Turkey and Syria earthquake: evidence-based innovations and guidance for acute crisis response.
We are Elrha, a force for change in the humanitarian community. The research and innovation we support equips the humanitarian community with the knowledge of what works, so people affected by crises get the right help when they need it most.
Our purpose is clear: to empower the humanitarian community to improve humanitarian response. We make this happen by supporting and championing the outcomes of robust research and proven innovations.
We empower the humanitarian community. Find out how we can support you...
OverviewOverviewUpdatesOur Focus Areas & What we FundTools & ResearchFunding Opportunities

Aim: to improve outcomes for people affected by humanitarian crises by identifying, nurturing and sharing more effective and scalable solutions.

The HIF is a globally-recognised programme leading on the development and testing of innovation in the humanitarian system. Established in 2011, it was the first of its kind: an independent, grant-making programme open to the entire humanitarian community. It now leads the way in funding, supporting, and managing innovation at every stage of the innovation process.

The HIF’s portfolio of funded projects has informed a more detailed understanding of what successful innovation looks like, and what it can achieve for the humanitarian community. This work is leading the global conversation on innovation in humanitarian response.

2018-2020 Programme Strategy

This document sets out a new strategic direction and priorities for the HIF for 2018-2020. It is informed by an independent Evaluation of the HIF’s performance to date and a review of the humanitarian innovation landscape. It is aligned to the strategic evolution of Elrha as an organisation. This is a ‘responsible ambition’, one that is creative and dynamic whilst also focused on accountability and sensitivity to the humanitarian ecosystem of which we are a part. We will work collaboratively with partners and stakeholders to collectively drive forward innovation for a more effective humanitarian response.

Read our programme strategy

2017 EVALUATION

Our Evaluation, conducted by Triple Line between December 2016 and June 2017, covers the period from the launch of the HIF in early 2011 to December 2016. Its purpose is to provide accountability to our stakeholders through an independent assessment of the HIF’s performance; to support learning about the effectiveness of our own processes and to contribute to our strategic development.

We welcomed this opportunity for a formal review as we fully believe in the importance of robust evaluation for improving how we work and helping us maximise our value to the humanitarian sector.

Learning from 5 years of action

Our response to the Evaluation shared our learning and set out our actions. Our commitment is not only to learn, but to continue to improve as a result.

Read our response

The Humanitarian Innovation Fund External Evaluation, Triple Line

View the Evaluation in Full here.

this Evaluation also carried out three case studies:

  1. World Food Programme’s mVAM: Mobile Voice Technology for Food Security Data
  2. IFRC’s Improving Menstrual Hygiene Management in Emergencies
  3. Translators Without Borders’ Words of Relief

Our Donors

Explore the HIF

Meet the Team

Meet our Advisory Group

CONSULTANCY: SUPPORTING INNOVATION PROGRAMMES

NEED SUPPORT BECAUSE OF COVID-19?

Explore our COVID-19 Hub, or get in touch with us info@elrha.org

Find out more

Latest news
04.08.2022

New innovation funding for more inclusive humanitarian response
01.12.2021

New WASH report centres needs of people affected by crises
16.04.2020

Thank you to our HIF Funding Committee
20.11.2019

FUNDING OPEN: help us build evidence around WASH innovations
15.04.2019

Hear our Voices of WASH
06.11.2018

NEW videos: next steps on the Journey to Scale
14.08.2019

Eight innovation grants awarded to support wider adoption of projects
05.06.2019

We’re changing the way we fund innovation to tackle humanitarian problems in more depth
16.04.2019

Five new innovation projects taking a local perspective on measuring the impact of GBV programmes
20.07.2018

Introducing our new Humanitarian Innovation Guide (by an innovation sceptic)
04.09.2018

Innovation Insights Webinar Series

The HIF’s current thematic focuses are:

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

Since starting our work on innovation in WASH within humanitarian settings in 2013, we have supported more than 50 innovation or research projects in this area and continue to support many more...

Gender-based Violence (GBV)

Gender-based violence (GBV) in humanitarian settings is a life-threatening issue. It undermines dignity, causes pain, and is a threat to equality and development around the globe. We are exploring potential solutions to address humanitarian GBV through both our research and innovation programmes...

