Humanitarian Innovation Programme Grant (Norway)

The Humanitarian Innovation Programme (HIP Norway) provides grant funding and expert support to humanitarian organizations working with private sector partners to develop and scale innovative solutions for humanitarian crises. Funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and managed by Innovation Norway, the programme supports projects that improve disaster resilience, humanitarian response, food security, health, protection, and sustainable emergency assistance.

About the Humanitarian Innovation Programme (HIP Norway)

The Humanitarian Innovation Programme (HIP Norway) is an international funding initiative that promotes innovation in humanitarian action through partnerships between humanitarian organizations and private sector companies. The programme recognizes that complex humanitarian crises require new technologies, innovative business models, and cross-sector collaboration to improve emergency response and long-term resilience.

Funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and administered by Innovation Norway, HIP Norway helps organizations develop, test, and scale innovative solutions that save lives, reduce suffering, and protect the dignity and rights of people affected by conflicts, disasters, and humanitarian emergencies.

The programme encourages solutions that are practical, scalable, sustainable, and designed with the participation of affected communities to ensure they respond to real humanitarian needs.

Grant Objectives

The Humanitarian Innovation Programme aims to:

• Strengthen humanitarian response through innovation.
• Foster partnerships between humanitarian organizations and the private sector.
• Develop scalable solutions for humanitarian challenges.
• Improve disaster preparedness and resilience.
• Increase the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian assistance.
• Promote sustainable and environmentally responsible humanitarian action.
• Support community-centered innovation.
• Improve protection and well-being for vulnerable populations.
• Encourage long-term impact beyond emergency response.

Priority Areas

HIP Norway supports projects addressing key humanitarian priorities, including:

• Disaster risk reduction and resilience.
• Humanitarian response during conflicts and emergencies.
• Green humanitarian response.
• Climate-resilient humanitarian solutions.
• Health services.
• Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
• Food security and nutrition.
• Protection of vulnerable populations.
• Prevention of sexual and gender-based violence.
• Innovative humanitarian financing.
• Sustainable emergency assistance.
• Digital and technology-driven humanitarian innovation.

Projects should demonstrate clear humanitarian benefits and the potential for broader adoption.

Types of Grants Available

Applicants can apply for one of two grant categories depending on the maturity of their innovation.

Innovation Lab Grant

The Innovation Lab Grant supports organizations that are developing, adapting, or co-creating new humanitarian solutions with private sector partners.

Funding may support activities such as:

• Designing innovative solutions.
• Testing new technologies.
• Developing prototypes.
• Piloting new humanitarian approaches.
• Building partnerships with private companies.
• User-centered design and community engagement.

This grant is intended for projects in the early stages of innovation.

Scaling Grant

The Scaling Grant is designed for projects that have already demonstrated promising results and are ready for wider implementation.

Funding supports activities such as:

• Expanding successful pilot projects.
• Scaling innovative humanitarian technologies.
• Increasing geographic reach.
• Strengthening implementation systems.
• Building sustainable partnerships.
• Delivering larger-scale humanitarian impact.

The goal is to accelerate the adoption of proven innovations across humanitarian settings.

Who is Eligible?

Eligible applicants include:

• United Nations (UN) humanitarian agencies.
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
• Norwegian humanitarian organizations with an international mandate.
• Organizations with a registered office and governing board in Norway.
• Consortia of humanitarian organizations, provided the lead applicant belongs to one of the eligible categories.

Organizations are generally encouraged to submit no more than five proposals, although additional proposals may be submitted through consortium applications.

Private Sector Partnership Requirements

A defining feature of HIP Norway is collaboration with the private sector.

Projects should demonstrate meaningful partnerships that may include:

• Technology companies.
• Engineering firms.
• Social enterprises.
• Research and innovation companies.
• Manufacturing businesses.
• Financial technology providers.
• Logistics and supply chain organizations.
• Other private sector partners with relevant expertise.

These collaborations should contribute technical knowledge, innovation capacity, and sustainable implementation.

Support Beyond Grant Funding

In addition to financial support, selected organizations receive tailored assistance to strengthen their innovation journey.

Support may include:

• Expert advisory services.
• Innovation mentoring.
• Business development guidance.
• Partnership support.
• Access to innovation networks.
• Collaboration opportunities.
• Capacity building.
• Strategic coaching.
• Technical expertise.
• Knowledge-sharing events.

This combination of funding and advisory support helps organizations maximize the impact and sustainability of their solutions.

