Deadline: 17-Nov-22

The HRI Initiative is launching the Humanitarian and Resilience Investing Challenge to source investment opportunities that address humanitarian needs, and that are:

• Commercially viable: Underpinned by a proven business case and can demonstrate financial gain from its operations, with the potential to become profitable (if not already).
• Ready to scale: The solution is tested, proven (i.e track record with measurable results and impact), and is backed by an organization that has the capability, capacity, and ambition to roll out the solution at scale, to reach greater impact at an exponential rate. Solutions that are at the “idea”, “prototype”, or “pilot” phase will not be considered.
• Impact-driven: In addition to following ‘do no harm principles’, the solution focuses on the:
  • prevention of conflict, natural disasters, and causes for forced displacement and their host communities,
  • strengthening the resilience of communities at heightened risk of conflict, natural disasters, and causes for forced displacement and their host communities,
  • rebuilding communities and economies that have been hit by conflict, natural disasters, and forced displacement and their host communities.

This challenge is a global call for commercially viable and scalable private/public driven efforts that benefit the recovery of local communities that are at heightened risk or have suffered from conflict, natural disasters and forced displacement.

An initiative led by the Humanitarian and Resilience Investing (HRI) Initiative, funded by IKEA Foundation, and supported by Deloitte, British International Investment (BII), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Vital Capital, the World Bank Group, and the World Food Programme (WFP).

Areas of Focus

The challenge invites organizations, entrepreneurs and partnerships (e.g. between a private sector organization and humanitarian organization) to submit solutions that fit the general scope (above) and fall under at least one of the following categories:

• Provides goods or services addressing humanitarian needs: A venture that provides a good or service that supports humanitarian needs, or that intentionally supports fragile communities through the development of infrastructure and services that promote stability and improve the self-reliance, resiliency, health, education, or inclusion in financial markets of vulnerable communities.
• Sources resources from vulnerable communities: An enterprise that fairly sources inputs and/or human capital from vulnerable communities, creating employment opportunities.
• Led or owned by members of vulnerable communities: A venture that is at least 51% owned by a member of a vulnerable community, has at least 51% of its senior management positions and/or board filled by members of a vulnerable community.

Benefits

• The best submissions will be invited to a programme delivered by the HRI Initiative and supporting partners, to help them become investor-ready and help them attract the capital needed to scale and advance their impact, and become part of the growing UpLink Innovation Network.
• This programme will include:
  • Multistakeholder guidance: guidance and support at the start and throughout the programme to inform what is needed for the solution to reach investor criteria and accelerate progress.
  • Targeted support: successful teams will work with Supporting Partners to further develop and refine their solution as an attractive investment opportunity.
  • Access: opportunity to participate in and become part of selected World Economic Forum, UpLink and HRI Initiative events, projects and communities.
  • Visibility: wide public exposure via the World Economic Forum’s, UpLink’s, and HRI Initiative’s digital media channels, which has a following of 30 million+.
  • Networking: curated introductions to selected organizations and investors within the networks of the World Economic Forum’s, HRI Initiative, and their partners.

Selection Criteria

Submissions will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Financially viable business model: Solutions need to demonstrate a sustainable business model, approach to profitability and represent investable opportunities for investors.
• Stage: Successful submissions already have a measurable and proven track record of their solutions, are post-revenue generating, and are working to expand their impact and reach at regional or global levels.
• Measurable impact: Solutions need to show a positive impact on vulnerable communities and fragile contexts and be able to demonstrate measures or indicators of a its performance on environmental (E), social (S), and governance (G) issues. Solutions that contribute to reducing inequalities and promoting inclusive solutions are strongly encouraged. Applicants should provide an evidence-based rationale that its contribution for the desirable impact outcome is measurable and would not have occurred without the provided solution.
• Scale: Innovations should demonstrate the potential and desire to scale, and have a clear vision for achieving growth, long-term financial viability, and impact. The challenge will accept both solutions looking to attract earlier growth capital (min USD 2M up to USD 5M) and later stage mezzanine financing (USD 5M+).
• Sustainable: Solutions should support long-term impact, strengthening the resilience and rebuilding of fragile communities and local economies. Solutions that have a demonstrated positive impact on the environment are encouraged.

For more information, visit https://initiatives.weforum.org/humanitarian-and-resilience-investing-initiative/home