Applications open for DPI Safeguards Accelerator as UN signals urgency

United Nations entities and civil society NGOs are invited to apply to participate in the first cohort of the new DPI Safeguards Accelerator.

The UN has warned that the 2026–2028 window is critical for embedding digital public infrastructure (DPI) protections before systemic failures become legacy issues. The caution comes amidst over 100 countries are rolling out at least one component of DPI. The urgency is prompting a new push to move DPI safeguards from optional guidelines to structural requirements.

To drive this push is the newly launched DPI Safeguards Accelerator, an initiative overseen by the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (UN ODET) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the 50-in-5 campaign, the Open Government Partnership (OGP), and Co-Develop. The program aims to bridge the gap between the UN’s Universal DPI Safeguards Framework, a rights-based document with 18 principles and roughly 300 practices, and the practical realities of country-level implementation.

Applications for the first cohort opened recently and will remain open until July 30. The selection process involves two stages, which include an initial screening form, followed by a detailed proposal for longlisted teams.

Selected candidates will receive technical tools, expert guidance, and catalytic implementation grants of up to $70,000. These funds can be used to develop applications targeting either system-level safeguards such as risk assessments across an entire DPI ecosystem, or issue-specific measures like grievance redress mechanisms, offline access, or inclusion of underserved communities within an active national DPI rollout.

There are two pathways for entry into the cohort; one for UN entities and another for NGOs and civil society organizations.

The Accelerator seeks to institutionalize digital rights and safeguards-by-design, and ensure that national identity, payments, and data exchange systems are built with trust, inclusion, and accountability as default features rather than an afterthought.

As OGP posted, the program “supports an early, practical action to identify risks, bring stakeholders and civil society into the process, and shape practical roadmaps, including advancing specific safeguard measures.”

The UN’s Accelerator follows closely on the heels of a similar regional effort, the Africa Accelerator for Digital Public Infrastructure (AA4DPI), which was launched during the UN Open Source Week 2026.

The UNDP’s Africa Regional Bureau noted that the AA4DPI will help countries strengthen sovereign, scalable, and inclusive DPI through technical expertise, institutional support, policy assistance, and investment facilitation.

Article Topics

50-in-5  |  Co-Develop  |  digital identity  |  digital public infrastructure  |  DPI Safeguards Framework  |  UNDP