1. Background

In an era of increasingly complex, frequent, and compounded humanitarian crises, effective emergency preparedness and response capacities are more essential than ever. At the same time, the sector is undergoing a shift toward more localised models of humanitarian action, in which a growing number of actors — including local NGOs, national coordination structures, and government entities — are called upon to lead responses in volatile contexts.

However, access to relevant, high-quality, and contextualised training remains unequal. Traditional approaches to emergency preparedness — including large-scale simulation exercises (SIMEX) — are often costly, logistically demanding, and difficult to scale. Even large international NGOs face growing challenges in funding and delivering adequate training to their staff, and local responders often face even greater limitations in time, funding, and access.

In this context, innovative, flexible, and scalable training tools are urgently needed to reach a wider range of responders, particularly at the local level, and to support them in navigating the full emergency response cycle.

To respond to these challenges, our team is exploring the feasibility of developing a gamified, immersive emergency training platform. This platform would leverage VR/video game-style simulations, AI-supported characters, and post-simulation coaching to help individuals and teams build real-world response capacities in a safe and accessible environment. It would be designed to complement—not replace—existing training systems and be adaptable to different user needs and technological realities.

This market survey aims to assess the demand, relevance, feasibility, and potential models for such a platform within the humanitarian sector.

See attached term of reference ToR.

Interested consultants should submit:

• A short technical proposal (max. 3 pages) outlining their understanding of the assignment, methodology, and timeline
• CV
• 1–2 examples of similar previous work
• Financial proposal (daily rate and estimated LOE)

Applications should be submitted by 10th of May 2025 to errurequest@actioncontrelafaim.org