Applications Invited for UNICEF Climate Innovation Challenge

Follow us@ngobox

About the Organization

UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child. UNICEF has spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Defending children's rights throughout their lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results and understand their effects. UNICEF believes all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfil their potential – to the benefit of a better world though an innovative approach.

Innovation at UNICEF is about doing new things to solve problems and improve the lives of children around the world.  The UNICEF Office of Innovation, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, supports UNICEF’s Strategic Plan by creating ways for UNICEF’s mission to intersect with, and drive new digital technologies, data solutions, programming approaches, innovative financing and frugal ideas that bring positive change for children, and by scaling innovative solutions to millions.

The UNICEF Venture Fund has been specifically designed to finance early-stage, open-source technology that can benefit children. The core motivation of the UNICEF Venture Fund is to identify “clusters” or portfolios of initiatives around emerging technology so that UNICEF can both shape markets and learn about and guide these technologies for children. We invest in solutions clustered around $100 billion industries in frontier technology spaces such as blockchain, virtual and augmented reality, machine learning and AI. 

About the Grant

A call to early and growth stage frontier tech start-ups in emerging economies.

The UNICEF Venture Fund champions diversity, inclusion and frontier tech innovation by backing early and growth stage start-ups leveraging artifical intelligence (AI), machine learning, data science, blockchain and other cutting-edge technologies. We prioritize solutions that directly improve the lives of children.

As climate change accelerates, children and their communities are increasingly exposed to extreme heat, floods, droughts and air pollution threatening access to health services, safe water and education. Through the Climate Innovation Challenge, the UNICEF Venture Fund will identify, recognize and support innovators developing scalable solutions to protect children’s health and build long-term resilience of the systems they depend on for their well being.

Approach to child-centric climate innovation:

Recognizing the urgent and multidimensional threats climate change poses to children, the UNICEF Venture Fund will catalyze innovation in two key areas:

Area 1: Climate and health

• Solutions that protect children from climate-related health risks, such as: 
• tools for air quality monitoring to protect children from respiratory illness
• solutions to detect, prevent, and reduce children’s exposure to lead pollution in air, water, soil, and food;
• digital platforms to support community engagement and reporting of climate-related health issues; emission reductions; and waste management
• integrated platforms that combine climate (environmental, meteorological, demographic) and health data, leveraging AI and geospatial technologies to predict and manage health risks
• platforms for frontline health workers and community leaders to understand, interpret, and respond to climate-health data
• innovations focused on climate-sensitive infectious diseases, including heat-related impacts, priority disease areas may include water-borne (cholera), vector-borne (malaria), food-borne and soil-borne infections, as well as antimicrobial resistance linked to climate change, widely impacting children
• smart heat and humidity monitoring and adaptation solutions for child-critical environments, such as homes, schools and health facilities
• low-cost cooling technologies, including for schools, homes and health facilities.

Area 2: Climate adaptation, resilience and disaster risk management

• AI and data-driven systems and delivery models that predict, detect, and mitigate climate risks, such as:
• community-level early warning systems for early risk mitigation, and predictive platforms for emergency response
• frontier tech enabled analysis and scenario modelling for climate-related risks
• blockchain-based verification and validation of real-world climate events and service delivery
• tools for anticipatory action for climate-sensitive resource allocation and resilient infrastructure planning that integrate climate hazards with social and health datasets
• parametric insurance platforms and innovative financing mechanisms that provide rapid protection for children and communities against climate disasters
• blockchain-based solutions to increase energy resilience, including financing for renewable energy or clean energy alternatives;
• community energy networks to power clean water systems and food storage facilities, such as peer-to-peer energy trading networks.

UNICEF is launching a call for solutions from emerging markets in collaboration with India Health Fund (IHF), and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). To maximize impact, UNICEF will foster collaboration between early-stage frontier tech ventures and help scale proven climate adaptation solutions. This dual track approach seeks to drive impact and provide long-term sustainability.

We also invite value-aligned partners to support innovation challenges, design sprints and deliver strategic technical assistance to build greater equity and trust across technological solutions.

Through this challenge, we seek to: 

• conduct a market mapping of child-centric climate innovators operating across emerging markets
• create capacity by offering mentorship and technical assistance from UNICEF Venture Fund experts to selected start-ups, enhancing their investment readiness and potential for future funding. This will comprise:
• 10 hours of technical mentoring consisting of open source, business development, frontier technology, software development and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mentorship
• additional support to understand and navigate the UNICEF Venture Fund sourcing and selection process
• highlight investable solutions that demonstrate public good and market opportunity

The UNICEF Venture Fund is particularly seeking solutions that:     

• address challenges to accelerate results for children
• are optimized for low-resource environments (e.g., low connectivity or limited mobile access)
• focus on reducing, rather than widening, inequalities, delivering results for diverse users and communities
• can deliver in multiple languages, including local and less used languages

At UNICEF, we prioritize solutions that leverage advanced technologies and uphold strict data protection measures and safeguarding principles to prioritize individuals’ privacy and wellbeing. Additionally, we value a comprehensive approach that strengthens systems and services, recognizing the importance of building resilient and sustainable infrastructure to effectively support health and mental health initiatives, and achieve lasting positive outcomes in the long run.

Eligibility

Companies need to fulfil the following mandatory selection criteria to be considered:

• be registered as a private for-profit company
• be registered in a UNICEF programme country
• have a working prototype or minimum viable product of the proposed solution, ideally, showing promising results
• be open source or willing to be open source
• have the potential to positively impact the lives of the most vulnerable children
• generate publicly exposed real-time data that is measurable

Women-led and women-founded startups are encouraged to apply.

Youth-led startups (led by individuals younger than 35 years old) are encouraged to apply.

How to Apply

Join now

Deadline: 21 October, 2025

For more information please check the Link

Stay in the loop with the newest RFPs and Grants through NGOBOX's WhatsApp Channel. Join now by clicking here!

Tags Children and Childcare Environment and Sustainability Innovations and Technology Others