How to Apply

Organizations interested in HIP Norway funding should follow these steps.

1. Review the programme guidelines and confirm organizational eligibility.
2. Determine whether the project is best suited for an Innovation Lab Grant or a Scaling Grant.
3. Identify an appropriate private sector partner.
4. Develop an innovative solution that addresses a priority humanitarian challenge.
5. Engage affected communities in the project design process.
6. Prepare a detailed project proposal outlining objectives, activities, expected outcomes, and sustainability.
7. Develop a realistic implementation timeline and budget.
8. Submit the complete application according to the programme requirements.
9. Participate in any follow-up discussions or clarification requests if invited.
10. If selected, implement the project with ongoing advisory support from HIP Norway.

Application Components

A competitive application should generally include:

• Organizational profile.
• Project description.
• Innovation concept.
• Humanitarian challenge being addressed.
• Private sector partnership details.
• Community engagement strategy.
• Implementation plan.
• Budget and financial justification.
• Risk assessment.
• Sustainability and scaling strategy.
• Monitoring and evaluation framework.
• Expected humanitarian impact.

Selection Criteria

Applications are expected to be assessed based on:

• Innovation and originality.
• Humanitarian relevance.
• Potential for large-scale impact.
• Strength of private sector collaboration.
• Feasibility of implementation.
• Sustainability.
• Cost-effectiveness.
• Community participation.
• Scalability.
• Organizational capacity.

Projects that combine innovative thinking with practical implementation and measurable humanitarian outcomes are likely to be more competitive.

Why This Programme Matters

Humanitarian crises are becoming more frequent and complex due to conflicts, climate change, displacement, and natural disasters. Traditional approaches alone are often insufficient to address these evolving challenges.

The Humanitarian Innovation Programme helps:

• Accelerate humanitarian innovation.
• Improve emergency response.
• Increase resilience in vulnerable communities.
• Encourage sustainable humanitarian solutions.
• Strengthen collaboration between humanitarian organizations and businesses.
• Promote environmentally responsible humanitarian action.
• Expand access to life-saving technologies.
• Improve protection for vulnerable populations.
• Foster long-term humanitarian system improvements.

By supporting innovation and collaboration, HIP Norway contributes to more effective, efficient, and sustainable humanitarian assistance worldwide.

Common Application Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid these common mistakes when preparing their proposals.

• Proposing solutions without genuine innovation.
• Failing to demonstrate a meaningful private sector partnership.
• Ignoring the needs and perspectives of affected communities.
• Providing unclear implementation plans.
• Submitting unrealistic budgets.
• Failing to explain how the project will scale.
• Omitting sustainability planning.
• Presenting weak monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
• Submitting incomplete application documents.

Strong applications clearly demonstrate innovation, collaboration, measurable impact, and long-term sustainability.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Humanitarian Innovation Programme (HIP Norway)?

HIP Norway is a funding programme that supports humanitarian organizations working with private sector partners to develop and scale innovative solutions for humanitarian challenges.

Who funds the programme?

The programme is financed by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and administered by Innovation Norway.

Who can apply?

Eligible applicants include UN humanitarian agencies, IFRC, ICRC, Norwegian humanitarian organizations with an international mandate, and eligible consortiums led by qualified organizations.

What types of grants are available?

Applicants can apply for either an Innovation Lab Grant for early-stage innovation or a Scaling Grant for projects ready to expand beyond pilot implementation.

What sectors does the programme support?

The programme supports projects related to disaster resilience, humanitarian response, food security, health, sanitation, protection, climate resilience, innovative financing, and sustainable humanitarian assistance.

Is private sector collaboration required?

Yes. A core objective of the programme is to encourage meaningful partnerships between humanitarian organizations and private sector partners to develop innovative and scalable solutions.

What additional support do successful applicants receive?

In addition to grant funding, successful organizations receive mentoring, advisory services, innovation coaching, networking opportunities, and technical support to strengthen project implementation and long-term impact.

Conclusion

The Humanitarian Innovation Programme (HIP Norway) offers a valuable opportunity for humanitarian organizations to transform innovative ideas into scalable solutions that improve emergency response and strengthen resilience worldwide. By combining grant funding with expert mentoring, strategic partnerships, and innovation support, the programme enables organizations to address complex humanitarian challenges more effectively. Through its focus on collaboration, sustainability, and community-driven innovation, HIP Norway contributes to building a more resilient, inclusive, and impactful humanitarian system.