Vision and objective
Digital technology is reshaping humanitarian aid. UNHCR believes forcibly displaced and stateless people should have equitable access to digital technology and channels and be able to safely use them to facilitate access to lifelong learning, services, inclusion in the digital economy, leisure, and opportunities for durable solutions.
Through innovation and experimentation, the Innovation Service is looking for avenues to empower communities, create an enabling environment for digital innovation to flourish, and contribute to UNHCR’s Digital Transformation Strategy 2022–2026.
About the Fund
The Digital Innovation Fund aims to provide UNHCR and community members the space, support, tools and expertise they need to responsibly explore forward-thinking and innovative approaches to digital inclusion, digital protection, and digital services.
Building on previous rounds of what was previously known as the Digital Inclusion Fund – and adapting to emerging needs – the Fund encourages ideas to deliver meaningful and innovative digital projects developed with communities, for communities.
The Fund is designed to fairly allocate resources to support UNHCR operations to explore innovative approaches to humanitarian programming that leverage digital technology, test assumptions around digital innovation, and build an evidence-base to scale innovative models.
Who can apply
The Digital Innovation Fund is open to all colleagues in UNHCR, regardless of contract type or position. Applicants are encouraged to form multifunctional project teams, with cross-unit, cross-border, and/or cross-division composition. Team members can be located in any UNHCR field operation, regional office, multi-country office, HQ-based location, or combination thereof.
While only UNHCR teams are eligible to submit applications, teams are encouraged to collaborate with other groups – particularly refugee-led organizations, community-based organizations, and actors bringing diverse expertise. The Fund is not open to applicants external to UNHCR. If you are a refugee-led organization, you are welcome to apply to the Refugee-Led Innovation Fund.