UNFPA Innovation Fund: Expanding the Possible

For UNFPA, innovation means inclusively creating and scaling-up data-driven, sustainable and open solutions that accelerate the achievement of transformative results in the lives of women, adolescents and youth.

In 2013 UNFPA adopted “promoting innovation and creativity” as a corporate priority, with the aim of promoting opportunities for experimentation and creativity in key areas of UNFPA work. The Innovation Fund has been the principal mechanism for implementing that. It was conceived “as a tool for generating a cultural shift within UNFPA by providing motivation and a mechanism for staff to generate, fund and implement innovative ideas."

This short report showcases how UNFPA’s Innovation Fund has pioneered innovative strategies that are changing the way the organization works. It outlines what the Fund has achieved, who its partners are, what has been learned and its plans to move forward.