The objective of the Fund is to test and generate insights from innovative use-cases, partnerships and business models across selected geographies, to improve sustainability and scalability of digital-enabled solutions for those vulnerable to, or affected by, humanitarian crises. 

The Fund is interested in solutions which:  

• Prevent and minimise the impact of humanitarian crises.
• Improve preparedness and response to sudden-onset crisis.
• Focus on the well-being of internally displaced and refugee populations.
• Are existing innovations that can be adapted or replicated in a new context to respond to a humanitarian challenge. 

For more details, please refer to pages 1 and 2 of the T&Cs. 

We are looking for projects that demonstrate:

• How mobile-enabled technology can be innovatively applied to support communities to anticipate and prepare for crises.
• How mobile-enabled solutions can be inclusive and widespread.
• Which business models enable mobile/digital solutions to be adopted sustainably and at scale.
• What role mobile operators and other digital actors can play in developing, testing, delivering these solutions, supporting proven interventions to go to scale.
• What partnerships at local and regional levels are required for improving and enabling conditions (infrastructure, access to mobile, regulation, domestic support) so that innovative digital solutions can be adopted, sustained and scaled.
• An understanding of the policy and regulatory issues in the region and a clear understanding of the regulations that will govern project implementation.
• An understanding of the mobile connectivity landscape in the region of implementation.

Through the Fund, the GSMA Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation team aims to: 

• Test innovative use-cases, partnerships and business models in selected geographies. 
• Generate and share insights and evidence from these innovations to benefit humanitarian and mobile industry stakeholders. 

The GSMA will assess all stages of product development, but preference will be given to projects/solutions that have already been successfully piloted and tested with users. 

The Fund will not support the development or prototyping of any new hardware solutions. Where there is a proposal to use existing hardware solutions (e.g. weather monitoring equipment) as part of the project, applicants must be able to clearly demonstrate that all required approvals for wide scale importation and use of the hardware exist prior to grant execution.  In instances where there is assembly of completed pre-existing, previously used or off-the-shelf hardware components this may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the GSMA. Applicants will need to show that hardware components have been sufficiently tested, deployed in the field and/or rolled out to users with positive results. 

The GSMA will assess the following with regards to hardware viability: 

• The stage of hardware development for the product/solution. 
• Time it takes to fully complete hardware development from start to finish. 
• Complexity of the product/hardware development. 
• Procurement assessment: evaluate potential supply chain challenges in acquiring hardware components. This includes availability of hardware components. 

Please refer to the T&Cs for the full details on the types of organisations the Fund is looking to support and the eligibility criteria for applying for funding. 

Yes, but with the following conditions: 

• If you have previously received a grant from the GSMA or FCDO, you will need to demonstrate the additionality of the requested funding compared to the previous one (e.g. in terms of new product development, new insight generation). 
• GSMA grantees are eligible to apply for additional funding once they have successfully completed their existing grants. 

Applicants must be fully compliant with relevant business licensing, taxation, employee, and other regulations in all applicable countries of grant project operation.

Small and growing enterprises refers to commercially viable start-ups, small to medium enterprises and social enterprises with up to 250 employees that have significant potential, and ambition, for growth. To be eligible, applicants will need to demonstrate that a majority of their income is derived from commercial activities. Early-stage companies who have not reached this threshold will need to demonstrate a reliable path to sustainability via commercial activities that generate revenue to be considered.

While the Fund highly encourages partnerships with these entities, NGOs and humanitarian agencies are not eligible for this round of funding.

While the Fund highly encourages partnerships with these entities, they will not be directly eligible to apply or receive grant funding. 

No. Incubators and accelerators are not eligible to apply for funding. We welcome their support to recommend eligible start-ups in their current or past cohorts to apply directly.

No. MNOs are not eligible to apply for funding. Applications from eligible organisations working in partnership with MNOs are welcomed and encouraged.

Applicants cannot apply as a consortium. Only one organisation can apply for funding and become a grantee. However, an applicant can have downstream partners – see the GSMA downstream partners’ policy – who have a role in the grant project implementation, and there is space on the application form to specify these partners.   

It is important that at the proposal stage the GSMA has full sight of all downstream partners to ensure that the applicant has (or plans to) appropriately procure, undertake satisfactory due diligence checks and properly contract them. This is because the GSMA is required to communicate full and accurate information about project delivery chains to its donors and ensure that an appropriate level of scrutiny and oversight is applied to all organisations in those delivery chains.

There is no requirement on how long the applicant needs to have been registered as a legal entity. The Fund will consider applications from organisations that are in early stages of operations so long as they are able meet all eligibility requirements listed in the T&Cs.

Through the grant application process, applicants must ensure that their proposal clearly links to increased capacity to adapt and anticipate and respond to humanitarian crises, delivering outcomes for affected communities. 

We expect all applicants to be both realistic and honest when they disclose the market potential or number of people they plan to reach. You will be asked to demonstrate (within reason) how you estimated the impact number you submit and how you will measure them throughout the life of the grant. If there are significant discrepancies between the pitch and proposal stages (regarding impact numbers), it may result in the application being removed from the process.  

 During application, and before being awarded a grant, applicants will set and agree targets in collaboration with the GSMA, learning partners and the Fund Manager. 

The Fund encourages applicants to have meaningful partnerships with relevant local stakeholders (e.g. community-based organisations) to deliver the project on the ground. Also, applications will need to be able to demonstrate the willingness and potential to form strategic partnerships with, humanitarian organisations, mobile operators and/or technology organisations.

