New York, 24 March 2026 - The United Nations Development Programme has launched its second global innovation challenge, calling on startups, researchers and digital developers to build tools that allow crisis-affected communities to report damage in real time.
Through the challenge, UNDP is seeking an open-source platform that allows people on the ground to send photos, describe damage and geolocate affected infrastructure using digital channels such as mobile apps, web platforms or messaging services.
The initiative will combine the information from the affected communities with satellite analysis, helping identify where damage is greatest. Early, reliable data allows governments to prioritize debris removal, restore services and start rebuilding sooner.
"In the initial hours after a crisis, responders are often working with incomplete information," said Anila Qehaja, Team Leader for Assessments and Digital Solutions at UNDP's Crisis Bureau. "By enabling people to report crisis damage directly from their communities, we can combine local knowledge with satellite analysis to create a faster, clearer picture of the impacts and support governments in directing assistance where it is needed most."
The winning solution will be an open-source digital platform that allows people to easily report damage after a crisis. The system will securely store reports, display them on a map, and help authorities quickly understand where the greatest impacts are and where assistance is needed most.
A prize of US$50,000 will be awarded to the solution that meets the technical and operational requirements. Shortlisted innovators will be invited to present their proposals to UNDP experts following an initial evaluation phase.
The challenge will be hosted through Wazoku's Innocentive global solver community, a network of more than half a million problem-solvers. This marks the second collaboration between Wazoku and UNDP. The first challenge on detecting and mapping underwater explosive remnants of war ended with 385 registered solvers worldwide.
"Following the solutions gathered from individuals, teams, and organizations from 61 countries in our first Challenge with UNDP, we're excited to launch this new opportunity," said Juan Gomez, Innovation Consultant at Wazoku. "We welcome creative and functional systems that empower communities to accurately report damage in a timely manner to help inform crisis response."
This UNDP challenge will also be supported by SeaFreight Labs, Wazoku's long-term crowdsourcing consultancy partner.
"I love the elegance of this problem statement." said Harry Sangree, Founder and CEO of SeaFreight Labs. "The winning solution will need to combine high-quality software engineering with a simple interface that motivates community members to upload damage reports immediately after a crisis. Achieving both objectives simultaneously requires a sophisticated and elegant design."
UNDP will also explore opportunities to collaborate with winning teams to further develop promising solutions, helping make community-powered crisis data available to humanitarian and development partners worldwide.
Submissions to the challenge are open until 23 June, 2026.
