UNICEF Call for Innovative WASH Solutions 2025 ($150,000 grant)

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About UNICEF Call for Innovative WASH Solutions

Solutions within the innovation portfolios are selected based on their potential to accelerateresults for children across multiple countries, regions, and potentially globally. The portfolios ensure that innovation is strategic and programme-driven, with a focus on evidence-building and scaling up across multiple geographies.

This Call for Applications is intended to expand the WASH innovation portfolio with solutions that address systemic problems for WASH. They are seeking a diverse range of innovative solutions, including but not limited to programmatic models, private sector approaches, public sector strategies, and other relevant models.

The WASH Innovation Hub is seeking provensolutions addressing one or both of the following innovation challenges:

1. Strengthening supportive environments for WASH SMEs

The Challenge: A lack of supportive environments for WASH small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is limiting their capacity to expand and flourish, hindering their ability to contribute effectively to WASH governance and services.

We are looking for solutions that will address multiple aspects of the challenge, such as:

• Building a stronger ecosystem for WASH SMEs by improving access to finance and investment.
• Strengthening partnerships between WASH SMEs, governments, and large service providers.
• Supporting SMEs in leveraging tools and systems to enhance efficiency and track performance.
• Influencing policies that enable SMEs to formalize, scale, and thrive.

Guiding Questions:

Consider how your approach addresses these questions and enables impact at scale.

Your solution should address multiple of these questions and be adaptable/replicable into new settings.

• How might we connect WASH SMEs with governments, investors, and large service providers to scale solutions?
• How might we help authorities streamline processes for SME formalization, operation, and expansion?
• How might we equip SMEs with tools to improve efficiency, track performance, and attract investment?
• How might we raise awareness among policymakers about the critical role of WASH SMEs and foster collaboration?

2. Enhancing climate-sensitive data and integration into WASH programming

The Challenge: Insufficient climate-sensitive data and an understanding of integrating climate change impacts into WASH programming present challenges to WASH practitioners modeling the long-term sustainability of water resources, impacting the service's resilience.

We are looking for solutions that will address multiple aspects of the challenge such as:

• Improving the collection, analysis, and accessibility of climate-sensitive data.
• Integrating climate change considerations into WASH planning and decision-making.
• Enhancing collaboration with governments, local stakeholders, and organizations to address climate risks in WASH services.
• Strengthening WASH systems to be more resilient to climate variability and environmental changes.

Guiding Questions:

Consider how your approach addresses these questions and enables impact at scale.

Your solution should address multiple of these questions and be adaptable/replicable into new settings.

• How might we improve the collection and analysis of climate-sensitive data for WASH?
• How might we integrate climate change considerations into WASH programming to ensure sustainability?
• How might we foster collaboration among local stakeholders, governments, and organizations to address climate risks in WASH services?

• Sponsor Organisation: UNICEF

Benefits of UNICEF Call for Innovative WASH Solutions

If you are ready to scale your WASH innovation with UNICEF, here’s what we offer:

• Global reach: Access UNICEF’s networks across 190+ countries, collaborate with field teams, and engage with governments to expand your impact.
• Strategic matchmaking: Connect with ecosystem actors, creating pathways for scale impact through strategic alliances and community engagement.
• Expert support: Gain technical and financial guidance to align your solution with market needs, regulatory frameworks, and best practices.
• Catalytic funding: Access to an initial grant of approximately 150,000 USD in flexible funds to support evidence generation, feasibility studies, and market understanding and assessments.

UNICEF Call for Innovative WASH Solutions Requirements

• Be a Registered Entity: Apply with one lead entity as a registered company, university spin-off, NGO, UN organization or Government agency.
• Have Financial Viability: Availability of a detailed financial plan and projections for the next 12 months.
• Address WASH Hub Goals: Solution must clearly tackle at least one WASH Hub Problem Statement.
• Operates in UNICEF Countries: Has demonstrated the impact of the solution or plans to in at least UNICEF Programme Countries, with plans to expand.
• Commit to Scaling: Be open to broader adoption of the solution including potential uptake of the innovation by others (no IP sharing required).
• Adhere to UNICEF Policies: Agree to UNICEF's
• General Terms and Conditions of Contract, UNICEF's Policy Prohibiting and Combatting Fraud and Corruption, UNICEF's Policy on Conduct Promoting the Protection and Safeguarding of Children, the United Nations Supplier Code of Conduct and UNICEF's Information Disclosure Policy.

Application Date and Process

• Review the eligibility criteria above and complete the application form by 30 April 2025, 11:59 pm CET. Applications must be submitted in English. Selected applicants will hear from them in Summer 2025.

If your solution does not align with this Call for Applications but addresses another WASH Hub Problem Statement, they encourage you to apply through their Rolling Call for Applications.  

Questions? Contact us at WASHinnovation@unicef.org.

Application Deadline

30 April, 2025

Scholarship Application Portal

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