The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has officially announced the launch of the 2026 UNHCR Innovation Accelerator, a transformative initiative designed to help high-potential humanitarian innovations move beyond pilot stages into sustainable, large-scale impact.
The Expression of Interest (EoI) application process will officially open on 1 June 2026 at 10:00 AM CEST, giving organizations worldwide an opportunity to secure strategic support, catalytic funding, mentorship, partnerships, and technical guidance to scale impactful solutions for forcibly displaced and stateless populations.
The application deadline is 12 July 2026 at 11:59 PM CEST (Geneva time).
The Innovation Accelerator is led by UNHCR Innovation in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders and supported by the Government of Luxembourg.
What Is the UNHCR Innovation Accelerator?
The UNHCR Innovation Accelerator is a global initiative created to bridge the gap between successful humanitarian pilot projects and sustainable system-wide implementation.
Many humanitarian innovations demonstrate strong impact during testing phases but fail to scale because of limited funding, weak institutional support, insufficient partnerships, or lack of long-term implementation pathways.
The Accelerator addresses this challenge by supporting tested innovations that already show operational value and community relevance. Its goal is to help these initiatives transition from proof of concept to broader adoption across humanitarian systems and displacement contexts.
The initiative is grounded in humanitarian and human rights principles while encouraging future-ready, adaptive, participatory, and ethical solutions.
Vision and Mission of the Accelerator
The Accelerator aims to strengthen humanitarian responses in a world where displacement crises are becoming increasingly complex and interconnected.
As technology, partnerships, financing systems, and service delivery models evolve rapidly, the Accelerator seeks to ensure humanitarian innovation keeps pace with these changes.
Its mission includes:
- Supporting scalable humanitarian innovations
- Promoting sustainable operational impact
- Strengthening protection and inclusion for displaced populations
- Encouraging collaborative humanitarian ecosystems
- Facilitating institutional adoption of proven solutions
- Building evidence-driven and community-centered approaches
UNHCR emphasizes that transformative humanitarian change cannot happen in isolation. Therefore, the Accelerator strongly promotes partnerships among:
- Refugee-led organizations
- Governments
- UN agencies
- NGOs
- Academic institutions
- Community actors
- Development partners
- Private sector stakeholders
What Support Will Selected Teams Receive?
Selected initiatives will gain access to a comprehensive scaling support system tailored to strengthen sustainability, operational readiness, and long-term impact.
1. Strategy and Governance Support
The Accelerator helps organizations refine and strengthen their scaling strategies through:
- Multi-year programming support
- Scaling roadmaps
- Governance structures
- Objective setting and planning
- Institutional integration pathways
- Value proposition refinement
- Operational delivery planning
2. Partnership Brokering and Ecosystem Navigation
Participants will receive support in building strategic partnerships with:
- Refugee-led organizations
- Donors and investors
- Researchers and academic experts
- Private sector collaborators
- UNHCR teams and humanitarian actors
This collaborative approach helps innovations expand beyond isolated pilots and move toward sustainable implementation.
3. Technical and Operational Guidance
Selected teams will access expert technical support to:
- Improve and adapt solutions
- Strengthen operational readiness
- Scale innovations into new contexts
- Build sustainable implementation systems
- Improve technical performance and delivery models
4. Learning, Evidence, and Visibility Support
The Accelerator places strong emphasis on evidence generation and learning.
Participants will receive support in:
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Impact measurement
- Storytelling and communications
- Capturing operational lessons
- Knowledge sharing
- Strengthening visibility and credibility
5. Resource Mobilization Assistance
Teams will receive guidance on fundraising and donor engagement, including:
- Pitch development
- Partnership presentations
- Donor mapping
- Investment readiness
- Resource mobilization strategies
6. Catalytic Financial Support
Selected initiatives may receive catalytic funding to support activities such as:
- Technical improvements
- Scaling preparation
- Testing in new operational contexts
- Evidence generation
- Partnership development
- Operational expansion
Funding amounts will depend on the needs and scale of each initiative.
Core Principles of the UNHCR Innovation Accelerator
The Accelerator operates around three major principles:
Diverse Partnerships
The initiative encourages collaboration between multiple sectors and organizations to strengthen implementation and scalability.
Evidence and Learning
Scaling decisions are guided by evidence, operational learning, and measurable impact across different contexts.
Sustainability
The Accelerator prioritizes long-term impact by supporting innovations capable of sustainable implementation and institutional adoption.
Who Can Apply?
The Expression of Interest stage is open to organizations and initiatives with proven concepts supporting forcibly displaced and stateless people.
Eligible applicants may include:
- Refugee-led organizations
- NGOs
- UN agencies
- Private sector organizations
- Universities and research institutions
- Development partners
- Community-based organizations
- Humanitarian consortiums
Applicants are strongly encouraged to form collaborative partnerships that combine:
- Operational expertise
- Community engagement
- Technical knowledge
- Strategic leadership
- Scaling capacity
Multi-Stage Application Process
The selection process is designed to identify scalable innovations with strong operational relevance and partnership readiness.
Stage 1: Expression of Interest (EoI)
At this stage, applicants submit evidence demonstrating:
- Existing proof of concept
- Operational testing
- Scaling ambition
- Partnership ecosystems
- Expected impact
- Strategic relevance
Applications will be screened based on:
- Technical readiness
- Operational relevance
- Institutional strength
- Potential for collaboration
Selected applicants may participate in networking and partnership-building activities before moving to the next stage.
Stage 2: Full Proposal Submission
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit detailed Full Proposals.
At this stage:
- Applications must be led by or jointly submitted with UNHCR teams or refugee-led organizations
- Partnerships between humanitarian and development actors are highly encouraged
- Applicants must demonstrate operational testing and preliminary results
- Concept-only proposals are not eligible
Teams will present detailed scaling plans covering:
- Scaling pathways
- Financial sustainability
- Risk management
- Partnership strategies
- Long-term operational impact
Final Selection
Shortlisted teams will pitch their initiatives to the Steering Committee.
Final selections will be based on:
- Technical evaluations
- Scaling potential
- Strategic relevance
- Institutional ownership
- Partnership readiness
Selection Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on:
- Problem and solution value
- Proof of concept and evidence
- Scaling readiness and feasibility
- Institutional ownership
- Partnership ecosystem
- Potential impact at scale
Important Dates
- Expression of Interest Opens: 1 June 2026 at 10:00 AM CEST
- Application Deadline: 12 July 2026 at 11:59 PM CEST (Geneva time)
Why the UNHCR Innovation Accelerator Matters
The humanitarian sector increasingly requires scalable, collaborative, and future-focused solutions to respond effectively to displacement crises.
The UNHCR Innovation Accelerator offers a rare opportunity for organizations with tested solutions to gain the strategic support, technical expertise, funding, and partnerships needed to scale their impact globally.
By connecting humanitarian innovators with refugee-led organizations, governments, academia, development partners, and private sector actors, the Accelerator aims to build more adaptive and sustainable humanitarian systems capable of delivering long-term solutions for displaced populations worldwide.
For organizations already working on impactful humanitarian innovations, this initiative could become the catalyst needed to transition from localized success to global operational transformation.
For more information about this opportunity, visit here.
Discover more Global Fellowship Opportunities on OFY here.
