Reimagining our future through innovation!

Let’s work together to scale social impact through BOOST, a regional acceleration program, powered by UNDP.

Explore our challenges

Overview

BOOST is a regional acceleration program for social impact innovation with a mission to tackle development challenges in Europe and Central Asia and create a more sustainable future. We collaborate with different partners to design and launch calls for innovative ideas, and boost changemakers in the region.

Open for applications from startups, SMEs, social enterprises, non-profits, and academic institutions, our intensive online program is tailored to prepare participants to roll out and scale innovations, addressing a wide range of issues from gender equality to education. Applicants can apply for open calls and access funding and trainings, join our UNDP-backed network, and receive support from peers, funders, and experts!

BOOST is a joint initiative, powered by UNDP Europe and Central Asia, and financed and supported by partners across the region and beyond, including Koç Holding, the Slovak Ministry of Finance, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Islamic Development Bank, and others.

What’s BOOST

Challenges

There are no current or upcoming challenges.
All challenges

Thematic areas

Our current and past challenges seek to crowdsource innovations to the following issues.

Digital transformation

To respond to the emerging inequalities and needs across different sectors, we are looking for inclusive, digital innovations – from reimagining banking for the unbanked to new forms of organizing and citizen engagement, as well as community-led service provision.

Low Touch Economies

To foster economic growth, we are looking for innovations that introduce new ways of production/consumption and support contactless economies, remote delivery services, and remote work opportunities.

Wellbeing

To support the wellbeing of individuals and communities, we are looking for innovations that promote individual connection and psycho-social wellbeing, and other holistic ways of improving resident wellbeing.

Gender equality

To advance gender equality, we are looking for innovations that bridge the gender digital divide – improve access and use of digital technologies, participation of women in the digital economy and STEM, and more visibility of women in data.

See all the challenges and apply

Why Boost

Mentorship

BOOST participants will tap into a talented pool of international, regional and national experts in specific thematic areas as well as business development, digital technologies and much more.

Tailored program

Participants will join a flexible, tailor-made training program, where they will choose between modules and classes relevant to their needs and goals. The program includes professional skills training and business/organizational development support.

Financing opportunities

BOOST brings together a wide pool of development partners and investors. At the end of the program, participants pitch their ideas in front of a jury. Depending on the call, BOOST participants have a chance to win monetary grants to scale their innovations.

Global partnerships

The program leverages UNDP’s global presence (+170 countries and territories) and longstanding partnerships to support selected participants with diverse capabilities, resources and knowledge.

Our impact

$325,000 Equity-free grants
100+ Training hours
15 Prizes awarded

Partners