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EQUALIZER
UNFPA Accelerator Fund

Equalizer, the UNFPA Accelerator Fund, provides new funding and financing options exclusively to support innovations that are geared towards accelerating progress for women and girls. It disrupts inequalities by leveraging partnerships and focused investments in innovative solutions.

Equalizer supports new ideas by systematically teaming up with traditional and non-traditional partners. In addition to securing investments, it will serve as a connector, incubator and accelerator for innovations through sourcing, piloting, measuring and scaling up innovations

Equalizer supports sourcing and scaling up innovations in UNFPA’s priority areas, including access to modern contraceptives and reproductive health commodities, maternal health, ending gender-based violence and other manifestations of gender inequality. It examines solutions needed to bring positive changes in the areas where emerging megatrends, such as inequalities, climate change, rapid population changes, urbanization and technological revolution intersect and disproportionately impact women and girls’ health and well-being.

Equalizer sources innovations both internally and externally  by supporting the existing pipeline of solutions at UNFPA as well as sourcing, testing and scaling up new ones. It creates space to apply high-risk/high-return investing, where the high-risk investments are applied at the pilot stage and the high return materializes through the late-stage accelerator. This complements existing UNFPA programmes and increases the positive impact for women and girls. The Equalizer leverages UNFPA’s presence in over 150 countries and territories, introducing and applying impactful solutions that spill over from country to country multiplying the social return.

UNFPA harnesses its outreach, network and partnerships to reach the most vulnerable and those furthest behind, and to maximize the return on investment through less convenient but more equitable ways.

Three-staged approach

Stage 1. Pilot the early-stage solution

Equalizer supports social enterprises through grants of up to USD 100,000 for work in UNFPA’s mandate areas where traditional markets and funding sources do not exist.

Stage 2. Test and prepare for scale

Equalizer supports successfully piloted innovations by measuring their cost-effectiveness and evaluating the evidence of impact, as well as connecting them with strategic partners to secure joint investments and in-kind contributions to take the innovations to scale.

Stage 3. Transition to scale

Equalizer supports solutions that demonstrate evidence of impact and market viability at the global scale. These solutions will be supported through additional financing and a programme accelerator, modeled after the best available proven models, and run and financed by multi-sector partners. UNFPA will manage partner relations to build and foster a value-aligned ecosystem to scale up the innovation.

Partner with us!

The Equalizer is open for partners to join. The partnership’s modalities include, but are not limited to, the following options:

1. Advisory and sector expertise 

2. Technology

3. In-kind contributions

4. Investment

UNFPA innovates to accelerate progress for women and girls, by disrupting inequalities and ensuring rights and choices for all. By ensuring rights and choices for all, we pave the path towards the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals, and a world with zero unmet need for family planning, zero preventable maternal deaths, zero gender based violence and harmful practices.

UNFPA is a trusted partner among Governments, civil society, foundations and other institutions globally. By working with us, your contribution will result in high return on investment, as it will benefit from UNFPA’s global convener power and unique access to networks, platforms, and multi-sector institutions.

Equalizer serves a connector, incubator and accelerator for innovations, partnerships and positive impactful solutions. Join the journey to accelerate progress with and for women and girls!

For more information, contact us at innovation@unfpa.org.