Call for Proposals:
AccessAbility
- Inclusive innovation challenge to ensure rights and choices for
youth with disabilities
Background and Purpose
Women and young persons with disabilities have a basic right to health, an adequate standard of living, and freedom from gender-based violence. They often experience higher risks of violence, increased barriers to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and significant challenges in meeting their basic needs due to factors such as gender and disability. Technology has emerged as a key enabler to support persons with disabilities in learning about their rights, resources, and accessing benefits. However, unequal access to technology due to digital accessibility, digital literacy, access to the internet, and other factors continue to be barriers.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in collaboration with the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) and the Global Network of Young Persons with Disabilities (GNYPWD), seeks innovative solutions to address these pressing challenges. We invite proposals for an Innovation Challenge that specifically focuses on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and young persons with disabilities. The challenge aims to enhance the capacity of young persons with disabilities, improve availability and accessibility of innovations tailored to their unique needs, and facilitate their access to financial resources and participation in decision-making processes related to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information, commodities, services, and essential gender-based violence (GBV) support.
To accomplish these goals, the Innovation Challenge will select as the winners the most promising teams and organizations led by young innovators with disabilities among those that applied.
The winners will be awarded with a blend of monetary and capacity building support and potential opportunities to pilot their technology with UNFPA country offices. By availing these resources, these teams and organizations will be empowered to develop and scale innovative solutions that disrupt inequalities and foster the empowerment of women and girls, encompassing the diverse range of their experiences and identities.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in collaboration with the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) and the Global Network of Young Persons with Disabilities (GNYPWD), seeks innovative solutions to address these pressing challenges. We invite proposals for an Innovation Challenge that specifically focuses on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and young persons with disabilities. The challenge aims to enhance the capacity of young persons with disabilities, improve availability and accessibility of innovations tailored to their unique needs, and facilitate their access to financial resources and participation in decision-making processes related to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information, commodities, services, and essential gender-based violence (GBV) support.
To accomplish these goals, the Innovation Challenge will select as the winners the most promising teams and organizations led by young innovators with disabilities among those that applied.
The winners will be awarded with a blend of monetary and capacity building support and potential opportunities to pilot their technology with UNFPA country offices. By availing these resources, these teams and organizations will be empowered to develop and scale innovative solutions that disrupt inequalities and foster the empowerment of women and girls, encompassing the diverse range of their experiences and identities.
Eligibility
- The Innovation challenge is open to organizations (a legal non-profit or for-profit entity) and project teams affiliated to an organization. The project team and preferably the organization must have young person(s) with disabilities in the team, with a preference given to projects led by a team with young women with disabilities.
- Innovative Solution: The proposed innovation should be contributing to one of the following challenges: ending unmet need for family planning, ending preventable maternal deaths, or ending gender-based violence and harmful practices. Read more about the challenges.
- Maturity of the Innovative Solution: The organization must have already tested a prototype, and validated proof of concept. Minimum viable product (MVP) is preferred, but not required. The MVP must belong to the submitting organization, if available.
- Funds can only be dispersed to legal entities in a UNFPA program country. Therefore, the team must demonstrate their affiliation with a legal entity (non-profit or for-profit) in a UNFPA program country at the time of the application, including the formal agreement that this legal entity will administer funds for the team. Kindly note that the organizers of the Innovation Challenge are not responsible for the arrangement between the legal entity and the applying team. This legal entity will administer funds for the team. Click here to see UNFPA country offices.
Only one submission per applying organization is permitted. All submissions must be made in the English language only.
Content of Application
- Innovation
- Alignment with UNFPA’s priorities and thematic areas
- Technical capacity, including experience with digital accessibility and technologies that the applicant proposes to use
- Plan to scale impact and sustain the project
- Value for money
- Team diversity, including gender
- Stage of maturity of the solution (if any)
Timeline
- 1st June: Call for proposals launched
- 15th June 11:59 PM EST: Deadline for written applications
- 15th to 26th of June: Pitch calls on a rolling basis
- 30th June: Announcement of winners
- 1st of July: Projects start
- 1st December: Projects end
The applications are now closed. Join the Global Network for young Persons with Disabilities (GNYPWD) for future opportunities.
