Logos of the WFP Innovation Accelerator, the Government of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, and the Austrian Development Cooperation.

The Humanitarian Innovation Accelerator Programme, powered by the WFP Innovation Accelerator, the Government of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, and the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), is in search of high-impact innovative solutions that strive to solve emergency and humanitarian challenges faced by vulnerable populations and humanitarian actors. 

The UN and partner organizations estimate that around US$51.5 billion will be required to assist 230 million people in need across 69 countries, which will still fall short of providing assistance to all those in need globally. 

The Humanitarian Innovation Accelerator Programme aims to support technology-powered solutions addressing pressing global challenges faced in the humanitarian space. The programme will select ventures and solution providers who will receive financial, technical, and methodological support from the WFP Innovation Accelerator, and other partners. Together with the best and brightest minds globally, we will be able to ultimately improve the lives of vulnerable communities.

Watch the sixteen selected innovations showcasing their solutions at the Pitch Event in June 2023. 

 

What We Offer

The Humanitarian Innovation Accelerator Programme has been designed to support ventures and solutions at different stages of development. As a result, in order to flexibly address and prioritize challenges being faced by applicants and their solutions, the Programme has two workstreams: 1) Scaling and 2) Early Stage. Based on the following solution maturity profiles, applicants can classify themselves between the two workstreams and present any relevant evidence of progress. Read more about these two workstreams here. 

The selected ventures and solutions for both workstreams in the Programme will:

Hands-on support & Coaching
Funding
Mentorship and Global Access

Selected ventures will receive access to coaching support from the WFP Innovation Accelerator and relevant partners through the duration of their Sprints.

Selected ventures will be invited to participate in an entirely virtual WFP Innovation Bootcamp and a Pitch Event in Luxembourg in June 2023. These ventures will also be invited to apply to the WFP Sprint Programme – a twelve-month acceleration program with equity free funding up to US$500,000 in the Scaling workstream and up to US$130,000 in the Early Stage workstream.

Mentorship and access to a global network of relevant stakeholders in the humanitarian, business and international development cooperation space.


Solutions that have proven their concepts, scale, and value for social impact may qualify for further funding and support.

What HIAP Looked for

The Humanitarian Innovation Accelerator Programme (HIAP) aims to leverage new technologies, new approaches, and new partnerships to improve and reduce risks in emergency management. Vulnerable communities affected by crises are at the core of the Programme’s engagement and it is based on the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, independence, and impartiality. Through this first cohort, we were seeking innovations that enhance emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and prevention through the use of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, Space/Satellite Technology, Healthtech and Supply Chain and Logistics. More details about these topics can be found here.

Geographies of Interest 

Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique, Bhutan, Cabo Verde, Kosovo, Albania, Moldova, Georgia, Laos, Niger, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Tunisia, Armenia, Palestine, Somalia, South Sudan, Mali, Senegal and Ukraine.

Selected Sprints for HIAP

Sprints are structured support programmes in which selected innovators are guided toward implementing their solutions and testing their hypotheses. The WFP Innovation Accelerator provides tailored support to innovations to roll out or scale their activities and impact. After a competitive selection process, the following ten ventures were selected for the HIA sprint programme.

Opero
Opero has developed an innovative and self-sustaining Faecal Sludge Treatment Unit (FSTU) to contain and treat human waste safely, in refugee camps and internally displaced population (IDP) settings.

Lack of adequate sanitation facilities and sufficient treatment capacity is one of the most common challenges in IDP (internally displaced persons) settlements and refugee camps, meaning that untreated sewage is dumped directly into the environment. The modular design enables this emergency sanitation solution to be rapidly deployed in any challenging environment. The unit’s deployment in Kisumu, Kenya, has prevented the omission of 660 m3 of greenhouse gases into the environment.
Waterkit
WaterKit Wallet is a money-powered card that allows communities to access credit easily. With this card, a community member can directly access credit for WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) and energy products. Users do not pay any interest rates and can use the card at community/village stores to get the required products.

Powered by a microfinance banking system, the solution also has a digital wallet that allows individuals and organisations to directly donate for WASH and energy projects to those in need. The solution has currently enrolled 500+ water sources in Uganda that are actively monitored and are ready for operation.
Jangala
Jangala’s Big Box is a lightweight briefcase-sized device that transforms any form of internet connectivity into Wifi that is easy to manage and scale.

A lack of easily deployable, capable internet access is one of the biggest barriers to being able to deliver services in humanitarian settings. Jangala partners with United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Gaza Field Office to connect twenty schools to the internet using Jangala’ self-designed and self-developed Big Box Wi-Fi solution.
Open Algorithms (OPAL) for Humanitarian Action
Open Algorithm for Humanitarian Action by Data Pop Alliance is a privacy-preserving technology and governance system that shares sensitive information safely and ethically for humanitarian action.

It extracts key indicators and insights deemed relevant and safe by local stakeholders, for a wide range of potential use cases in crisis contexts. The development of such a model is done in engagement with communities to build on and enhance local capacities and knowledge.
Bleaglee
Bleaglee develops drone software that can inspect improperly disposed waste in drainage channels and waterways.
The team collaborates with waste collectors and youth environmental groups to collect and properly dispose of the waste, or sell it to recycling companies. Using the software, drones follow predetermined paths to identify poorly disposed waste through image analysis. The software generates reports that serve as early warnings for potential flooding caused by garbage obstructing drainage channels. Through its digital platform, Bleaglee offers on-demand waste recycling and disposal services for packaging waste to individuals and businesses. Payments are made conveniently through mobile money systems.
Neurotech
NeuroTech offers an innovative energy monitoring and management solution, promoting equitable electricity distribution, particularly in vulnerable communities.
Their solution caters to refugees in camps and individuals in remote areas who are seeking connectivity to the electricity grid. By integrating advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, electronics and networks, NeuroTech optimises efficiency and fosters fair resource sharing.
Speetar
Speetar is a patient-centric digital health platform in Libya that connects under-served patients in post-conflict communities with culturally aligned health specialists. It provides a holistic healthcare management system, including cloud-based electronic medical records, doctor-patient scheduling, real-time identity verification, billing, and video conferencing, all integrated into a unified solution. Furthermore, Speetar can quickly deploy crisis-oriented applications like its COVID-19 app, created in partnership with Libya’s Ministry of Health. This app acts as the main triage point and supports contact tracing within the country.
WASDI
WASDI is an open-source Earth Observation (EO) platform that harnesses cloud-based satellite data and remote sensing technologies to enhance stakeholders’ decision-making processes in disaster assessment, response planning, and proactive action.
It has several use cases, such as during floods, forest fires, and monitoring oil spills; all developed by the WASDI team and its partners. The platform ensures interoperability among its applications and facilitates seamless integration with third-party systems.