Journey to Scale

We set out to address the sector wide question of how to scale humanitarian innovation. In many cases, the complexities involved in scaling innovation beyond prototyping and piloting has stagnated projects meaning valuable, innovative ideas do not get the chance to develop, progress or achieve their potential...

Disability and Older Age Inclusion

All people affected by crisis deserve to be included in humanitarian response activities. Yet we know that some people are systematically excluded. Our newest area of work explores the barriers to and support opportunities for the inclusion of older people and people with disabilities in humanitarian response....

Local Innovation

We believe innovations can be stronger and more effective if they are developed with the input of those most affected by the problems they aim to solve. To ‘localise’ our funding and support, we formed a strategic partnership with the Asian Disaster Reduction and Response Network (ADRRN)...

Explore our innovation portfolio

Explore over 150 HIF-funded innovations…

Discover more about the projects we fund

South Sudan, Uganda

Addressing GBV through refugee-led innovation
Bangladesh

People Centered Early Warning System
Lebanon

User-Centred Sanitation Design Through Rapid Community Engagement

Liberia

Engaging armed non-State actors (ANSA) on GBV
Democratic Republic of Congo

Healing in Harmony: Music Therapy for Vulnerable Communities
South Sudan

Using Puppetry to Increase Participation in Handwashing

Key Tools, Guidance & Research published by HIF
Report Scale

How to scale: tactics to adopt humanitarian innovations
Report Water, sanitation & hygiene

Gaps in WASH in Humanitarian Response: 2021 Update
Report Sexual and Reproductive Health

Innovation for Sexual and Reproductive Health in Humanitarian Crises
Report Capacity Development, Inclusion of People with Disabilities and Older People

Review of Training for the Inclusion of People with Disabilities and Older People in the Humanitarian Sector
Report Partnerships

Partnerships Review: Humanitarian Innovation Fund
Report Gender-based Violence, Inclusion of People with Disabilities and Older People

Rapid review of disability and older age inclusion in GBV
Report COVID-19, Inclusion of People with Disabilities and Older People, Water, sanitation & hygiene

Rapid review of disability and older age inclusion in WASH
Tool Innovation Management

Humanitarian Innovation Guide
Report Innovation Management, Scale

Too Tough to Scale? Challenges to scaling innovation in the humanitarian sector

Tools & Research from HIF funded projects

Tool Accountability & Participation

Hotline in a Box Toolkit
Tool Health Systems & Services, Maternal and Child Health, Nutrition, Refugees and IDPs

Lot Quality Assurance Sampling Rapid Assessment Toolkit for Refugee Contexts
Briefing Note Gender-based Violence, Refugees and IDPs

Unite for a Better Life: Lessons on Programme Adaption for a Humanitarian Context
Tool Gender-based Violence

Gender-Based Violence Case Management Outcome Monitoring Toolkit
Report Accountability & Participation, Information Management, Communication & Technology

Responsive Listening through Improved Feedback Mechanisms: End-of-project evaluation
Tool Water, sanitation & hygiene

Guide and practical tools addressing Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) needs
Article Water, sanitation & hygiene

Supertowel as an alternative hand cleaning product for emergencies

Previous Funding Opportunities

Innovation Challenge: data-driven inclusion

We are looking to support innovative data collection approaches that will generate action-oriented recommendations on how to make humanitarian action more inclusive of older people and people with disabilities.

Area of work Inclusion of People with Disabilities and Older People Programme Humanitarian Innovation Fund Funding amount 750,000 GBP (up to 175,000 GBP per project) Funding deadline 14 Sep 2022

Innovation Challenge: Adoption Challenge – Facilitating the adoption of humanitarian WASH innovations

We are looking for humanitarian organisations interested in adopting innovations from our WASH Innovation Catalogue into their programmes. Funding will be made available to cover the adoption costs.

Area of work Water, sanitation & hygiene Programme Humanitarian Innovation Fund Funding amount 650,000 GBP (50,000 to 150,000 GBP per project) Funding deadline 25 Jan 2021

JOURNEY TO SCALE: Funding for scaling humanitarian innovation

Journey to Scale (J2S) is aimed at humanitarian innovators who have successfully piloted their solution in at least one humanitarian setting and are now looking to scale up its impact.

