The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched a $1 million global innovation challenge seeking practical solutions to marine pollution, ecosystem degradation and the sustainable use of ocean resources, with a focus on improving livelihoods in vulnerable coastal communities.
The fifth call for proposals under the Ocean Innovation Challenge (OIC), launched on October 8 with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), invites eligible private-sector organisations and innovators worldwide to submit solutions that are ready for implementation and have the potential to expand across communities and regions.
The initiative prioritises projects that directly benefit Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam, with particular attention to women, young people and vulnerable coastal populations.
Applications close on November 15, 2026, at 23:59 New York time.
The challenge comes as governments and coastal communities face the linked pressures of plastic waste, deteriorating marine ecosystems and the need to generate sustainable economic opportunities from ocean resources.
UNDP has identified three priority areas for the latest funding round: reducing marine pollution and plastic waste, restoring marine and coastal ecosystems, and developing a sustainable blue economy.
The programme seeks innovations that can demonstrate measurable environmental, social and economic benefits rather than solutions that remain at the pilot stage.
“Addressing the challenges facing our ocean requires innovative solutions that can deliver tangible benefits for both people and planet,” said Midori Paxton, UNDP’s Global Head of Ecosystems and Biodiversity.
She said the initiative aims to help innovators scale practical approaches that improve ocean health, strengthen coastal resilience and create inclusive economic opportunities.
Under the programme, up to 10 selected innovators will receive financial support of up to $100,000 each through deliverable-based contracts, alongside implementation and incubation support lasting up to 17 months.
Successful applicants will also receive technical mentoring, project management assistance, monitoring and reporting support, and help preparing to attract further investment.
The programme will provide opportunities to engage with investors, development partners and private-sector networks, while increasing the visibility of selected projects through UNDP’s global knowledge-sharing platforms.
Women-led and youth-led or owned initiatives will receive preference, reflecting the programme’s emphasis on widening participation in ocean conservation and sustainable coastal development.
Line Vikström Rosvall, head of the Climate and Environment Unit at Sida, said private-sector investment was essential to expanding innovations capable of reducing marine pollution, restoring ecosystems and developing sustainable ocean-based economies.
She said the partnership with UNDP seeks to attract additional financing for solutions that can deliver lasting environmental and economic benefits.
The latest call builds on a programme that has supported 36 ocean innovation projects across 29 countries since its launch in 2020. According to UNDP, the initiative has invested $8.4 million in ocean innovators, who have subsequently mobilised more than $25 million in additional funding.
The figures highlight the potential for targeted innovation funding to attract further investment and partnerships, although the impact of individual projects will depend on their implementation, measurable results and ability to expand.
For coastal communities, the challenge is to ensure that new technologies and business models translate into cleaner marine environments, healthier ecosystems and more reliable economic opportunities.
The fifth call is designed to accelerate market-ready solutions, but its longer-term success will depend on whether selected innovations can move beyond initial funding and deliver sustained benefits for the communities and ecosystems they serve.
The initiative contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 14, which calls for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources.
Eligible innovators can find application details through UNDP’s official Ocean Innovation Challenge programme.
Source: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), October , 2026.
