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A bespoke, action-focused channel for companies to take action in the face of rapid onset challenges and in line with their business and social impact priorities.
A direct line of sight for companies between their funding and their support to specific locations and communities, with transparent use of their funding for on-the-ground impact.
A rapid, effective response, leveraging Business Fights Poverty’s trusted global network of international companies and NGOs and Crown Agents’ 187+ years experience in procurement and logistics.
Activated in April 2021, the Rapid Response Facility delivered emergency oxygen equipment to India during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. With one of our partners, Mars Inc, for example, we provided 14.6 million hours of oxygen to last-mile rural and urban communities.
The Rapid Response Facility was activated on 24 February 2022 to get emergency medical equipment to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. With partners such as GSK, the Facility supported the delivery of nearly 80,000 life-saving first aid kits and other emergency equipment.
THE CHALLENGES
The challenges faced by those who want to help in an emergency are three-fold: understanding (a) the specific, detailed needs; (b) where to procure the needed items at the required quantity and quality, and/or (c) how to get them to people who need them. The Rapid Response Facility addresses all three of these challenges, while also ensuring quality, a better price, accountability and coordination of supply and delivery.
HOW WE CAN HELP
Through a trusted corporate and NGO network that we have built up over nearly 20 years, we have put in place the following multi-stakeholder, end-to-end approach: (a) to support needs identification, we work with our global community and local partners to provide credible, verified real-time insights on local need, (b) our partner, Crown Agents, a non-profit with over 187 years’ experience, is able to find and procure items rapidly and cost effectively, and (c) Crown Agents arranges regular international delivery direct to target communities.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help in three important ways: (a) share your intelligence on immediate needs, (b) if you have already raised funding, combine your order with existing ones to secure lower prices and save on shipping costs. We also invite you to provide additional funding or encourage direct employee giving. Alternatively, please let us know if you supply or have access to any items that are urgently needed; and/or (c) use your established, in-country logistics network and partners to help distribute items to those who need them most.
The Rapid Response Facility is an informal standing facility that is activated upon the mutual agreement of Business Fights Poverty and Crown Agents in respect of an emergency that is rapid onset in nature, and is urgent, uncertain and unpredictable, and where we feel we can make a meaningful difference.
When the Rapid Response Facility is activated, we will inform our community via our website, email correspondence and social media channels.
If you would like to support the Rapid Response Facility once it has been activated, or if you would like to support its activation, please get in touch.
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