The Humanitarian Innovation Fund: Recognition Grants to Provide Solutions to Humanitarian Challenges

The Humanitarian Innovation Fund supports organizations and individuals to identify, nurture and share innovative and scalable solutions to the challenges facing effective humanitarian assistance.

The Fund exists to support humanitarian innovation as the process of  creating, testing and scaling novel approaches in humanitarian aid, in order to positively benefit communities affected by crisis.

The Humanitarian Innovation Fund (HIF) is a landmark grant-making fund to support organizations working in countries and regions facing humanitarian challenges, such as Haiti, Pakistan and East Africa, to develop, test and share new technologies, products and processes that will make humanitarian aid more effective and cost-efficient in the future.

The Fund represents a collective effort to enhance the contribution of innovation to improving operational humanitarian performance at the field level. It is currently supported by contributions from the UK Department of International Development (DFID), Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

Recognition Grants

Are you an aid worker in a humanitarian setting that can see a process isn’t efficient, or a product not adequate, but need support to research this further? Or, do you have a bright idea for inventing a device or process that could improve the quality and speed in which aid is delivered but need support to delve deeper and consult with relevant stakeholders?

The recognition grants are for projects that involve generating meaningful insights to inform the invention of potential solutions.

 It is essential to understand the needs and challenges of affected communities, and the view of the potential users of any new innovations that might develop.

Grants Information

Grant Amount

A grant up to £50,000 is available for the Recognition phase of the process.

Focus Projects

The recognition phase is likely to include, but not exclusively, research, reviews and other studies that:

• Learn from the community that is directly affected by the problem

• Explore a problem from different and relevant perspectives

• Identify new areas of opportunity for innovation

• Review existing evidence about what works and what doesn’t

• Explore the potential of adapting existing technology for new humanitarian purposes

• Sharing the information gathered in a way others can easily understand

Examples of Projects Funded

• Understanding the Humanitarian effects of Violence on Vulnerable Children and women in Latin America and the Caribbean – Save the Children

• Effective monitoring and beneficiary accountability practices for projects implemented remotely in insecure environments – Tearfund

Ineligible Projects

• Exploring a challenge that exists within a development setting (definition).

• Company/ organization start-up funding

• Construction of non-innovative schools, latrines, water systems, medical centres

• Replication of existing solutions

• Expansion of private businesses

• Projects that exclusively serve religious purposes

• Political campaigns

Eligibility Criteria

• Humanitarian: The aim of your project must be to improve humanitarian practice.

• Innovation: The aim of your project must be an innovation: creating and implementing a new or improved technology, product or process.

• Field Experience: Applications from all sectors can be submitted. However, at least one of the partner organizations must be able to demonstrate experience working in humanitarian response.

How to Apply

All interested applicants to register online using this link

For more information, please visit Recognition Grants.