UNDP’s new way of working in development

Are you an innovator? Do you care about environment and making positive changes?  Do you believe you have an innovative solution to address environmental and livelihoods challenges the Aral Sea Region? Then, this call is for you!

This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs, researchers, students, other individuals, NGOs, businesses, international and local communities to showcase solutions to development challenges to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals.

This call for solutions is targeting initiatives on:

-      greening – reforestation, planting

-      restoring degraded environmental ecosystems

-      reducing air pollution

-      improving usage of land, soils and water resources

-      promoting green growth / economy at the community level

-      adaptation to climate change

-      improving biodiversity

-      digital solutions to tackle environmental issues

-      environmental volunteerism

-      public oversight initiatives to address environmental challenges

-      improving biodiversity

The solution proposed should demonstrate that it can be applied in the environmental conditions of the Aral Sea Region, it works with proof of concept and promising results from initial pilots. Authors of the selected solutions, will be invited to a workshop to be held based on the results of this call. These solutions will have a chance to be on boarded in the UNDP Accelerator Lab’s portfolio of experiments that can assist in further developing the solution and proposing for scale-up.

About UNDP Accelerator Lab in Uzbekistan

UNDP has launched an innovative network of 60 Accelerator Labs worldwide to test and scale new solutions to global challenges such as climate change and inequality. These labs are UNDP’s new way of working in development. The aim of these laboratories is to bring together grassroots ideas with new sources of real-time data and experimentation to find solutions to complex development issues and increase the pace of contributing to achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

In proposing a portfolio of solutions Accelerator Labs will be focusing on building on the local innovations. Therefore, the AccLab in Uzbekistan aims to develop and rely on collaboration with government partners, NGOs, private sector and wide spectrum of local entities to scale solutions.

Who can apply?

Individuals: entrepreneurs, innovators, students, teachers and other enthusiasts

Research organizations;

Universities

NGOs,

Startups, businesses who have a solution to a development challenge.

Selection criteria

·         Innovative approach

·         Relevance to local context

·         Impact on local community

·         Positive impact on the environment

·         Viability / feasibility

·         Potential for scaling up

Submission and Registration Procedure

Please, submit your proposals filling out the forms:

Karakalpak - https://forms.gle/q3kVtUauZoPM5aRC9

Uzbek - https://forms.gle/AoCAfF6EaT6hqfrB8

Russian - https://forms.gle/ioubCEK8pktcc3dP7

English - https://forms.gle/FZzWxkdeCfnXXdGs5

Deadline for submission of your solutions is 20 January, 2020.

Contact information:  acclab.uz@undp.org

UNDP Accelerator Lab:  Re-imaging development for the 21^st Century