Area of work Scale Programme Humanitarian Innovation Fund Funding amount Up to £580,000 GBP for each project Funding deadline 14 Feb 2020

WASH EVIDENCE INNOVATION CHALLENGE: Develop robust evidence on humanitarian WASH innovations

The aim of our WASH Evidence Challenge will be to generate practical, comparative evidence around HIF-funded WASH innovations. The evidence will be useful for both the innovations themselves and the humanitarian sector as a whole. These projects need to be collaborations between WASH innovators, researchers and humanitarian agencies.

Area of work Water, sanitation & hygiene Programme Humanitarian Innovation Fund Funding amount Total budget of £950,000 GBP for this Challenge Funding deadline 24 Jan 2020

WASH Innovation Challenge: Exploring the barriers to inclusion faced by people living with incontinence

The aim of this Challenge is to build on existing evidence and insights to further understand the barriers to inclusion that people living with incontinence face, so that more holistic, effective and inclusive WASH programmes can be developed.

Area of work Water, sanitation & hygiene Programme Humanitarian Innovation Fund Funding amount Approximately £30,000 to £70,000 per project (total funding available: £100,000) Funding deadline 23 Jun 2019

WASH Innovation Challenge: Safe, dignified and inclusive menstrual hygiene management (MHM) programming in emergencies

Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is an often-overlooked aspect of humanitarian response. Providing safe, dignified and inclusive MHM programming will require the humanitarian sector to address a range of complex problems that no one product or service can solve.

Area of work Water, sanitation & hygiene Programme Humanitarian Innovation Fund Funding amount Approximately between £50,000 and £300,000 per project (total funding available: £650,000) Funding deadline 23 Jun 2019

Innovation Challenge: Understanding the barriers to inclusion faced by people with disabilities and older people in GBV humanitarian programming

We’re looking to understand the barriers to inclusion faced by people with disabilities and older people in GBV humanitarian programming: including needs assessments, programme design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.

Area of work Gender-based Violence, Inclusion of People with Disabilities and Older People Programme Humanitarian Innovation Fund Funding amount Approximately £30,000 to £70,000 per project (total funding available: £100,000) Funding deadline 23 Jun 2019

Innovation Challenge: Understanding the barriers to inclusion faced by people with disabilities and older people in WASH humanitarian programming

We’re looking to understand the barriers to inclusion faced by people with disabilities and older people in GBV humanitarian programming: including needs assessments, programme design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.

Area of work Inclusion of People with Disabilities and Older People, Water, sanitation & hygiene Programme Humanitarian Innovation Fund Funding amount Approximately £30,000 to £70,000 per project (total funding available: £150,000) Funding deadline 23 Jun 2019

Innovation Challenge: Innovative Responses to Intimate Partner Violence in Humanitarian Settings

We’re looking for innovative intimate partner violence (IPV) response interventions that meet the needs of and maintain the safety and security of women and girls in humanitarian settings.

Area of work Gender-based Violence Programme Humanitarian Innovation Fund Funding amount £500,000 GBP (suggested £50,000 to £175,000 GBP per project) Funding deadline 07 Aug 2020

Innovation Challenge: Increasing the Meaningful Participation of People with Disabilities and Older People in Humanitarian Action

We're looking to increase the meaningful participation of people with disabilities and older people in humanitarian action.

Area of work Disaster Risk Reduction, Inclusion of People with Disabilities and Older People Programme Humanitarian Innovation Fund Funding amount £900,000 GBP (suggested £150,000 to £300,000 GBP per project) Funding deadline 07 Aug 2020

Innovation Challenge: Supporting the humanitarian community to explore how inclusive preparedness can enable inclusive humanitarian response

Supporting the humanitarian community to explore how inclusive preparedness can enable inclusive humanitarian response

Area of work Disaster Risk Reduction, Inclusion of People with Disabilities and Older People Programme Humanitarian Innovation Fund Funding amount £300,000 GBP (suggested £50,000 to £75,000 GBP per project) Funding deadline 07 Aug 2020

Innovation Challenge: Faecal sludge treatment solutions for disease outbreaks in densely populated humanitarian settings

We are looking for faecal sludge treatment innovations for disease outbreaks in densely populated humanitarian settings.

Area of work Water, sanitation & hygiene Programme Humanitarian Innovation Fund Funding amount £500,000 GBP (suggested £50,000 to £250,000 per project) Funding deadline 12 Oct 2020

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