8 Available SDGi-related UN Funds and Financing Mechanisms to Apply for in 2022

 UN Joint SDG Fund: This UN inter-agency, pooled mechanism aims to close the financing gaps to achieve the SDGs in developing countries through systemic action by the UN system. It operates through open calls for proposals, and focuses on integrated policy support and strategic financing, supporting initiatives that incentivize transformative policy shifts and stimulate the strategic investments required to meet the SDGs.

UN Special Purpose Trust Fund: Housed within the UN Secretariat, this Fund has been established to receive, consolidate, manage, and account for all contributions and financial transactions of the new Resident Coordinator (RC) system, in a transparent and effective way. It aims to support the alignment of all resources (international, national, public, and private) with the SDGs.

WBG Partnership Fund for the Sustainable Development Goals: Managed by the World Bank Group (WBG), this Fund aligns with the World Bank Group’s twin goals of ending extreme poverty and increasing shared prosperity. It aims to support client countries to deliver on the SDGs) through knowledge-sharing, capacity building, data, financing, and partnerships.

IMF Resilience and Sustainability Trust Fund: Managed by International Monetary Fund (IMF), this Fund aims to address macro-critical longer-term structural challenges that entail significant macroeconomic risks to member countries’ resilience and sustainability, including climate change, pandemic preparedness, and digitalization. Access to financing is determined on a case-by-case basis, based on the strength of reforms and debt sustainability considerations.

UNICEF Innovation Fund: Managed by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), this Fund aims to provide early-stage funding and support to frontier technology solutions that benefit children. It invests exclusively in open source solutions, and provides access to a tailored one-to-one mentoring program with the Innovation Fund’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence Mentors, based on each startup’s unique needs assessment.

UN Democracy Fund: Set up by the UN Secretary-General, this Fund supports projects that empower civil society, promote human rights, and encourage the participation of all groups in democratic processes. It invites civil society organizations to apply for project funding during an annual window which opens usually between November to December of each calendar year.

UN Secretary-General's Peacebuilding Fund: Set up by the UN Secretary-General, this Fund is the UN’s financial instrument of first resort to sustain peace in countries or situations at risk or affected by violent conflict. It invests with UN entities, governments, regional organizations, multilateral banks, national multi-donor trust funds or civil society organizations.

GEF Small Grants Programme: Managed by UNDP on behalf of Global Environment Facility (GEF) partnership, the Programme provides grants of up to US$50,000 directly to local communities including indigenous people, community-based organizations, and other non-governmental groups for projects in Biodiversity, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, Land Degradation and Sustainable Forest Management, and International Waters and Chemicals.