About this opportunity
At the World Telecommunication Development Conference in Baku in 2025, Member States adopted a new set of ITU Regional Initiatives for 2026 to 2029. Resolutions 17 and 92 call on the Telecommunication Development Bureau to build mechanisms that accelerate projects based on those initiatives, and the Bureau answered with the Regional Initiative Accelerator, a methodology for turning initiative goals into actionable, bankable projects co-designed with ITU membership.
This first call focuses on innovation. ITU Member States are invited to submit project ideas aligned with the listed initiatives, including AFR4 on digital applications, micro, small and medium enterprises and digital innovation ecosystems, and AFR5 on sustainable funding mechanisms for Africa's digital transformation.
Ideas go by email to BDT Innovation with the official application form and must clearly define a problem tied to an expected outcome, show initial commitment to advancing the idea, and identify the resources and stakeholders needed for implementation. The Bureau runs a rigorous selection with experts from ITU Headquarters and the field, and notifies selected teams within one week of the
Application timeline
Ideas are judged on criteria printed in the call, among them originality, whether the concept is original for its context and responds to the challenge, and relevance, whether the idea is distinctive within the ecosystem. One member of each selected team is invited to an in person co-design workshop, and a maximum of two project ideas may be selected per Regional Initiative.
Core teams of selected ideas are invited to take online training on the accelerator methodology through the ITU Academy, and in 2027 they receive additional in kind support for resource mobilisation and implementation planning to turn their ideas into global projects. No cash award is printed in the call.
Administrations in African ITU Member States, Nigeria among them, fall inside the round.
What you receive
- Online training on the Regional Initiative Accelerator methodology via the ITU Academy for core teams of selected project ideas
- One member of each selected project team invited to an in-person co-design workshop
- Additional in-kind support in 2027 for resource mobilisation and implementation planning
- Ongoing support from the relevant ITU regional offices after the co-design workshop
Who can apply
- ITU Member States are invited to submit project ideas aligned with the Regional Initiatives on innovation listed in the call
- Ideas must align with one of the listed initiatives, including AFR4 digital applications, MSMEs and digital innovation ecosystems and AFR5 sustainable funding mechanisms for Africa`s digital transformation
- A maximum of two project ideas may be selected per Regional Initiative listed in Annex II, subject to meeting the selection criteria
Documents to prepare
- The official RIA application form for the project idea, submitted in English
How to apply
- Complete the official application form on the ITU Regional Initiative Accelerator page
- Email the completed form to BDT Innovation at bdtinnovation@itu.int by 15 November 2026
- Selected teams are notified within one week of the submission deadline
Sources and verification
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Questions applicants ask
Is the ITU Regional Initiative Accelerator a grant?
No. The call states support in kind through ITU Academy training, an in-person co-design workshop and 2027 resource mobilisation help, and prints no award amount.
Who can submit a project idea?
The Bureau invites ITU Member States to submit project ideas aligned with the Regional Initiatives on innovation, so the applicant is a Member State administration.
Important disclaimer
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