IOM Innovation Facility: Fostering Transformative Solutions

Innovation projects selected through the Facility can receive funding between USD 50,000 and USD 80,000. Maximum duration for each project is 12 months. In addition to the funding, the IOM Innovation Facility offers an ecosystem of services through the Innovation and Knowledge Management unit to maximize development impact of every selected project. This includes:

Supporting migrants and displaced populations as innovators

The Facility aims to strengthen the role of migrants and displaced populations as agents of change within their own communities, particularly focusing on youth, indigenous people, women, people with disabilities, diverse groups and people in situation of vulnerability. The Facility enables the realization of innovative ideas developed by migrants and their communities, promoting resilience, social inclusion, and sustainable socio-economic development.

Enhancing migration governance and services

The Facility also supports governments in implementing innovative initiatives related to migration governance and the provision of high-quality services for migrants and communities. By investing in these initiatives, the Facility aims to foster effective, inclusive and right based migration management practices that ensure the well-being of migrants and communities.

Piloting transformative initiatives

The Facility assists IOM's field offices in piloting innovative initiatives that are transformative and that have the potential for scalability. These initiatives are designed to create a significant impact by addressing migration-related challenges through innovative approaches. 

The Facility aims to expedite the achievement of the IOM Strategic Plan 2024-2028 by supporting innovative solutions directly contributing to IOM's three strategic objectives: 

1. Saving Lives and Protecting People on the Move 

Focused on enhancing preparedness and response speed, effectiveness, and scalability, the Facility will support the development and adoption of groundbreaking interventions to address escalating displacement challenges. Initiatives encompass emergency aid delivery using cash and non-food items, ensuring vital access to healthcare, water, sanitation, shelter, and movement assistance. It will also support specialized protection services, combatting gender-based violence, trafficking, and offering psychosocial support. The Facility will also facilitate tailored responses through data-driven solutions, prioritizing individual needs and community well-being.  Localization initiatives will be prioritized, promoting government and local actor leadership, to provide opportunities for sharing expertise, saving lives, and fostering recovery.

2. Driving Solutions to Displacement

The Facility will prioritize cutting edge initiatives, steering solutions to displacement challenges exacerbated by climate change, environmental degradation, conflict, and instability. It will support novel peacebuilding and social cohesion efforts, while investing in transformative and durable approaches that integrates livelihoods, health, education, housing, land and property rights, and community-based protection for successful integration, dignified and voluntary return, and sustainable reintegration of displaced persons. The Facility will support solutions that leverage data and technology as well as collaboration with migration experts and private sector to enhance predictive capabilities and co-create solutions with governments, communities, and displaced individuals to minimize adverse impacts of climate change and bolster resilience.

3. Facilitating Pathways for Regular Migration 

The Facility will champion transformative approaches that strive to establish, expand, and enhance regular migration pathways. The Facility will support novel interventions on regular pathways that facilitate opportunities for education, work, and family reunification, while also leveraging the use of big data, machine learning to promote diaspora engagement. Leveraging innovative technologies and systems, the Facility will support gender and diversity sensitive initiatives that engage migrant communities, promote the latest border management technologies, and enhances access to legal identity. It will also support holistic approaches that addresses discrimination, exploitation, and violence, fostering a transformative narrative shift that promotes migrants’ agency and contribution to sustainable development.

The facility has 4 crosscutting priorities:

1. Promoting Gender, Diversity and Youth Empowerment 

The Facility will support projects that uphold and improve the dignity and human rights of all migrants by addressing unequal opportunities based on sex, gender, age, race, ethnicity, or disability. It will support initiatives that focus on dismantling attitudinal, environmental, and institutional barriers to equality. It will prioritize projects that ensure meaningful consultations and active participation from all sections of society, including youth, indigenous communities, and women, especially in the decision-making processes and project implementation. 

2. Leveraging Data and Technological Solutions

The Facility welcomes projects that leverage data-driven approaches and advanced digital solutions to enhance IOM’s anticipatory decision-making and response capabilities. It will support projects that develop and adopt new technologies to increase speed, efficiency, and scalability in migration and displacement responses. These could include projects that use big data, machine learning, and innovative methodologies to predict migration patterns, engage with diasporas, and enhance border management and promote seamless and safe cross-border movement. The Facility will also back initiatives that help states transition to digital identity systems and improve access to services for migrants while ensuring privacy and data security. 

3. Environment Sustainability 

The Facility will support projects that demonstrate a clear impact in key areas, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and water consumption. The Facility encourages innovative solutions that support the clean energy transition, enhance waste and water management, and improve circularity. Innovations could also address air and water pollution, contribute to environmental degradation prevention, and promote biodiversity conservation. In addition, solutions that integrate innovative finance mechanisms to drive the sustainability transition and align with IOM's commitment to ambitious environmental governance and management systems will be prioritized. 

4. Ways of Working in IOM

The Facility will support projects that enhance IOM's organizational efficiency by  streamlining internal processes and improving culture and ways of working.  It will support projects that improve accessibility and user experience of IOM’s tools and processes while ensuring IOM’s compliance standards and robust risk management needs are met. It will prioritize initiatives that leverage data, secure digital technologies and digitized information. It also includes initiatives that implement advanced security strategies, preventing fraud, corruption, and misuse of resources, thus safeguarding staff and assets. 

All Member States, non-IOM Member States, migrants and their communities are beneficiaries of the Facility. Applications for funding can only be submitted by IOM Offices, or by IOM Headquarters’ departments, in coordination with the relevant Country and Regional Offices.

Applications for the Innovation Facility will be accepted only in English. 
 

The application process is as follows:

• Call for Innovation Ideas launched on 23rd September 2024.
• Attend any one online webinar to learn more about the Innovation Facility and its application process.
  • Register for Webinar 1: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (CEST) on 26th September 2024
  • Register for Webinar 2: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (CEST) on 26th September 2024
• Submit your Innovation Ideas by 25th October 2024 using the Call for Innovation Ideas application form.
• Shortlisting of Innovation Ideas by the Core Review Committee and Thematic Specialists in IOM.  
• Announcing shortlisted Innovation Ideas on 11th November 2024. Shortlisted teams will be invited to submit a detailed Innovation Proposal.
• Attend 1-1 clinics & Innovation Capacity Building Workshops with Thematic specialists, innovation experts, and IKM unit to develop your Innovation Proposal
• If shortlisted, submit your Innovation Proposal by 15th December 2024 through your partnered IOM office.
• Shortlisting of Innovation Proposals by the Core Review Committee and Thematic Specialists in IOM.  
• Funding approval for shortlisted Innovation Proposals by the Deputy Director General, Operations, and the Director for the Department of Data, Insight & Policy Coordination.
• Announce final Innovation Proposals selected for funding by 15th January 2025.  

For more information, contact ikm@iom.int

The Innovation and Knowledge Management Unit (IKM) coordinates the IOM Innovation Facility. It serves as the institutional focal point on innovation and knowledge management in relation to migration policy and programming. The Unit works to strengthen IOM's capacities to learn from its programmatic expertise and that of its partners by analysing lessons learnt, good practices and piloting innovative approaches to enhance organizational effectiveness and results-based management. It works to leverage innovative approaches and practices to enable systemic transformation, strengthening partnerships with governments, the private sector, academia and innovation networks. For more information contact ikm@iom.int