Whether you’re working in the humanitarian sector, shaping government policy, or investing in impact - this conversation is for you. Join us to explore how we can better align public, private, and philanthropic capital to deliver results where traditional models fall short.
How can we finance humanitarian impact, and how far can private capital reach? We’ll dive into:
- How humanitarian actors can access and deploy new forms of financing
- The role of governments in de-risking and enabling investment
- How investors can engage in complex contexts while achieving both impact and returns
Taking hands-on experience as our point of departure, we will discuss how innovative financing efforts not only address the financing gap, but can also contribute to increased efficiency, strengthened local leadership and enhanced resilience. The discussion also links to broader national reflections in Norway to adapt the development policy to changing global landscape, including ongoing conversations under project “Vendepunkt".
Agenda
12.00-15: Arrival and opening words from Innovation Norway, Norad and The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
12.15-25: Innovative financing in practice: Lessons on investment-readiness, business models and financing strategies from a humanitarian perspective. Presented by Ragnhild Nauste, Senior Advisor, Innovation Norway, Linn Tomasdotter, Senior Consultant, TINKR
12:25-13:00 Panel: RewiringAidFinancing – New instruments and ecosystems: What is being pioneered and what is working in financing impact in fragile and last-mile contexts? This panel discusses both the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of implementing new financial mechanisms within the aid sector.
Panelists:
Eva Mach, Head of Global Environmental Sustainability Unit, IOM
Siddhartha Sinha, Head of Innovative Finance Unit, UNHCR
Kristoffer Grandrup-Marino, Chief of Innovation, UNICEF
Moderator: Therese Marie Uppstrøm Pankratov, Head of the Humanitarian Innovation Programme, Innovation Norway
13:00-13:15: Waste 4 Value and the road to ROI: What is the role of humanitarian organizations as market builders and contributors, and how can we demonstrate returns? By Eivind Aalborg, Special Advisor and Siv Øystese, Senior Advisor, Norwegian Church Aid
13.15-13.30: Break
13.30-14.15: Panel: Where should private capital go? This panel brings together actors deploying capital and building commercial models in some of the world's most fragile and under-financed contexts. Panelists will share what they aim to achieve, what they’ve learned, how they see their role evolving. What modalities are proving effective? Where does private capital genuinely add value — and where does it fall short? How can humanitarian and commercial actors better align their incentives to achieve lasting impact at scale? Panelists TBC.
Moderator: Pierre Jallow, Senior Expert at HAUS and Founder and CEO at Remode
14:15-14.30: Diaspora financing and financial inclusion: Lessons on leveraging diaspora funding, collaborating with commercial partners and iterating a financial model that can scale. Presented by Abigail Maristela, Program Coordinator of the Diaspora Engagement Unit, IOM
14.30-35: Closing words: Emilie Skogvang, Senior Advisor, Innovation Norway
14.35-15.00: Mingling
