PHOTO: Megan Lee
Through its Humanitarian Innovation Programme (HIP Norway), Innovation Norway is looking for bold innovation projects that aim to improve humanitarian action, save lives, alleviate suffering, and sustain people’s dignity. The 2023 call for proposals is now open. We welcome humanitarian UN agencies and Norwegian humanitarian organisations (NGOs) to submit project proposals.
We support innovation projects led by humanitarian organisations where the expertise and technical know-how from the private sector has a role in solving humanitarian challenges. HIP Norway supports both early-stage innovation (Innovation Lab) and scaling of solutions that have proven to be successful at the pilot stage (Scaling grant scheme). Please see the requirements for both grant schemes at the bottom of the page. NB: The application form will open in April. In the meantime, you will find information about what to prepare under the information tab under each grant scheme.
Objectives and target group for the programme
HIP Norway is a grant and support mechanism, financed by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and administered by Innovation Norway.
HIP Norway aims to strengthen efforts to:
- Save lives, alleviate distress and safeguard human dignity in humanitarian crises.
- Provide people in need with the necessary protection and assistance in line with humanitarian principles.
To contribute to achieving the overall goal, HIP Norway will support projects that develop and scale innovative solutions that will contribute to smarter, better, more sustainable, and cost-effective emergency aid.
The target group(s) for the projects supported through the programme are people affected by humanitarian crises.
Overall, HIP Norway is evaluated based on the number of innovation partnerships established, the number of new solutions developed, successful pilots in humanitarian contexts, new innovative solutions being used that have a direct impact on end users, the number of solutions that have contributed to smarter, better, more sustainable and/or more cost-efficient response, and the number of innovations that have been scaled up in a humanitarian context.
Who can apply?
- UN agencies with a humanitarian mandate
- Norwegian humanitarian organisations with an international mandate (The organisation must be registered at the Brønnøysund Register and have both an office in Norway and a Norwegian board)
- Consortiums of multiple humanitarian organisations. In such collaborations, the main applicant has to come from category 1 or 2, and the other organisations can either come from these categories, or not, e.g., national NGOs etc.
We encourage humanitarian organisations to collaborate on joint applications.
HIP Norway mobilises and supports humanitarian-private partnerships. The humanitarian organisation/agency is the applicant and receiver of the grant.
Focus areas
HIP Norway is looking for bold ideas that seek to improve resilience against natural disasters or improve humanitarian response in conflicts and disasters. The programme supports projects within one or more of the following focus areas:
- Green humanitarian response: Efforts that contribute to more sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions within the humanitarian sector.
- Health and sanitation: Efforts to ensure lifesaving health services and the provision of facilities and services for the maintenance of hygienic conditions and the safe disposal of human waste.
- Protection: Efforts that contribute to protecting people from violence, abuse and violation of international law due to humanitarian crises. Applications focusing on protection from sexual and gender-based violence are encouraged.
- Innovative financing: Innovative financing refers to a number of non-traditional mechanisms for raising additional funds for humanitarian and development assistance. This may be through innovations such as micro-contributions, impact bonds, public-private partnerships and market-based approaches/ business models.
Call for proposals 2023
NOK 97 million is allocated to new Innovation Lab and scaling projects in 2023.
- Applications to the Innovation Lab scheme may range from NOK 4-6 million (or up to NOK 8 million for multiagency projects with three or more partnering organisations)
- Applications to the Scaling grant scheme may range from NOK 2-10 million
The total funding allocated for each grant scheme is subject to applications received.
Call timeline and process
The application deadline is 22. June 2023, 12PM CEST (Noon).
Shortlisted projects will be invited to a 20-minute digital pitch/interview in front of an Innovation Norway panel on one of the following dates: 6., 7., or 8. September 2023. All applicants are encouraged to mark these dates in their calendars. The pitch/interview will consist of 10 minutes to answer 3-5 questions about the project received in advance, and 10 minutes for follow-up questions from the panel. We ask that relevant leadership is represented at the pitch; head of department/ section/ country office or similar.
New application form
The application form is new in 2023. It will collect much of the same information as previous years:
- What is the humanitarian challenge you are seeking to address?
- What is innovative about this project?
- What are the activities and milestones?
- What is the target group and what will be the direct impact for people affected?
- What is the potential for scale?
- What capacity and knowledge are you seeking from your private sector partnership(s)?
The form will be made available on the bottom of this page in April. The form needs to be completed in the digital portal to be considered.
*Please note that the name of the project and the contact person you enter when applying will be directly transferred to the grant letter and cannot be changed afterwards. Please make sure that the name of the organisation is the correct name for the legal entity that will receive the grant.