Despite the severity of the issue, road safety remains significantly underfunded in most countries. The Global Action Plan for Road Safety 2021–2030 highlights substantial and often underutilized opportunities for private sector involvement - not only through sponsorships for initiatives but also by offering innovative solutions and products backed by solid business cases. In the proposed partner countries, there is immense potential for entrepreneurship, with dynamic startup ecosystems emerging, partly driven by high youth unemployment. Limited job prospects in traditional sectors are pushing young people toward entrepreneurship, giving rise to innovations ranging from subscription-based emergency response platforms to technologically advanced urban solutions such as smart crosswalks. Kenya illustrates this trend vividly: between 2015 and 2020, startup investments rose from KSh20.8 billion to KSh26 billion (USD 191.4 million), representing 27.3% of Africa’s total USD 701 million startup investment, with small and medium enterprises now accounting for 98% of businesses and generating 30% of new jobs each year.

Yet, access to affordable financing remains limited, and weak regulatory frameworks hinder startups from advancing beyond the ideation stage. Local governments often rely on outdated procurement processes and lack the capacity to manage public–private partnerships, while imbalanced risk distribution frequently places excessive financial burdens on one side, discouraging sustainable collaboration.

To address these barriers, the proposed project will launch a Road Safety Cities Challenge, inviting cities in partner countries to engage in a challenge-driven approach designed to incubate and scale innovative solutions tailored to local contexts. The competition will empower cities to enhance their capacity for private sector engagement through improved procurement and regulatory frameworks, while collaborating with a global network of experts to accelerate strategies for reducing crashes. The project will give special attention to the safety needs of women, children, and youth, who are disproportionately affected by unsafe urban mobility. Gender-sensitive design and youth-led innovation will be integral features.

The overarching objective is to contribute to the reduction of road crashes in cities by implementing promising innovations through public–private partnerships, integrated within enhanced procurement and regulatory frameworks. Sub-objectives include facilitating co-creation of innovations between cities and private sector partners, building capacity for innovative procurement mechanisms, implementing catalytic road safety solutions aligned with mobility plans and policies, and scaling up promising innovations supported by strong business cases to attract additional investment.

Proposed solutions will be selected through a competitive process based on their potential to reduce crashes, alignment with policies and city priorities, impact on social inclusion, economic feasibility, and environmental friendliness. Innovations addressing one or more of the five pillars of the Safe System Approach will be eligible, with priority given to those addressing multiple pillars. These may include smart infrastructure solutions for road condition monitoring, adaptive street design, intelligent speed management technologies, shared data platforms, vehicle safety optimization tools, walkability and road user safety apps, and advanced incident reporting systems. The project will be implemented by UN-Habitat with in-kind and strategic support from UNEP and UNECE.

The project will deliver three key outcomes. First, Challenge Design, where partner cities are engaged to identify critical road safety priorities, co-design the Road Safety Cities Challenge, and launch calls for proposals. A rigorous evaluation framework will guide proposal selection, with up to six solutions shortlisted for funding. Second, Challenge Delivery, where selected proposals undergo due diligence, refinement, and collaborative testing in “living labs,” supported by funding, technical guidance, and large-scale capacity building in innovation management and procurement. Third, Challenge Impact and Scale-Up, where implemented solutions are assessed for their effectiveness, aligned with municipal budgets for long-term sustainability, supported in accessing additional funding, and promoted at global investor events. A guidebook on innovative procurement and a dedicated road safety startup network under the Global Alliance of Cities for Road Safety will further strengthen knowledge sharing and collaboration.

Monitoring and evaluation will be central throughout the project. Impact indicators and monitoring frameworks will be tailored to each solution, ensuring clear baselines and measurable targets. Where relevant, tools such as UNECE’s PPP and Infrastructure Evaluation and Rating System (PIERS) will be applied to align with the SDGs. Evaluation will extend beyond direct reductions in crashes and fatalities to include behavioural changes among road users, user satisfaction and feedback, technology adoption rates, and community engagement metrics, highlighting the extent of local involvement. This multifaceted and comprehensive assessment will guide ongoing improvements and adaptations, fostering a culture of continuous enhancement.