Innovation ecosystems
Reimagining the future through innovation
Overview
Change happens where ideas meet opportunity. That’s the essence of an innovation ecosystem: the people, resources, and practices that let ideas grow. Across Europe and Central Asia, we strengthen these ecosystems by connecting innovators, the organizations that support them, and funders and investors, and helping high-impact solutions get built and scaled. Through training, partnerships, and experimentation, we back locally grown innovation that can solve complex development challenges in the region and beyond.
Our focus
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Innovation challenges
We design and run innovation challenges to source and test new solutions to pressing development needs. Through open calls we identify promising ideas from startups, social enterprises, civil society organizations, and academia that address concrete development challenges, and provide innovation prizes to help test and scale.
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Capacity building
We support innovation ecosystem actors, such as ventures, non-profits, and business support organizations, through tailored capacity building programmes that strengthen their capabilities, refine business and impact models, and develop roadmaps for testing and scale-up.
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Partnership initiatives
We broker connections between innovators, public institutions, funders and investors, and other ecosystem partners to co-design, pilot, adapt, and scale high-impact solutions to pressing developing challenges.
Flagship initiatives
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BOOST is a regional innovation platform powered by UNDP in Europe and Central Asia. Through capacity building, funding, partnerships, and visibility, BOOST helps innovators and ecosystem actors design, test, and scale high-impact solutions that accelerate the implementation of the SDGs across the region.
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The SDG Blockchain Accelerator is a global initiative, strategically led by UNDP AltFinLab, that helps scale blockchain and AI solutions to advance the SDGs. Through capacity building, mentorship, and matchmaking, the Accelerator equips teams to build solutions that deliver measurable development results.
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The Tadaman Accelerator is a programme empowering civil society organizations across Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries to develop, refine, and scale high-impact solutions. By applying proven business tools and innovative approaches, the Tadamon Accelerator fuels sustainable growth for initiatives addressing critical development challenges.
At a glance
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20+
programmes, cohorts and initiatives implemented
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450+
solutions and partnerships supported across 50+ countries
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US$2M+
in funding distributed through 150+ innovation prizes and grants
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10+
thematic areas – from green transformation and digital transformation to gender equality
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Got an idea that could change the region?
Apply to a BOOST programme and join a community of innovators reshaping Europe and Central Asia – backed by UNDP, expert mentors, and funding.
See open challenges
Get in touch
Drop us an email at innovation@undp.org