UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)Competition

Second UNCTAD Supply Chain Innovation Challenge

This one has closed

Archived

Opportunity type

Competition

Funding

Fully Funded

Location

Global

Deadline

Archived

About this opportunity

UN Trade and Development, the UN body still widely known as UNCTAD, is asking for original ideas that use frontier technology to help supply chains anticipate, withstand and recover from disruption. This is the second edition, after the first ran alongside the inaugural Global Supply Chain Forum in Barbados in 2024. You enter by writing a proposal in English of 1,500 to 3,000 words, alone or in a team of up to four.

What you get:

The winning proposal is presented at the Second UNCTAD Global Supply Chain Forum in Riyadh
Travel and accommodation to Riyadh are covered for the winner
A UN platform and audience for your idea, in front of governments, port authorities and the private sector

What you'll do:

Write an original proposal in English of 1,500 to 3,000 words, bibliography and footnotes included
Set out a clear problem statement, a detailed description of your solution, its anticipated impact and a feasibility assessment
Show how frontier technology helps prepare for and counter supply chain disruption, sustainably and inclusively
Enter alone or in a team of up to four, with one member representing a winning team in Saudi Arabia

Key dates:

Submissions close 4 September 2026 at 23:59 GMT+2
The Second UNCTAD Global Supply Chain Forum runs 29 November to 1 December 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

More information:

Questions go to gscf@unctad.org

Who can apply

Open to innovators worldwide, with no nationality restriction stated in the call
Participants must be individuals, so organisations cannot enter in their own name
Teams of up to four may apply, and one member represents a winning team in Saudi Arabia
Proposals must be in English and 1,500 to 3,000 words maximum, including bibliography and footnotes
Proposals are assessed on innovation, feasibility, scalability, sustainability and resilience
Innovators anywhere in the world, working alone or in teams of up to four, who have a practical technology idea for making supply chains more resilient, sustainable and inclusive. The call names greener supply chains, food security and cross border procedures as areas of particular interest but does not limit proposals to them.

AI Verification

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Good to know

+The winner presents at the UN Global Supply Chain Forum in Riyadh, with travel and accommodation paid.
+Free to enter, run by UN Trade and Development.
+You can enter alone or as a team of up to four.
+No age limit and no nationality restriction, so it is open to anyone with a good idea.

Worth checking yourself

!The deadline is 23:59 on 4 September, so there is almost no time left.
!You have to submit a written proposal of 1,500 to 3,000 words in English, which is a real piece of work rather than a form.
!Only the winner is funded. There is no cash prize, just the trip to Riyadh.
!Entries must come from individuals rather than organisations.

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