In July 2020, as part of its socioeconomic response to COVID-19, UNDP Europe and Central Asia launched BOOST, a regional acceleration program for social impact innovation. BOOST connects private sector actors, civil society organizations, and academic institutions with resources, trainings, and financing opportunities to scale innovations addressing the most pressing - and complex - development challenges of today and tomorrow.
The BOOST program is an intensive 16-week аcceleration program, conducted fully online, taught by internationally renowned trainers and mentors. Participants are given the tools for how to strengthen or reimagine their business models, scale their business or organisation’s reach, and generate a greater social impact. At the end of the program, participants pitch their innovative ideas in front of a jury of international experts, competing for additional monetary awards to scale and ensure sustainability of their innovations.
BOOST brings together development partners committed to addressing the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerating the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by supporting innovators and changemakers in the region. With the generous support from Koç Holding, the Slovak Ministry of Finance and the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BOOST has so far run three open calls for innovations.
