Category
Announcement
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Published
May 6, 2025
Author
Lauren Parater

UN Global Pulse is excited to launch the Call for Applications for its Accelerator Programme! 

The UN Global Pulse Accelerator is the United Nations’ programme for turning promising innovative ideas into real-world impact at scale, ensuring that exceptional UN-led pilots reach more communities through adaptable delivery models and future-fit strategies. In a time of outstanding global challenges and rapid change, the Accelerator helps UN teams navigate complexity and drive urgent, meaningful change for people and planet.

The Accelerator is open for teams across the UN family who are working on innovative solutions and aiming to maximize their impact. The programme seeks UN-led solutions that have been piloted at least once and can provide evidence of positive outcomes.

Watch the UN Global Pulse Accelerator Programme video to hear more about the programme:

If you’re interested in applying, learn more about the programme and submit your application here by midnight on 27 May 2025 EST.

For our third cohort, we’re looking for solutions in the following areas:

  • Digital Inclusion: innovative solutions that bridge the digital divide to ensure equitable access to digital technology while safeguarding against risks and promoting digital inclusion and literacy.
  • Job Creation and Livelihoods: innovative solutions that create decent work opportunities and/or establish robust social protection systems to reduce inequalities and to eradicate poverty.
  • Climate and Biodiversity Crisis: innovative solutions that address climate change and/or biodiversity loss to ensure a sustainable, equitable, and secure future for all. 

Is my project eligible?

To be eligible to apply, the project must:

  • Be led or co-led by a UN entity (Projects run solely by non-UN entities, or those only endorsed, branded, or funded by the UN, will not be considered) ;
  • Respond to at least one of the three thematic areas mentioned above: digital inclusion, job creation and livelihoods or climate and biodiversity crisis;
  • Deliver impact to people and planet through the creation or adaptation of a product, service, process or system that adds new value by addressing an existing problem, leveraging an opportunity or responding to an anticipated need;
  • It has been piloted at least once in the local context of the challenge it seeks to solve, with evidence of positive outcomes;
  • Demonstrate how these cross-cutting themes: human rights, gender equality/ women empowerment, diversity and inclusion are taken into account; 
  • Demonstrate clearly a co-creation and human-centered approach, such as meaningful engagement for input from end users, affected populations or other local ecosystem actors.

We particularly encourage applications that:

  • Address challenges and/ or have team member(s) actively working in any of the listed priority countries. Applications from countries outside this list will still be considered if they demonstrate alignment with the other criteria.
  • Collaborate with other stakeholders across the UN System, as well as governments, private sector partners and civil society organisations.
  • Demonstrates the application of one or several UN 2.0 Quintet of Change capabilities (data, digital, behavioural science, innovation and strategic foresight) in the project and/or its design.

What are the benefits of joining the Global Pulse Accelerator Programme? 

By joining the programme, participants will: 

  • Attend an in-person workshop from 6-10 October 2025 in Finland with other UN teams.
  • Be guided by a multidisciplinary pool of experts to formulate a strategy to scale your solution.
  • Have an opportunity to receive one of three grants (USD 60,000 each) and additional tailored mentoring and technical support to implement your strategy for scaling. 
  • NOTE: UN Global Pulse will cover travel tickets, Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) and Terminal Expenses (TE) in line with United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) rules and regulations. 

Would you like to learn more about the programme?

If you’re interested in this opportunity and would like to learn more, please review the further details in our FAQs.

If you have additional questions about the programme or application process,  reach out to us: events@unglobalpulse.org 

We also encourage all interested applicants to attend an information session to learn more about the programme and have the opportunity to ask questions. Register below for one of the four upcoming sessions:

  • May 8, 2025 at 01.00 EDT / 07.00 CEST / 12.00 ICT – register here
  • May 12, 2025 at 09.00 EDT/ 15.00 CEST / 20.00 ICT   – register here
  • May 20, 2025 at 01.00 EDT / 07.00 CEST / 12.00 ICT – register here
  • May 21, 2025 at 09.00 EDT / 15.00 CEST / 20.00 ICT – register here

Want to hear more about the experiences of previous participants and get a sneak peek at the Accelerator curriculum? 

Join our webinar, hosted in collaboration with the UN Innovation Network Scaling Group, on Wednesday, May 14 at 10:00 AM CEST / 3:00 PM ICT.

We’ll share key insights from the Accelerator’s approach to drafting impactful scaling strategies. You’ll also hear directly from the two previous grant recipients, FAO’s BioDAF and WFP’s SheCan, as they reflect on their scaling journeys. Register here! 

And don’t forget to apply to the programme by 27 May 2025 EST Midnight.