For the past 20 years, Palladium has committed 1.5% of our profit before tax to our global giving platform, Let’s Make it Possible. Through this platform and in partnership with the Kyeema Foundation, Palladium funds humanitarian relief efforts, supports community projects nominated by employees, and runs an annual Challenge Fund to tackle a major global problem.

Every year, Palladium brings in ideas from across its global network to source innovative responses to global challenges through the Palladium Challenge Fund. This year, there is up to $100,000 available to support projects with groundbreaking and sustainable ideas to increase the impact of humanitarian crisis response.

The theme for 2023 was “Technology for Humanitarian Action” and our judges have been looking for proposals that use technology—whether a new innovation or a way to scale something already tried—to improve how humanitarian response to crisis is delivered. We’ve paid special attention to proposals that empower local communities and offer long-term solutions.

“Recent disasters have made it clear that the humanitarian community needs to adapt to the myriad pressures exacerbated by climate change and global instability,” explains Palladium co-CEO Sinéad Magill. “There are answers in the use of technology, and particularly in collaboration with local communities.”

The team received an overwhelming response to the prompt in 2023 and the judges recently announced the shortlist of organisations and their ideas. Congratulations to the following organisations! We’ll announce the winners in February of 2024.

Uncharted Waters

Based in Australia, Uncharted Waters plans to pilot the use of localised digital twins to monitor the impact of emerging regional climate hazards, water or food security, or geo-political instabilities in any part of the world.

Speetar

A joint initiative based in Libya between Speetar and Janagala will use rapid Wi-Fi deployment to connect vulnerable populations to vital medical resources and consultations to ensure immediate healthcare accessibility during crises and displacements.

Library for All

The Australia-based organisation will launch their custom designed Spark Boxes which are preloaded with offline software that provide learning and psychosocial support for the immediate aftermath of a humanitarian crisis when a child’s schooling is disrupted.

AIDONIC

With the goal to provide LNGOs with access to powerful digital tools and technologies, the Switzerland-based organisation hopes to support organisations in levelling up how they deliver humanitarian aid.

YAPU Solutions GmbH

The proposed project from the German organisation will identify and promote available resilience solutions and service providers that address climate impacts on the most vulnerable populations across six sectors. The platform will structure climate threat exposure and sensitivity data to link financial services with local adaptation solution providers.

Practical Action Consulting Private Limited

The project will document indigenous practices and integrate them into AI to create an automated dashboard called 'Heat AI.' The Nepalese organisation’s dashboard will also collect, analyse, visualise, and disseminate findings related to heatwaves, utilising data from various sources and input from local users. The AI system will monitor environmental conditions, forecast risks, and provide recommendations for preparedness on possible humanitarian actions.

Konsorsium untuk Studi dan Pengembangan Partisipasi (KONSEPSI)

The proposed initiative will create “Web-based Climate Risk Early Warning, Anticipatory Actions, and Emergency Response” (We-CREATORS) as a digital platform that displays detailed information about the risk profile of targeted households in Indonesia.

HERA Digital Health

The U.S.-based organisation is proposing the Health Recording App (HERA), an open-source mobile health platform designed to increase preventative health service uptake for pregnant refugee women and immunisation for children under two.

Humanity Link

Based in the Netherlands, the organisation will develop and test a specialised AI bot for Complaints and Feedback in humanitarian contexts, providing a voice for those affected to express their needs and concerns.

HADR Institute Limited

Disaster intelligence platform designed to revolutionise the way humanitarian organisations respond to crises. With a keen focus on early warning, the Australian organisation’s platform will provide predictive analysis, and comprehensive all-hazard disaster monitoring.

Data Friendly Space

The U.S.-based DFS will build an accessible, AI-powered “personal data assistant” for humanitarian staff to enable them to access, extract, and visualise life-saving information from the vast data sources available publicly and within key responding organizations including locally-lead actors.

Field Ready

The proposed project will develop locally designed and manufactured mobile field workshop (“mobile makerspace”) in Fiji equipped with conventional and digital tools and machinery for disaster response and recovery in remote locations.

Voice for Villages Foundation Inc.

Improve and scale up the quality and reliability of communication and information processing in disaster management in unconnected and remote communities across Papua New Guinea.

Nexus Cyber Works

The goal of the project is to improve private sector participation in the Ethiopian Humanitarian Emergency System through a crowdsourcing platform. The platform will create a link between humanitarian aid items producers and suppliers, to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of humanitarian aid delivery.

Learn more about the Palladium Challenge Fund and 2023’s theme, and watch this space for the announcement of this year’s winners in 2024.