Call for Proposals: UKHIH Humanitarian Rapid Research Initiative (up to £100,000 GBP)

UKHIH is calling for proposals for its Humanitarian Rapid Research Initiative. Click here to learn more about this opportunity and apply for it.

About UKHIH Humanitarian Rapid Research Initiative

Opportunity Details

Date Published: May 29, 2025
Application Deadline: June 04, 2025
Category: Grants

UKHIH is launching a new procurement for the delivery of our Humanitarian Rapid Response Initiative (HRRI) during the 2025/26 cycle. The selected provider will chiefly be responsible for:

Proposing and co-developing potential research topics with UKHIH, ensuring alignment with humanitarian needs, strategic priorities, and timeliness and actionability of recommendations for impact.
Leading research design, implementation, analysis and results to generate evidence-based insights and actionable recommendations for humanitarian decision-making.
Producing targeted research outputs to directly support decision-making needs of humanitarian actors within the focal context, and where relevant and feasible, generate insights applicable to other crises.

What is the HRRI?

Since its inception, the HRRI has delivered over a dozen rapid reviews across a range of crises and themes, including conflict-driver responses, public health crises, and natural disasters. The overall aim of the HRRI is to provide high-quality, timely, and actionable research and learning products to inform humanitarian response to new and evolving crises. Specifically, it aims to:

Co-create knowledge to inform humanitarian decision-making in dynamic crisis contexts, grounded in the lived realities and priorities of affected communities
Ensure meaningful inclusion and leadership of local researchers and other actors through equitable research partnerships demonstrated by co-creation, co-authorship and mutual respect and learning.
Disseminate and promote uptake of research insights in accessible, contextually appropriate ways to support local action and, where feasible, broader sectoral uptake and learning

Grant Length: 8 months

Sponsor Organisation: UK Humanitarian Innovation Hub (UKHIH)

Benefits of UKHIH Humanitarian Rapid Research Initiative

Up to £100,000 GBP

UKHIH Humanitarian Rapid Research Initiative Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate they possess the following areas of experience, knowledge, and capability to deliver the Humanitarian Rapid Research Initiative (HRRI) to the required standard:

Humanitarian research and contextual expertise

Demonstrated experience conducting applied research in humanitarian or crisis- affected contexts, particularly under time-sensitive conditions.
Deep understanding of humanitarian coordination systems, funding mechanisms, and sectoral dynamics, with the ability to tailor research to inform operational or policy decision-making.
Experience working in a range of humanitarian contexts, including conflict, disaster, displacement, and public health emergencies.

Technical and analytical skills

Capacity to design and implement robust rapid research including, though not limited to, literature review, key informant interviews, stakeholder consultations, validation to generate actionable insights.
Ability to apply ethical research principles in humanitarian contexts, including safeguarding, data protection, and working with vulnerable populations.
Familiarity with localisation agendas and proven approaches to meaningful partnership and co-creation with local actors in research, including the ability to inform and influence humanitarian decision-making in the focus crisis.

Project and quality management

Experience delivering multiple research projects in parallel, with strong internal coordination, oversight, and responsiveness.
Ability to manage projects through structured phases: focus identification, inception, implementation, respond to review, and produce high-quality final outputs in a timely manner.
Track record of working to tight timelines while maintaining high standards of accuracy, relevance, and clarity.

Communications and uptake

Skills in translating research into accessible outputs, such as summaries, blogs, infographics, and presentations.
Experience working with communications and engagement teams to design and execute dissemination strategies across digital, institutional, and practitioner channels.
Capacity to track and reflect on dissemination reach and uptake.

Team composition and inclusion

Proven ability to deploy or coordinate diverse research teams, including technical specialists, local partners and researchers, and communications staff.
Requirement to partner with a named local research lead as co-researcher and co- author for each review, to ensure research design is grounded in local realities, knowledge systems and priorities, unless this expertise is present in-house.
Ability to work collaboratively with external stakeholders, including donors, UN agencies, NGOs, and community-based organisations.

Registration and nationality
The service provider(s), including the implementing partners in a consortium, must be legally registered with a relevant institution. This registration can be in any country in the world. There are no restrictions to the legal status of the service provider(s), and any type of organisation (e.g. private sector, non-for profit, academic institutions etc.) are welcome to submit their interest.

Application Date and Process

Proposals must be submitted to [email protected] with [email protected] in copy. Please ensure your email subject line is HRRI: Research Service Delivery.

For further information on eligibility and how to apply, please find the full Call for Proposals and annexes below

HRRI Call for Proposals May 2025

Annex 1: PQQ Questionnaire Template for Applicants

Annex 2: PQQ Declaration

Annex 3: Elrha Contract Terms

Annex 4: Elrha Incident Prevention and Management Policy