The Humanitarian Innovation Fund’s Invention Grants are provided for the invention of a creative solution or novel idea, which helps address a problem or seize an opportunity. Combining analysis, discussion and, most importantly, creativity to generate ideas or harness new technologies.
By invention, the fund means moving beyond insights and starting to bring an idea to life. Applicants will need to prioritise what is important about their innovation and develop a coherent solution that can be tested and refined as they move forward.
Funding Information
A grant up to £50,000 is available for the Invention phase of the process.
Focus Projects
- Creatively exploring options for different ideas
- Getting feedback from a wide group of people about your initial idea
- Discussing the solution with potential user community to see what they think
- Developing a storyboard to help others visualise your solution
- Determining which ideas are worth developing into prototypes to test
- Building quick and easy prototypes to test out ideas
- Combining different ideas to create one unified solution
Examples of Projects Funded
- Rapid Manufacturing for Quick Onset Disasters – Field Ready
- Innovative Online Library for Health Action in humanitarian Relief: MedBox – Medical Mission Institute-Catholic Advisory Group for International Health
Ineligible Projects
- Replication of existing solutions or practices (e.g. building schools or orphanages)
- Individuals or private sector without partners
- Projects that exclusively serve religious purposes
- Political campaigns
- Expansion of private business
Eligibility Criteria
Humanitarian: The aim of the project must be to improve humanitarian practice.
Innovation: The aim of the project must be an innovation: creating and implementing a new or improved technology, product or process.
Field Experience: Applications from all sectors are accepted. However, at least one of the partner organisations must be able to demonstrate experience working in humanitarian response.
For more information, please visit Invention Grants.