"In the humanitarian field, the challenges are constantly increasing and require new and innovative solutions. Only together and with our combined expertise can we tackle the major challenges of our time. This is why I call on all eligible companies to participate in the Humanitarian Innovation Accelerator and to submit their innovative projects to us - together we can make a real and lasting difference in the humanitarian sector!" – Franz Fayot, Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs
Starting today and running until 1 March 2023, the call for applications for the Humanitarian Innovation Accelerator (HIA) will be open to national and international proposals to promote innovative solutions in support of the global humanitarian sector.
The HIA, was developed by the Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs of the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, in close collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Austrian Development Agency. The accelerator aims to pilot the development and scaling up of innovative solutions to strengthen the capacity of humanitarian actors in order to address the most complex challenges in the most difficult conditions.
The call for proposals addresses innovative entrepreneurs from all over the world, who through their products and/or services bring a positive and sustainable impact to the humanitarian aid sector, particularly in the areas of emergency management, access to services and data management and communication.
Particularly interested in solutions from the fields of artificial intelligence, space, health-tech, supply chain and logistics, or data science, the HIA is looking to support proposals that are scalable in different crisis contexts and geographical areas. At the same time and ideally, these solutions also take into account the greening of humanitarian action, environmental and gender aspects as well as the needs of vulnerable communities including LGBTIQ, seniors and people living with disabilities.
The launch of the HIA is a response to the fact that humanitarian needs are growing worldwide. According to the most recent figures by the United Nations, a total of 339 million people in more than 68 countries will be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2023 - an alarming increase of 24% over the previous year.
The most promising products and services proposed in the framework of this call will be invited to present themselves during a live Pitch Event on 29 June 2023 in Luxembourg. This event, co-organised with Luxinnovation, the national innovation agency of Luxembourg, will select the winning projects of this call, which will then have access to funding, mentoring and networking with the economic and humanitarian ecosystem of Luxembourg.
If you wish to obtain further information or submit a project proposal, please visit the following link: innovation.wfp.org.
Press release by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs