WASHINGTON, December 14, 2015 — As the number of refugees and internally displaced persons fleeing conflict, violence and persecution reaches historic highs, the World Bank’s Global Program on Forced Displacement (GPFD) is calling for proposals for innovative and transformational ideas that can improve the development response to forced displacement. Displacement tends to be protracted, and development programs in origin, host, transit, and destination countries are urgently needed to complement humanitarian assistance.
Innovative ideas may include analytical work, use of new technologies, or development projects. Many such ideas are often at the inception stage, requiring further work to be sufficiently detailed and specific for donors or investors to support them. GPFD will provide up to $40,000 for selected teams to develop their idea into a full concept note which would meet World Bank Group standards. The deadline for submission of Expressions of Interest is January 24, 2016.
Over the years, the Bank has been providing technical and financial support for both the forcibly displaced and their host communities under its mandate to reduce poverty. The call for proposals is aligned with these efforts and seeks to catalyze new ideas that can be realized on the ground, engaging practitioners from development agencies, the private sector, civil society, academia and others who are exploring different approaches to find development solutions.
Teams will be selected by a panel of Bank and independent experts based on their ideas’ potential to transform development approaches to forced displacement, and to achieve results. Successful teams will be expected to produce a full-fledged Concept Note by the end of April 2016.
The provision of resources to develop the Concept Note does not imply a commitment to finance implementation. Requests for funding for implementation will be examined by the GPFD on a case-by-case basis, depending on the amounts required, strategic relevance of the concept, and feasibility and desirability. The GPFD reserves the right to decide whether to provide the necessary resources, to help mobilize financing by third parties, or to decline support.
Please download detailed guidelines and the Expression of Interest form via these links:
and submit the form to the GPFD team at Cfp.gpfd@worldbank.org by January 24 2016.
The Global Program on Forced Displacement (GPFD), housed in the World Bank’s Fragility, Conflict and Violence Group, was established in 2009 with support from Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Switzerland to enhance the global development response to forced displacement through economically and socially sustainable solutions. GPFD focuses on development responses to situations of crisis, protracted displacement and return, through operational support, partnerships, analytical work, and knowledge dissemination.
The World Bank Group and Forced Displacement
Sixty million people are now forcibly displaced globally – as refugees, internally displaced persons and asylum seekers fleeing conflict and persecution. The World Bank Group is concerned about their welfare as well as the impact on communities where they settle, largely concentrated in developing countries. As displacement tends to be long term, this is a growing global crisis which requires an urgent development response. In support of our goals to end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity, we are working with our partners to help affected countries address this challenge, providing technical and financial support that can help both the displaced and their hosts across origin, transit and destination countries.
Contact:
Washington: Chisako Fukuda, +1(202)473-9424, cfukuda@worldbankgroup.org
For more information, please visit: www.worldbank.org/gpfd
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