Start Network launches grants to accelerate anticipation and locally-led action

Start Network has launched three new grants in recognition that locally-led organisations at the front line of crises do not often have equitable access to resources, due to dependence on global humanitarian structures that are often rigid and slow to respond to emerging needs. Even further, some small to medium scale crises are sometimes overlooked by global aid agencies, leading to populations needlessly suffering results.

By centering the experiences of local and national organisations, Start Network will be able to identify supportive mechanisms to ensure that at-risk communities receive the best assistance, including new forms of financing, to enable greater impact and grow local organisations’ sustainability.

To achieve this, Start Network is launching three grants, namely:

• Community-Led Approaches to MEAL Research Grant
• Organisational Strengthening Grant
• Anticipation Tool Grant

The MEAL Research Grant is now availed to ensure that Start Network members can effectively research, and develop MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning) methodologies which ensure that people at-risk of, or affected by crises have more of a say in how impact and success are monitored, evaluated, and measured, in a humanitarian intervention.

The Organisational Strengthening Grant, rolled out with support from the Conrad N Hilton Foundation, will embolden member agencies’ policies and processes, to grow their compliance infrastructures, which in-turn will open up greater access to a wider variety of funding opportunities.

Our Anticipation Tool Grant is targeted towards crisis anticipation, in cognisance that information, forecast and data analysis tools are crucial when predicting certain crises. This grant is accessible by Start Network members and their technical partners to develop data tools that support anticipation of crises.

By innovating collectively, through mechanisms such as these grants, Start Network aims to share insights and perspectives, and shape a more effective humanitarian system overall.

Start Network invites member agencies and their partners to apply for these opportunities before the application deadlines indicated and looks forward to increased agency within local and national organisations.