UNDP Accelerator Labs - Circular Economy Innovation

Your notes (local)

Relevance Comment (remote)

Enriched International · Found: 2026-03-11 13:03

Network of 91 innovation hubs offering seed funding for waste management experiments and pilot initiatives. Supports waste banks, digital waste platforms, and youth-led waste solutions including Young Africa Innovates program.

Source: https://www.undp.org/acceleratorlabs

Funding Details

Contact: Newsletter signup: https://undp.us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ff020e3d052a15deb7058d052&id=a1f6e5947a — Social: @UNDPAccLabs (Twitter/X), LinkedIn: UNDP Accelerator Labs, Instagram: @acceleratorlabs
Last Checked: 2026-04-20 10:46

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Project must align with UNDP Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and sustainable development priorities of the relevant country Lab.
Organization or initiative must be based in or operating within a country that has an active UNDP Accelerator Lab (115 countries covered).
Youth-led, community-based, and informal economy innovations are particularly welcomed; prior work with grassroots communities is an asset.

Project Scope

Project should focus on grassroots or local innovation — experimentation, piloting, and learning from failure are core to the Labs' model.
Applicants should be prepared to document and openly share learnings, contributing to the global network's knowledge base.

Required Documents

No centralized call — must directly contact and engage the relevant UNDP country office Accelerator Lab to explore collaboration.

Constraints

There is no public standardized application form — funding and support terms are determined at the country Lab level.

Historical Context

Network launched in 2019. As of 2024, 90 Lab teams covering 115 countries. Co-funded by Germany's BMZ and Qatar Fund for Development. Six years of operation documented in annual reports (2021, 2022). The network has expanded from 91 to 90 active Labs (consolidation). Programs include Young Africa Innovates and cross-sectoral experiments in circularity and informal economies.

Why it was added

UNDP innovation labs providing seed funding and TA for waste management solutions in developing countries

Similar Programs

Program	Source	Shared Tags
World Bank - Clean Cities, Bright Futures (Solid Waste Management) For Communities / Cooperatives For NGOs Multilateral Blended Finance Grant Loan / Concessional Finance Technical Assistance Africa Global India Southeast Asia Capacity Building Circular Economy Climate Plastic Waste Pollution Recycling & Upcycling Waste Management	UN / Multilateral	12
UpLink WEF - Circular Economy & Plastic Waste Challenges For NGOs For Startups Corporate Multilateral Accelerator Grant Prize Technical Assistance Global India Southeast Asia Biodiversity Blue Economy Circular Economy Climate Plastic Waste Recycling & Upcycling Waste Management	Corporate	12
GEF Small Grants Programme - Africa Country Programs For Communities / Cooperatives For NGOs Multilateral Grant Technical Assistance Africa Global Biodiversity Capacity Building Circular Economy Marine Conservation Plastic Waste Pollution Waste Management	UN / Multilateral	11
Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA) For Communities / Cooperatives For NGOs Multilateral Accelerator Grant Africa Global Southeast Asia Biodiversity Blue Economy Capacity Building Climate Coastal Protection Fisheries Marine Conservation	multilateral	11
Africa Circular Economy Facility (ACEF) - African Development Bank For NGOs For Startups Multilateral Grant Technical Assistance Africa Capacity Building Circular Economy Climate Plastic Waste Recycling & Upcycling Waste Management	Foundation	10

Change History

Time	Action	Reason
2026-05-07 09:26	scored	profile=ocean-plastic-forum-v2 score=0.4

← Back to list