.

Eligible applicants may include:

• UNHCR country or regional operations
• Refugee-led organizations
• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
• United Nations agencies
• Government institutions
• Academic and research organizations
• Private sector organizations
• Development organizations
• Social enterprises
• Multi-stakeholder partnerships

Applicants are encouraged to build collaborative partnerships that combine operational, technical, strategic, and community expertise.

Eligible Innovations

Projects should:

• Demonstrate an existing proof of concept.
• Show successful pilot implementation.
• Address challenges faced by forcibly displaced or stateless populations.
• Demonstrate operational testing.
• Include evidence of positive outcomes.
• Show user validation.
• Have strong potential for scaling.
• Demonstrate long-term sustainability potential.

The programme focuses on scaling existing solutions rather than supporting ideas that are still at the concept stage.

Partnership Opportunities

The Accelerator encourages collaboration among:

• Refugee-led organizations
• UNHCR operations
• Governments
• NGOs
• Academic institutions
• Private sector companies
• Development partners
• Donors
• Researchers
• Innovation ecosystems

These partnerships strengthen implementation capacity and improve opportunities for sustainable scaling.

How the Accelerator Supports Scaling

Selected teams receive tailored support to strengthen multiple aspects of their innovation journey, including:

• Strategy development
• Multi-year planning
• Operational readiness
• Institutional adoption
• Partnership development
• Evidence generation
• Monitoring and learning
• Technical improvements
• Resource mobilization
• Sustainability planning

The programme also supports organizations in adapting innovations to new geographical and operational contexts.

How to Apply

Step 1: Submit an Expression of Interest

Organizations with proven innovations should submit an initial Expression of Interest (EOI) describing:

• The innovation.
• Existing pilot implementation.
• Evidence of impact.
• Scaling potential.
• Partnership approach.

Applicants are encouraged to include partners with complementary expertise.

Step 2: Prepare the Full Proposal

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit a detailed proposal led by or jointly developed with UNHCR teams or refugee-led organizations.

The proposal should include:

• Proof of concept.
• Pilot results.
• User validation.
• Scaling strategy.
• Sustainability plan.
• Partnership structure.
• Expected outcomes.

Step 3: Participate in the Pitch Process

Shortlisted teams present their innovation during the final selection stage.

Presentations should demonstrate:

• Technical quality.
• Innovation potential.
• Strategic relevance.
• Partnership readiness.
• Operational feasibility.
• Long-term sustainability.

Step 4: Selection and Accelerator Support

Successful initiatives enter the Accelerator programme and receive tailored support based on their individual scaling pathway.

Support may include technical assistance, funding, mentoring, partnership development, operational guidance, and evidence-building activities.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid:

• Applying with ideas that have not been tested.
• Failing to demonstrate proof of concept.
• Providing weak evidence of impact.
• Not including appropriate partners.
• Presenting unrealistic scaling plans.
• Ignoring sustainability considerations.
• Submitting incomplete proposals.

Tips for a Strong Application

To strengthen your proposal:

• Demonstrate measurable pilot results.
• Clearly explain the innovation.
• Show strong evidence of user validation.
• Develop a realistic scaling strategy.
• Include diverse implementation partners.
• Present a sustainable long-term vision.
• Highlight operational readiness.
• Explain how the innovation improves protection outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the UNHCR Innovation Accelerator?

It is a global programme that helps proven humanitarian innovations scale beyond successful pilot projects to achieve sustainable, system-level impact for forcibly displaced and stateless people.

Who leads the programme?

The initiative is led by UNHCR Innovation with support from the Government of Luxembourg and multiple humanitarian, development, academic, and private sector partners.

Who can apply?

Eligible applicants include UNHCR teams, refugee-led organizations, NGOs, governments, UN agencies, research institutions, private sector organizations, and collaborative partnerships with proven innovations.

Does the programme provide funding?

Yes. Selected initiatives may receive catalytic funding, along with technical support, mentoring, partnership development, and resource mobilization assistance.

What kinds of innovations are eligible?

The programme supports innovations that have already demonstrated proof of concept through successful pilot implementation and are ready to scale.

How are applications evaluated?

Applications are assessed based on proof of concept, technical quality, partnership readiness, strategic relevance, sustainability, operational feasibility, and scaling potential.

What are the stages of the selection process?

The process includes an Expression of Interest, a Full Proposal, and a Final Pitch and Selection stage before successful teams enter the Accelerator programme.

Conclusion

The UNHCR Innovation Accelerator provides a unique opportunity for organizations with proven humanitarian innovations to move beyond pilot implementation and achieve sustainable, large-scale impact. By combining catalytic funding, technical expertise, strategic mentoring, partnership development, and evidence-based scaling support, the programme helps innovative solutions strengthen protection outcomes and improve the lives of forcibly displaced and stateless people around the world.