UN launches DPI Safeguards Accelerator program

Jun 23, 2026, 1:44 pm EDT | Masha Borak

The UN has invited agencies and organizations to apply for the first DPI Safeguards Accelerator, a program that supports the development of digital public infrastructure (DPI) by identifying risks and formulating specific safeguards in areas such as digital identity, payments, data exchange and other systems.

Each member of the cohort will receive up to US$70,000 in funding over a six to nine-month period. The initiative is led by the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (UN ODET) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with 50-in-5, Co-Develop and Open Government Partnership.

The DPI Safeguards Accelerator is based on the UN’s Universal DPI Safeguards Framework, which offers recommendations on addressing DPI risks, such as privacy vulnerability, digital insecurity and inadequate recourse, as well as risks to inclusion, arising from discrimination, unequal access, or other forms of exclusion.

The accelerator offers two pathways, including one for UN entities and one for NGOs or civil society organizations working on DPI projects.

Applications should focus on two types of work in the DPI safeguards area. System-level safeguards work includes identifying risks across a broader DPI system and making recommendations for governments and partners. Projects could include assessing safeguards, risks and gaps in specific areas such as digital IDs and developing action plans and roadmaps.

Issue-specific safeguards, on the other hand, cover specific safeguard measures within an ongoing DPI project. This could mean improving offline access or verification for people with limited connectivity, developing responsible data use, consent management, and data sharing, and addressing other tasks.

Applications are due by July 30th, 2026