The Fund is especially interested in understanding how you are currently working or have the potential to work with a mobile operator, or other relevant partners, in your market during and after the grant project. We encourage you to share details of your current or planned partner engagement in your application. 

Yes.

The Fund is open to applicants whose projects are implemented in countries that are eligible to receive official development assistance (see OECD DAC) in the following regions:   

• Africa 
• Middle East   
• South and Southeast Asia    
• Pacific 
• The Caribbean   
• Latin America 

Additional due diligence checks and eligibility screenings may be required in certain markets (see section 5 of the T&Cs). For these markets, applicants MUST be registered and operating in the country of project implementation. 

Projects in the following countries are not eligible for funding: Afghanistan, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Myanmar, Nicaragua, North Korea, Syria, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen.

The Fund is open to applications with projects focusing on one single market or across multiple markets (where eligibility criteria is met for each market).  

N.B. Applications for projects in multiple markets will need to demonstrate that the projects can be effectively managed and completed within 15-18 months. If there are concerns about the feasibility of managing multiple markets, applicants may be advised to prioritise one market.   

The applicant must apply for funding for a project in one or more of the eligible countries (as set out in the T&Cs).

We require applicants to be realistic and honest with grant requests as you will have to demonstrate how you will spend the money efficiently. The amount requested should correlate with what you need to deliver the solution you want the GSMA to fund (the project). Grant funding will not be used for costs that do not have a direct link to the project you are pitching.   

 If a project progresses from the pitch stage to the proposal stage, both the project and financial proposal will be scrutinised to ensure the applicant can justify the spending of grant funding requested and ensuring value for money for donors.  

If a project proceeds to the proposal stage, the applicant will be required to provide evidence that the match funding contribution has been secured or will be secured, through proof of revenues for internal sourcing and/or proof of external sourcing, prior to the Fund Panel. Failure to provide this evidence may mean the proposal will not be presented to the Fund Panel. Please refer to the T&Cs for examples of evidence. 

Applicants that are shortlisted at the pitch stage will be invited to submit a full proposal with a budget. The budget and activities will be reviewed to ensure all spend is commensurate with the objectives of the Fund and demonstrate good use of donor funds.  In the majority of cases, where you have clearly justified the amount, the Fund Panel will approve the amount requested, but this is not always the case.

Yes, match funding contribution is mandatory, as this demonstrates interest and trust from the wider investor community. Requirements include: 

• Applicants must provide a match funding contribution of at least 25% of requested grant amount between £100,000 to £150,000. 
• Applicants must provide a match funding contribution of at least 50% of requested grant amount between £150,001 to £250,000. 
• Matching contributions must be secured and evidenced as such by the time final proposals are submitted and must then be used towards the proposed project and spent in full across the 15 to 18 month project cycle.    
• Match funding contributions can be made ‘in-cash’ and/or ‘in-kind’. In-kind (vs in-cash) match funding cannot be used to fully satisfy the match requirement. 
• Matching contribution cannot be from existing funding from FCDO. 
• For more details and examples of what constitutes ‘in-cash’ or ‘in-kind’, please refer to the T&Cs. 

Acceptance of match funding is subject to approval by the Fund. 

If a project proceeds to the proposal stage, the applicant will be required to provide evidence that the match funding contribution has been secured or will be secured, through proof of revenues for internal sourcing and/or proof of external sourcing, prior to the Fund Panel. Failure to provide this evidence may mean the proposal will not be presented to the Fund Panel. Please refer to the T&Cs for examples of evidence. 

To submit your application, please click here and fill out the application form.

Please note that your final submission will need to be submitted through the formal application portal. Applications sent via any other avenue will not be processed.

No. All applications to the Fund must be submitted in English.

Applications cannot be edited once they have been submitted. 

Applications cannot be submitted after the deadline of 12th February 2024 23.59 UTC (UK time) and any drafts including personal details will be deleted after this time. 

Multiple submissions for the same project are not permitted. In cases where this occurs, the first submission will be reviewed if it is eligible, and all duplicate submissions will be deemed ineligible and not reviewed.  

Applicants should be prepared to invest substantial time and resources in providing comprehensive documentation, responding to inquiries, and participating in due diligence interviews with both the GSMA staff and the Fund Manager. The process will also include a site visit to the project site by the GSMA team. Please note that the time spent on this stage is at the cost of the applicant. While we understand the commitment this entails, it is essential for ensuring a thorough evaluation of grant proposals.

Shortlisted applicants will be informed if they are progressing to the full proposal stage by 22nd March 2024. They will then have until 12th June 2024 to submit their full proposal with support from the GSMA. They will undergo a due diligence assessment and, potentially, a field visit from the GSMA. A Fund Panel will decide which projects to award grants to in July 2024 and from there, contracts will be exchanged with successful applicants (grantees). 

For any enquiries or questions, you can email [email protected]. Please expect a response within 2-3 working days. Questions received after 2^nd February 2024 will not be answered.

All applications will be reviewed by members of the team, who will assess the merits of each pitch, as well as screening them against our Fund eligibility criteria outlined in the T&Cs.  

An independent panel of experts (“Fund Panel”) will evaluate and appraise proposals based on the submitted material as well as recommendations from the GSMA and the Fund Manager. We expect the final decision from the Fund Panel to be made in July 2024.