UNHCR Refugee Innovation Funding 2027 Applications Open for Community-Led Projects

Overview

The UNHCR Refugee Innovation Funding 2027 programme offers financial support and technical guidance to local innovators, community groups, refugee-led organizations, and humanitarian partners. Managed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the initiative invests in creative, practical, and scalable community-led projects designed to address the challenges experienced by displaced populations and host communities.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants can include refugee-led organizations, community-based organizations, refugee entrepreneurs, youth groups, women’s organizations, local innovation hubs, social enterprises, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations working with refugee communities, and community partnerships involving displaced people. Depending on the specific funding call, applications may be accepted from individuals or require submission through registered organizations and community groups.

What you get

Selected projects may receive innovation funding, technical mentoring, capacity-building support, project implementation guidance, and access to innovation networks. Participants gain learning opportunities, visibility for successful projects, knowledge-sharing opportunities, collaboration with humanitarian partners, and avenues to scale successful initiatives.

Requirements

Projects must be designed by refugee communities to address genuine community needs while promoting inclusion, equality, and local leadership. Successful initiatives must demonstrate innovation, feasibility, sustainability, measurable social impact, cost-effectiveness, and the potential for replication or expansion to strengthen community resilience and foster long-term self-reliance. Applications are evaluated based on these factors alongside partnerships and monitoring and evaluation plans.

How to apply

Applicants need to review the programme guidelines, develop a detailed project proposal, prepare a realistic project budget, gather supporting documentation, and complete the online application before the deadline. Proposals should clearly identify the community problem, present an innovative solution, demonstrate strong community involvement, include measurable objectives, develop a realistic implementation plan, explain long-term sustainability, highlight expected social impact, and provide a transparent budget.