Applications are open for the AI for Financial Resilience Call for Applications, inviting bold, innovative solutions that use AI and emerging technologies to expand financial access for the 1.4 billion unbanked people worldwide. The focus is on empowering underserved communities in emerging markets—particularly low-income individuals, women, immigrants, and micro and small enterprises—by creating financial products that are inclusive, affordable, and built for long-term resilience.

This call recognizes that unbanked populations face deep and persistent barriers, including limited access to financial services, lack of identification and credit history, unaffordable service delivery models, low digital literacy, and high vulnerability to climate shocks. These challenges disproportionately affect communities across Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia—regions where millions continue to be pushed toward extreme poverty due to climate-related losses, droughts, flooding, and livelihood disruptions. By leveraging AI, blockchain, and other emerging tools, applicants have the opportunity to transform how financial services are designed, delivered, and trusted by those long excluded from traditional systems.

The initiative seeks products that expand financial inclusion through AI-powered solutions such as credit, savings, insurance, remittances, emergency payouts, and digital financial literacy tools. It also encourages innovations that strengthen climate resilience—such as parametric insurance, anticipatory cash support, or predictive financial planning—helping vulnerable households and small businesses better withstand and recover from climate shocks. Through the creation of accessible and human-centered financial tools, applicants can help unlock dignity, growth, and opportunity for communities historically told “no.”

Successful applications will demonstrate clear potential for deep and measurable impact by reaching large segments of unbanked and underbanked users. They should bring a distinctive innovation edge—offering first-of-a-kind models or signals that could shift the wider financial inclusion ecosystem. Each proposal should also present a viable and sustainable business model capable of scaling to millions, with economically sound pathways for long-term operations. Additionally, applicants are encouraged to show strong readiness for deployment, whether through existing technology, pilot-ready products, or an active user base that can generate meaningful results within the pilot period.

Builders, innovators, researchers, and startups working with AI for financial resilience in emerging markets are encouraged to submit their applications and help shape a future where inclusive digital finance is accessible to all.

Scroll down for more details and click on the official link attached below to apply for this opportunity