If you have any questions or require further information, do not hesitate to contact us at info@gnypwd.org.
Frequently asked questions
1. What is the AccessAbility innovation challenge?
The AccessAbility Innovation Challenge is a call for proposals by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in collaboration with the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) and the Global Network of Young Persons with Disabilities (GNYPWD). The aim is to invite teams and organizations led by young innovators with disabilities to develop innovative solutions addressing the challenges faced by women and young persons with disabilities, especially in the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
2. Who is eligible to apply for this challenge?
Any organization with representation of young people with disabilities, that can demonstrate their affiliation with a legal entity (non-profit or for-profit) in a UNFPA program country, working on a solution contributing to one of the following challenges: ending unmet need for family planning, ending preventable maternal deaths, or ending gender-based violence and harmful practices can apply for this challenge.
3. What are the selection criteria for this challenge?
The selection criteria include innovation, alignment with UNFPA’s priorities and thematic areas, technical capacity, plan to scale impact, sustain the project, project budget, team diversity, gender balance, the current maturity of the solution (if any).
4. What is the timeline for this challenge?
The call for proposals is launched on 1st June 2023. The deadline for written applications is 15th June 11:59 PM EST. Winners will be announced on 30th June and the projects start from 1st July and end on 1st December.
5. How can I apply for this challenge?
Applications are closed now, Join Global Network for Young Persons with Disabilities (GNYPWD)
6. What information should the written application include?
Follow the directions in the application. At a high level, the application includes questions to understand the problem you are working on, its alignment to UNFPA’s mandate, solution, sustainability, scalability, impact etc.
7. What if I have further questions or need additional information?
You can contact us at info@gnypwd.org if you have further questions or require additional information.
8. Can I request a project extension?
No, project extensions are not allowed. The project duration is set at 5 months from 1st July to 1st December and all funds must be utilized.
About the organizers:
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA): UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Our mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA ensures rights and choices for all. UNFPA promotes gender equality and empower women, girls and young people to take control of their bodies and their futures. We work with partners in more than 150 countries to provide access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services. Our goal is ending unmet need for family planning, preventable maternal death, and gender-based violence and harmful practices including child marriage and female genital mutilation by 2030.
Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub): GDI Hub is a research and practice centre driving disability innovation for a fairer world. Disability innovation is part of a bigger movement for disability justice, which must disrupt current ideas and practice to create new possibilities. Operational in 41 countries, we work with more than 70 partners, delivering projects across a portfolio of £50m. GDI Hub has reached 23 million people since its launch in 2016 by developing bold approaches, building innovative partnerships, and creating ecosystems to accelerate change.
Global Network For Young Persons With Disability (GNYPWD): GNYPWD was founded in the aftermath of the UN’s 2020 Conference of the States Parties (COSP) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), aiming to offer an advocacy space that ensures the inclusive participation and leadership of young persons with disabilities in the youth and disability rights agendas within the UN system and beyond. The network is composed of 500+ members from 80 countries and is focused on capacity building and providing the youth opportunities to advocate for their rights at the local, national and international levels.
Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub): GDI Hub is a research and practice centre driving disability innovation for a fairer world. Disability innovation is part of a bigger movement for disability justice, which must disrupt current ideas and practice to create new possibilities. Operational in 41 countries, we work with more than 70 partners, delivering projects across a portfolio of £50m. GDI Hub has reached 23 million people since its launch in 2016 by developing bold approaches, building innovative partnerships, and creating ecosystems to accelerate change.
Global Network For Young Persons With Disability (GNYPWD): GNYPWD was founded in the aftermath of the UN’s 2020 Conference of the States Parties (COSP) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), aiming to offer an advocacy space that ensures the inclusive participation and leadership of young persons with disabilities in the youth and disability rights agendas within the UN system and beyond. The network is composed of 500+ members from 80 countries and is focused on capacity building and providing the youth opportunities to advocate for their rights at the local, national and international levels.