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Application deadline: 4 August 2024, 11:59 pm (PHT, Manila) | Apply today

For more information, please refer to the Call for Applications.

About the programme

Globally, the Philippines has been ranked as the country at the greatest risk of disaster and exposure to multiple high-intensity hazards, including typhoons, floods, earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, droughts and sea-level rises. It is also among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, which is projected to cause intensified extreme weather events. Multifaceted shocks and stressors have led to loss of livelihoods and hampered access to basic social services, thus aggravating food insecurity and malnutrition. As one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia with a population of more than 116 million, it is critical that the Philippines applies innovative approaches to build resilience and emergency preparedness. 

To address these challenges, the World Food Programme (WFP) Philippines country office and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with the WFP Innovation Accelerator are launching the first-ever call for applications leading up to the 2024 Preparedness and Response Excellence in the Philippines (PREP) Forum. The PREP Innovation Challenge aims to identify and scale low- and high-tech cost-effective solutions for the food-insecure population in disaster-prone areas of the Philippines.

We invite innovators, entrepreneurs and organizations from the Philippines to contribute impactful and fit-for-purpose solutions to enhance the Philippines’ emergency preparedness and response. WFP Philippines will provide comprehensive support to selected teams, facilitating the development and scaling of the most promising solutions. Our focus is on nurturing innovations that are not only novel to the context of the Philippines but also sustainable, scalable and capable of bringing long-term change within challenging environments.​​
 

Application deadline: 4 August 2024, 11:59 pm (PHT)

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What we offer

The selected innovation teams:

  • will have the opportunity to showcase their innovation during the 2024 PREP Forum event taking place in Manila, Philippines;
  • will receive visibility from their participation at the 2024 PREP Forum event which partners, including government agencies and donors such as USAID, will attend;
  • will be eligible to receive up to US$45,000 (or PHP 2.6 million) in funding from WFP;
  • will receive one year of mentorship and operational support from WFP Philippines; and
  • may qualify for further support and fundraising opportunities.

*Please note that the shortlisted teams may be required to go through the WFP partnership arrangement, vendor registration or procurement process before funding disbursement

What we are looking for
For this innovation challenge, we are looking for both low- and high-tech solutions specifically tailored to strengthen food security in disaster-prone areas. We aim to identify and support homegrown innovations based in the Philippines that can effectively address these challenges and are operational or able to be implemented in at least one of the eight target provinces in the country within one year. WFP Philippines’ current innovation priorities are listed below:
A person looking closely at a map
Enhance emergency preparedness to build resilience
Cost-effective and scalable initiatives that help prepare communities for the growing challenges of climate change and other emergencies.
A group ofpeople walking across a bridge in the rain.
Increase efficiency and effectiveness in humanitarian response
Solutions that support the delivery of timely and effective support in disaster-prone, underdeveloped and hard-to-reach areas.

For more information about these priority areas, please refer to the Call for Applications.

Call for Applications
How we will evaluate innovations
Eligibility criteria

Applications will be scored according to standard criteria set by the WFP Innovation Accelerator. Criteria include:

  • Your organization must be an established legal entity registered in the Philippines. Both for-profit or not-for-profit entities are eligible, including private sector, regional, provincial or local government unit authorities, academic institutions, foundations or NGOs;
  • Your organization should have an existing operational presence in the Philippines through a subsidiary, in-country office, distributors or partnerships in the country;
  • Your innovation must address one or more of the priority innovation areas listed above;
  • Your innovation must be at least at the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) stage;
  • Proof-of-concept and initial traction are preferred;
  • Your team should be able to implement your solution in at least one of the following provinces of the Philippines within one year of receiving possible funding from WFP*, and have a clear pathway to scale: Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Albay, Catanduanes, Cagayan and Isabela. It is not necessary that your innovation is already implementing in any of these provinces at the time of application.

*Please note that the final shortlisted teams may be required to go through the WFP partnership arrangement, vendor registration or procurement process before funding disbursement.

Evaluation criteria

In addition to the eligibility requirements mentioned above, applications will be assessed according to the following criteria: 

  • Impact: The solution has the potential to impact the people WFP Philippines serves, therefore contributing to WFP’s mission of achieving zero hunger;
  • Level of innovation: The project is a new technology or approach to applying existing technology in the context of the Philippines or a process or business model that addresses at least one of the above problem statements;
  • Feasibility or traction: The applying team has evidence of its ability to make and implement the proposed solution and indicates demand from the targeted users or customers of its solution;
  • Financial sustainability: The solution has a robust plan to ensure sustainable revenue generation beyond WFP funding;
  • Team quality: Team members have relevant experience and are committed to the project; and
  • Context relevance: The solution addresses at least one of the priority areas and is suitable for implementation in at least one of the eight provinces of interest.
How to apply
  • Please complete the application form by 4 August 2024, 11:59 pm (PHT) to submit your application. 
  • We will review and select successful applications in July and August 2024. While we value all applications, please note that we can only contact shortlisted applicants. 
  • For more information, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions.
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