The Global Resilience Partnership is launching an Innovation Challenge call to support bold, locally led solutions that strengthen resilience, protect ecosystems, and create sustainable opportunities for communities. They are looking for transformative resilience solutions across three thematic challenges. They encourage bold and transformative ideas that promote resilience, preserve ecosystems, and create sustainable economic opportunities for communities.

Theme: Agriculture, nutrition and food security, Cities and urban resilience, Disaster risk reduction, Information and technology

ELIGIBILITY:

Across all three challenges, they are accepting proposals from both non- and for-profit organisations, local entrepreneurs, and innovators. Both experienced implementers and emerging entrepreneurs implementing are encouraged to apply. All three thematic challenges prioritize locally led innovations that build the resilience of women and youth (>50% of people supported should be women or youth). 

All three thematic challenges are open to ODA-eligible countries in the Global South:

The Resilient Agriculture Innovations for Nature (RAIN) Rural Challenge identifies and scales innovative nature-positive solutions that deliver both ecological and livelihood benefits. While we are taking RAIN global, dedicated funding has been earmarked for East African countries.

The Resilience Innovation in Informality through Scaling Entrepreneurship (RISE) Urban Challenge identifies and scales practical, locally led solutions from grassroots groups, urban start-ups, and/or social enterprises that address the realities of living and working in informal urban environments. 

The Technology for Evolving Challenges in Humanitarian Contexts (TECH)4Resilience Challenge identifies applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that can enhance or optimize the delivery and provision of humanitarian preparedness and response programmes, enabling faster, more targeted, and anticipatory action. We have earmarked funding for TECH4Nature solutions, with a particular interest in solutions from Southeast Asia.

Before applying, please read the guidelines carefully. The guidelines include more detailed information about the Innovation Challenge call for proposals, eligibility criteria, and examples of the types of solutions we are looking for: Read the guidelines here

Timeline:

1 May 2026: The call for proposals opens 

13 May at 15:00 CEST: Webinar for potential applicants. Register here

22 May 2026  at 23:59 hrs GMT: Deadline for submissions. The Challenge will close at this time and we will not be able to accept submissions past the deadline. 

End of June 2026: Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be contacted

June – mid-September 2026: Successful applicants will be provided support to further develop their projects during

 6-9 July 2026: Virtual Leadership Academy

November 2026: Winners will be announced at COP31 

2026 and 2027: Mentoring, communications and MEL support 

Q1 of 2027: Induction Workshop for winners 

If you have any questions please contact: challenge@globalresiliencepartnership.org

BENEFIT:

The challenge winners will receive a programme of tailored mentoring, communications, and MEL support and will be connected to potential partners and/or investors. In addition to this, there will be funding support up to US$50,000 for winning projects to further develop and scale their solutions. This will be awarded at the end of 2026 after the initial mentoring period and a virtual Leadership Academy, to be used for implementation for 12 months (January to December 2027).