Apply for “Let’s Hack Climate Change” Hacklab

This is a buildup on UNFPA ESARO’s climate innovation programme. The project initiates a series of climate innovation ‘Hackathon’ targeting young people, especially girls and young women, to identify and develop innovative ideas into (commercially) viable action/solutions, promoting SRHR, adaptive capacity and resilience of those most vulnerable and impacted by the climate crisis. With lessons learned from the pilot phase, the 2024 Climate Hacklab will also support smart climate solutions with potential to transform gender inequalities and power imbalances especially in hard to reach communitie. The project will ultimately build a network of innovators and a pipeline of implementation-ready innovation solutions that COs and other partners can adopt as part of a method mix to accelerate impact in line with the UNFPA climate change value proposition.

Country Priority Areas

• Madagascar:
  • Risk reduction, enhanced preparedness and strengthened emergency response.
  • Identified opportunity areas: (1) Any idea or innovation solution that supports the empowerment and/or adaptive capacity of women, girls, young people or marginalised groups in hotspot areas affected by climate change. (2) Any idea or innovation solution that promotes access to health and protection systems to minimise the impact of climate change on SRHR issues.
  • Innovations that will be implemented in the districts of Amboassary, Manakara and Mananjary are encouraged. However, innovations from ANY REGION of Madagascar will be accepted.
• Mozambique:
  • Healthy, educated, empowered population whose sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights are addressed and fulfilled.
  • The Government’s priorities on Climate Change are outlined in the National Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Strategy (NCCAMS)- 2013-2025. The strategic priorities are grouped into 2 pillars: (i) adaptation and reduction of the climate risk, and (ii) mitigation and low-carbon development, and complemented by cross-sectoral issues.
  • Innovations that will be implemented in Nampula and Zambezia are encouraged. However, innovations from ANY REGION of Mozambique will be accepted.
• Kenya:
  • Risk reduction, enhanced preparedness and strengthened emergency response.
  • Any idea or innovation solution that promotes the involvement of young people, women, marginalised groups in programme design to help in the delivery of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) issues in climate change affected areas. Any idea or innovation solution that promotes access to health and protection systems to minimise the impact of climate change on SRHR issues.
  • Innovations that will be implemented in the districts of Turkana, Mandera, Tana River and Garissa are encouraged. However, innovations from ANY REGION of Kenya will be accepted.
• South Sudan:
  • Strong data systems for climate vulnerability and adaptive capacity.
  • The Government priorities as outlined in the National Adaption Plan 2021 are: (1) Improved Coordination to Support Climate Change Adaptation and Planning, (2) Improving Human and Institutional Capacities to Support Nap Process, (3) Data, Information and Knowledge Management Systems Enhanced to Support Climate Change Adaptation Planning Processes.
  • Innovations that will be implemented in Unity State, Jonglei State, GPAA Upper Nile State, Warrap State and the Lake State are encouraged. However, innovations from ANY REGION of South Sudan will be accepted.

Award Information 

• There will be two levels of awards during the hacklab. These are related to the eight individual UNFPA CO-led hacklabs, and the final Regional Hacklab.
• Each winner of the CO level pitching events will be awarded 5,000 USD seed funds to support startup growth.
• Two winning solutions will be selected at the final Regional Hacklab (finalist of the CO hacklabs). Each winner of the Regional hacklab will be receive 10,000 USD seed and enterprise support

Outcomes

• Build and publish a pipeline of implementation ready low-carbon climate and SRHR innovation solutions/action  for COs and partners. Each solution will have a business model aimed at project sustainability and economic empowerment
• Identify and train 50 innovators to mainstream gender transformative innovation interventions in climate actions.
• Engage 500,000 people with information and opportunities for active engagement in climate action
• Identify and support scale efforts of 8 innovation solutions drawn from 4 priority countries in the region
• Women, girls, youth and other minority populations’ engaged and empowered in community resilience building. At least 50% of interventions target women and girls as active change agents

Programme Target 

• The Climate Change HackLab will target youth innovators, focusing on girls and young women, and experts specialising in SRHR and climate change innovative solutions in the four participating UNFPA programme countries (South Sudan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique). The programme will work closely with UNFPA COs who will lead implementation. It is expected that this will further build country level capacity and facilitate organic climate change, gender and innovation action.
• It is expected that:
  • 210 innovators identified and engaged
  • 50% of innovations engaged will be female-led
  • 6 hubs engaged
  • 25 climate-motivated coaches engaged
  • 8 innovative solutions scaled

Eligibility Criteria 

• To participate in the Hacklab, the selected innovation solution must meet the following criteria:
  • Solutions must be innovative and respond to any of the opportunity areas identified above.
  • Be based in one of the four identified participating UNFPA countries (South Sudan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique).
  • Demonstrate that the solution is novel in the identified country;
  • Demonstrate capacity with a clear plan for incubating the solution to scale;
  • The solution must have a minimum viable product (MVP)
  • The innovator must be 35 years or younger (African Union definition for youth). Young women and girls and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply;
  • Innovations can be submitted by individuals, or teams. Innovation teams cannot be represented by more than 3 members, and must have a minimum of one female member;
  • Align with the UNFPAs transformative results and/core mandate;
  • Align with the UN principles of innovation.
  • Be scalable and commercially viable solutions. Solutions that are adaptable to other contexts with little financial injections required
  • Have a demonstrable capacity to empower women and youth.
  • Teams must be willing to adjust their solution if advised by the UNFPA Country Office and during the incubation support program;
  • Willingness to showcase their solutions through communication platforms to be determined by UNFPA

For more information, visit UNFPA.