Application guidance

We are looking to fund innovative projects that focus on one or more specific humanitarian settings. See our glossary for how we define humanitarian settings.

See our glossary for how we define humanitarian settings.

We recognise that in existing humanitarian settings there may now be new or amended humanitarian programming to prevent and respond to COVID-19. Projects implemented as part of COVID-19 response activities in an existing humanitarian setting will be eligible. Implementation as part of COVID-19 response activities outside of an existing humanitarian setting (ie, in the general population of a country) is not eligible.

The project must be implemented in an existing humanitarian setting. COVID-19 response alone will not constitute a humanitarian setting. If covid-19 health programming is taking place, for example, in an existing refugee camp, that will be eligible. See our glossary for more information on how we define humanitarian settings.

See our glossary for how we define operational humanitarian organisation.

You are not expected to have confirmed partnerships in place for the Expression of Interest stage, but you must provide the names of your suggested partners. You will then be expected to provide evidence to demonstrate the partnerships by the Full Proposal stage – such as a memorandum of understanding (MoU), an agreement in principle, or similar.

We know that the global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted ‘business as usual’ operations in many humanitarian settings, and for many humanitarian organisations and responders. We’re confident that the problems set out in our Innovation Challenges are still relevant, solutions are still needed and that progress towards developing them can still be made. We encourage you to share any specific considerations or potential adaptations to your approach in response to the current global context in your application.

Yes, we would. However, for projects where the primary user or target group is humanitarian organisations rather than populations affected by crises, we would want to see clear and direct links to improved humanitarian outcomes for populations affected by crisis in the evidence supporting the problem and proposed solution.

For example, we funded Translators Without Borders (TWB), a non-profit organisation that offers language and translation support for humanitarian agencies. TWB’s activities are supported by extensive research and evidence that highlights the detrimental effects of a lack of local language translation on the provision of appropriate humanitarian aid, and therefore the need for better translation in emergencies.

Yes, organisations are welcome to apply for more than one Challenge. There is no limit to the number of applications one organisation can submit if they are proposing different projects. Please note that the Common Grant Application system will not allow one user/ account to have more than one application in progress at a time. You can either create separate logins for each application or use the ‘Key Offline Questions’ word document to prepare the questions then paste these into CGA and submit one at a time.

We can fund:
• Direct implementation costs and project activities
• material costs (ie, the production or development of the innovation)
• innovation adaptation costs (ie, costs associated with any iterations informed by the research)
• publication costs for research outputs
• project-related staff salaries
• project-related travel expenses.

We can’t fund:
• retrospective costs
• loan repayments
• running costs that are not related to the project
• non-project-related materials or activities
• standard humanitarian programming that is not related to the chosen innovation
• Construction of permanent structures.

Further information is available in our Eligible Costs Guidance

Overheads may be claimed at up to 10% of direct costs. Please do refer to our Eligible Costs Guidance for further information on eligible and ineligible costs.

Please see the reporting requirements section for Current Grantees. Details on the reporting requirements and timings will be shared at the contracting stage, as well as details of our safeguarding and whistle-blowing policy, procedures and feedback mechanisms. 

At the Expression of Interest stage, we are not able to provide detailed individual feedback for applications that did not sufficiently demonstrate how they met the eligibility criteria for the specified Innovation Challenge. Where applicants are unsuccessful at the Full Proposal stage, we will provide further feedback as collated from the Technical Reviewers and Funding Committee where applicable.