Members of Senda Soachuna, Fundación Genval, and UNHCR inaugurate a community space that will host local entrepreneurs and foster local activities

Refugee-led Innovation Fund | Incubator

The Refugee-led Innovation Fund champions the creativity of displaced and stateless people. It provides direct, holistic support so communities can lead solutions that matter.

What we offer

Beyond funding, the Refugee-led Innovation Fund provides forcibly displaced or stateless innovators with mentorship, learning, and technical support to strengthen their ideas and drive real-world impact. Each selected refugee-led organization receives:
Seed funding to design and test solutions

Financial support

Mentorship from innovation and sector experts.

Technical & project management support

Technical guidance on design, prototyping, and evaluation.

Emphasis on learning

Peer learning through a global network of innovators.

Peer-to-peer networking

Organizations led by people with lived experience of forced displacement or statelessness, including:

Refugees
Asylum-seekers
Internally displaced persons
Returnees
Stateless people

Special consideration and support to organizations led by:

LGBTIQ+ persons
Women and youth led
People with disabilities
Internally displaced and stateless individuals
Indigenous communities
Other underrepresented groups

Team-based applications only:

Must represent an existing organization made up of multiple community members, with a track record of implementation
Must demonstrate a collective leadership structure
Individual applicants are not eligible to receive funding and support

Boost your application

Demonstrated experience leading or implementing refugee- or community-led initiatives
Strong trust, representation, and accountability within the community served
Inclusive and participatory leadership and decision-making practices
Innovative or adaptable approaches with potential for learning or scale

Registered and unregistered organizations may apply if they are recognized within their communities for past contributions and initiatives.

Learn more about the application process

Before applying, make sure you read our FAQs (110.15 KB)
And check whether your project team meets UNHCR's definition of a 'refugee-led organization' (72.21 KB)

Refugee-led Innovation, by the numbers

50

projects supported

Test

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Get in touch with the Refugee-led Innovation team

Connect with the Refugee-led Innovation team to learn more about this opportunity. 

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