People participating in innovation projects supported through the UNHCR Innovation Accelerator.

Data Innovation Fund | Incubator

The Data Innovation Fund supports UNHCR colleagues to explore, test, and scale data and AI-driven solutions that improve decision-making, operational efficiency, and outcomes for forcibly displaced people. Beyond funding, the Fund emphasizes learning, collaboration, and responsible data use across operations.

What we offer

Beyond funding, the Data Innovation Fund provides teams with mentorship, learning, and technical support to strengthen data-driven ideas and drive real-world impact. Each selected initiative receives:

Seed funding to design and test solutions

Financial support

Peer learning through a global network of innovators.

Data, technical, and project management support

Technical guidance on design, prototyping, and evaluation.

Emphasis on learning and evidence generation

Mentorship from innovation and sector experts.

Peer-to-peer exchange across operations

Who can apply

Internal UNHCR teams and colleagues, including:

Country operations
Regional bureaux
Headquarters divisions
Multi-functional and cross-entity teams

Internal applications only:

Applicants must be UNHCR staff or affiliated personnel
Individual applications are accepted if endorsed by a UNHCR operation or division

Boost your application

Clear use of data or AI to address an operational or strategic challenge
Responsible and ethical data and AI practices embedded in the approach
Strong collaboration across functions or partners
Potential for learning, reuse, or scale across UNHCR

Learn more about the application process

Before applying, make sure you download and read our FAQs (12.95 KB)
Before applying, make sure you download and read our FAQs (12.95 KB)

Data Innovation, by the numbers

60+

data projects supported

Kakuma Flicks: Digital content creation for online livelihoods – Kenya

Stories and reports from data innovation initiatives

Get in touch with the data innovation team

Connect with the Data Innovation team to share your idea and learn how we can support data and AI-driven innovation across UNHCR.

Email us today