Background

In December 2019 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland and UNDP in Europe and Central Asia launched cooperation under the pilot Polish Challenge Fund (PCF) to engage Polish companies to address complex development challenges in partner countries. In May of 2021, the UNDP and the Republic of Poland entered into the next stage of collaboration: Polish-UNDP Partnership – Innovative Solutions for the SDGs (PUP). Its aim is to transfer and apply innovative technologies from Polish private sector, research institutes and academia to tackle development challenges identified in selected priority countries. Calls for Proposals to the Polish Challenge Fund are announced annually. 

Objectives

• Identify and implement impactful solutions in partner countries: Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and previously Belarus.
• Engage Polish leading innovative tech companies, start-ups and academia in impactful partnership with local partners acting on local, regional and national level in partner countries. 
• Overview of the main projects areas: Green technologies with a special focus on Affordable Energy Sources, Digital Innovations & New Solutions for ICT Sector, Markets, Employment and Other Support, Smart Cities Solutions, Anti Covid-19 Solutions.