The Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and the UK Department for International Development’s (DFID) new competitive Challenge Fund seeks to pilot new and innovative approaches to overcome these challenges and strengthen disaster and climate risk decision-making in developing countries. This Challenge Fund seeks to provide small grants to projects that address the challenge in bridging the gap between technology and on-the-ground user needs in the field of disaster risk identification. Risk identification is seen at the foundation of all disaster risk management decision-making, whether risk reduction, preparedness, financial protection, or resilient recovery. The Fund seeks to support the development of data, products and approaches to support disaster risk management decision making and build resilience, including through better information, but also strengthening key steps in moving from information to insight and behavior change.
Thematic Areas
Thematic Areas
Availability and Accessibility of Data and Tools to Analyze Risk which can include:
Utilizing new techniques, such as crowd-sourcing and big data, to fill data gaps
Drawing upon remote sensing and other datasets to deliver high-res digital elevation models
Developing new open, probabilistic modelling techniques, for example for drought
Developing models for outputs beyond direct economic loss; e.g. poverty impacts
Moving from Information to Insight which can include:
Supporting products that are co-designed, co-developed and co-implemented with users; for example, new impact-based forecasting tools tailored for use by emergency services
Risk visualization tools that communicate risk effectively based on a deep understanding of how users perceive and interpret risk information.
Accessible interfaces to existing tools that are targeted to specific user needs.
Beyond Insight to Triggering Changes in Behavior which can include:
Piloting approaches to move from insight to action, for example through gaming, participatory decision making or other approaches.
Wild Card for challenges not listed above.
Deadline: 1 May 2015
Grant Funding
First Phase:
Category 1: up to USD 50,000- A proposal that builds on existing initiatives and requires new tools or approaches to achieve a greater impact.
Category 2: up to USD 100,000 – Proposals funded under Category 2 aim to demonstrate a fully innovative approach to an intractable challenge, and therefore may require more funding to get them off the ground.
Second Phase: up to USD 150,000- Proposals that have demonstrated success in the first round may be eligible for further funding. Success will be determined a demonstrated uptake from the first round and the potential scalability of the project.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants can be any business entity registered as a World Bank Group Vendor.
Eligibility criteria to register as a World Bank Group Vendor are as follows-
The business enterprise must demonstrate that they have been operating under its business name for a period of not less than one year.
The Vendor must have multiple business clients and the financial capacity to provide the goods and/or services. Financial capacity will be assessed by comparing the Vendor’s revenues to the value of the proposed contract(s).
The Vendor must not be currently debarred from contracting with the World Bank Group.
The Vendor must be able to conduct business legally in the country for which they are registering.
Consistent with the World Bank Group’s policy on anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorists, companies listed on the U.S. Executive Order 13224 sanctions list, the UN 1267 sanctions list, and/or the UK terrorist sanctions list are ineligible to be World Bank Group Vendors and to receive World Bank Group contract awards. Companies listed on the World Bank Listing of Ineligible Firms are also ineligible to be World Bank Group Vendors and/or receive World Bank Group contract awards. (See World Bank Group Listing of Ineligible Firms). Further, World Bank Group Vendors excluded from future contract awards will not be eligible to receive World Bank Group contract awards or to bid on World Bank Group solicitation.
Applicants have to identify a specific problem statement under GFDRR Pillar 1: Risk Identification
The geographical focus led by the applicants must be on developing countries with an emphasis on theAfrica and Asia regions
How to Apply?
Application procedure consists of 5 steps-
Step 1: Send in a short (5 page maximum) application defining the problem statement and your proposed solution via email.
Step 2: Proposals will be reviewed by the Expert Working Group. Up to 20 proposals will be selected for funding who will be notified by email by June 1, 2015.
Step 3: Once successful teams have incorporated feedback, the lead of the proposal team will submit a more detailed proposal.
Step 4: Grant funding will be transferred following completion of contractual arrangements with the World Bank Group. Teams will have 6 – 12 months to complete this pilot project. Public Announcements of the Proposals Funded in this Round will be made in September 2015.
Step 5: Projects evaluated after 6 – 12 months to have high potential for positive impact may be eligible for further funding under the second phase.
For more information, please visit GFDRR.
