UNHCR Refugee-led Innovation Fund for refugee-led organizations in all countries (up to 45,000 USD in funding): APPLY NOW!
UNHCR Refugee-led Innovation Fund
Championing the creativity of all displaced people
The UNHCR Refugee-led Innovation Fund is currently open to applications from refugee-led organizations in all countries. Applications close 31 May 2024 at 23:59 Panama time.
UNHCR colleagues seeking support for innovative ideas should explore our Funds focusing on data, digital, and environment and climate action innovation. See all Innovation Funds here.
Refugee-led Innovation Fund Vision and objective
The Refugee-led Innovation Fund champions the creativity of all displaced and stateless people. It aims to reshape their participation in the delivery of humanitarian work by ensuring they take centre stage in the decisions affecting their lives, leading the identification of needs and the design of innovative solutions.
The Fund provides holistic support – combining financial resources, mentoring, and other expertise – directly to refugee-led organizations, to enable them to design and deliver new interventions that have a lasting positive impact on their communities.
About the Refugee-led Innovation Fund
Organizations led by displaced and stateless people make remarkable contributions to their communities but face considerable challenges accessing direct and flexible funding. Too often, they are excluded from existing networks of entrepreneurs and innovators, resulting in poor access to knowledge, information, and resources that could help them amplify their impact.
The Refugee-led Innovation Fund proposes a fundamental shift in programme architecture. It takes a grassroot approach whereby people who have experienced forced displacement are directly provided with meaningful financial resources and support to implement innovative approaches.
Who can apply
- The Refugee-led Innovation Fund supports innovation by all organizations led by people with lived experience of forced displacement, including refugees, asylum-seekers, the internally displaced, returnees, and stateless people that are recognized within their communities due to their past significant contributions.
- Applicants are asked to apply as a team, usually as part of an existing organization.
- The Fund accepts applications from both registered and unregistered organizations that are well known in their communities due to their past significant contributions and initiatives.
- Additional attention will be given to ensuring organizations led by LGBTIQ+ persons, women, people with disabilities, Indigenous populations and other underrepresented groups receive support and encouragement to apply to the Fund.
What the Fund offers
Selected organizations can expect the following:
- Financial support: Organizations can apply for up to 45,000 USD in funding to test and implement ideas with strong community-approaches that generate value for community members, not specifically linked to any thematic area or technology.
- Programme and project management support: Grantees will receive assistance from UNHCR and experts to help build their capacity to design and implement programmes effectively.
- Technical support, expertise, and coaching: Needs-based specialist advice will be offered, on topics ranging from technology to legal support and innovation methodologies.
- Peer-to-peer networking: Supported organizations will be encouraged to engage with each other, share experiences, learn from each other, and explore partnerships.
Other support, based on project needs: This could include organizational support, help with project sustainability and scale, training on specific topics, business model advice, and media and communications support. - An emphasis on learning: Support will be provided to enable grantees to measure outcomes, assess their impact, and gather information to support growth. They will be encouraged to document, share, and make use of relevant learnings. Discussion and reflection with their communities will enable them to incorporate and respond to feedback.
How to apply
Applications go through a two-stage selection process.
- In the first stage, organizations are invited to submit a brief expression of interest by 31 May 2024 at 23:59 EST (Panama time; UTC-5) in the language of their preference. This expression of interest (EOI) will provide a short overview of the identified challenge and proposed solution. The Innovation Service will review these applications and identify a shortlist of applications.
- In the second stage, shortlisted organizations will have a further three weeks to submit a full application. They will receive support from the Innovation Service and UNHCR country offices to develop and submit these detailed applications.
Meet our 2024 awardees
Refugee-inclusive research for more effective policy – De Spiegel Onderzoek en Advies – Netherlands
Mentorship and capacity-building for refugee-led social enterprises – Bridging Gaps & Afri-Youth Network – Uganda
Roots of Resilience: Environmental therapy for psychosocial wellbeing – Syria Bright Future – Syria
Village Savings and Loans Associations for economic empowerment – Refugee Welfare Committee – Lesotho
Biblio-Huerta: Plants that heal – Bloque Costa Caribe Nicaragüense en el Exilio (BCCE) – Costa Rica
Microfinancing for refugee entrepreneurs – Skylight Ventures – United Kingdom
Coordination of blood donors and reduction of financial burdens – Nayapara Rohingya Blood Donation Organisation (NRBDO) – Bangladesh
Inclusive banking KYC for refugees – Welcome Place – France
Creative and digital hub to foster economic integration – Fundación MUEVE – Ecuador
Sustaining academic motivation for refugee children – Let’s Read – Jordan
Weaving Futures: Sustainable livelihoods – Associação Dos Migrantes Indigenas Roraimö (AMIR) – Brazil
Enhancing refugee and host community nutrition through sprout farming – Kalobeiyei Initiative 4 Better Life – Kenya
Kugawana: Connecting refugees and neighbors to fight food waste – Association of Refugee Women in Uganda – Uganda
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