Localisation in Action Incubator
A decade of local experience.
Shared with local organisations.
A programme we are developing for local civil society organisations, community-based organisations and women-led NGOs working in displacement-affected contexts in the MENA region. It aims to help them build the systems they need to sustain their work and access funding directly.
The programme is in development. We are talking to funders and partners now, and will share details of the first cohort when they are confirmed.
Since 2016
working alongside women and girls affected by conflict and displacement
120,000+
women, girls and community members supported
103
full-time staff in Iraq, mostly women and people with lived experience of displacement
Why this matters now
−20%
fall in international humanitarian funding in 2025
35%
of UN-coordinated appeal requirements met in 2025
International humanitarian funding is under severe pressure. In March 2025, the US government announced it was cancelling 83% of USAID’s programmes. The US had been the largest humanitarian donor by far, providing around 40% of government funding to the humanitarian system.
According to ALNAP’s Global Humanitarian Assistance Report 2026, international humanitarian funding fell by 20% in 2025 and by almost a third since 2023, to its lowest level in a decade. UN-coordinated appeals were only 35% funded, the largest gap on record. Agencies have cut staff, programmes and partners as a result.
Local organisations are among the hardest hit. Early data for 2025 suggests funding to local and national actors fell by 27%, faster than the fall in overall funding.
Less than 4p in every £1
of international humanitarian funding went directly to local and national organisations in 2024.
Just under 10p reached them at all, directly or through an intermediary. In 2016, donors and aid agencies committed to 25p.
Source: ODIAt the same time, donors and coordination bodies are placing more emphasis on locally led responses. Three trends stand out.
Growing local leadership
National and local authorities are taking on bigger roles in displacement response, and more resources are being directed towards locally based work.
Resilience as well as relief
UNHCR’s 2025 to 2029 Strategic Directions prioritise community resilience and locally anchored protection
Closer links with development
Humanitarian programmes are increasingly linked to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and to nationally owned services.
Research by the Humanitarian Advisory Group, the Australian Red Cross and ODI has found that locally led responses can be more agile, more sustainable and closer to community priorities. For that to happen, local organisations need strong systems and access to funding. This programme is designed to help with both.
Why The Lotus Flower
Since 2016 we have worked alongside women and girls affected by conflict and displacement in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
We have faced the same challenges local organisations face today, from building systems from scratch to meeting donor requirements. This programme is a way to share what we have learned.
We have done this before
We supported two local organisations, Nudem and Gashbon, as they grew from grassroots initiatives into registered, independent NGOs.
Our partners include
UNHCR
GIZ/BMZ
ECHO
UN Women
CARE International
UN Trust Fund
What the programme will cover
We are designing the incubator as a year-long programme that combines training, practical application, peer learning and mentoring. We expect to deliver it through a mix of remote and in-person sessions, with interpretation into local languages. The approach will be practical and participatory, building on what each organisation already knows.
The details will be shaped with funders and partner organisations. We are planning four areas of focus.
1
Organisational development
Strengthening the systems behind good, accountable work.
Governance and policies, financial management, HR, procurement, monitoring and evaluation, safeguarding and PSEA, digital tools and communications. The aim is for organisations to finish with reviewed systems, updated policies and templates they can use.
2
Technical skills
Sharing our experience in protection, GBV, child protection, MHPSS and peacebuilding.
Training based on global standards (IASC, UNFPA, WHO, GBVIMS+) and adapted to local contexts and legal environments. Topics are likely to include GBV prevention and case management, psychosocial support, community-based protection, online safety and technology-facilitated GBV, child protection case management, and peacebuilding.
3
Funding and partnerships
Helping organisations reach funders directly and build partnerships.
Proposal and grant writing, donor relationships, humanitarian coordination, and ethical storytelling. Access to direct funding is one of the biggest barriers local organisations face, so this is a core part of the programme.
4
Mentoring
Ongoing support alongside the training.
Regular check-ins with experienced TLF staff, technical help when it is needed, peer learning between organisations and opportunities to shadow each other’s work.
What we aim to achieve
For partner organisations
Stronger internal systems, policies and tools
Improved technical skills in protection and GBV response
The skills and materials to approach funders directly
A network of peers to learn from during and after the programme
Assessments at the start and end, so progress can be measured
For the communities they serve
Better quality GBV prevention and response services
Survivor-centred support from trusted local organisations
Clearer referral pathways to health, legal, psychosocial and livelihoods services
Greater awareness of women’s rights, child protection and the services available
For others working on localisation
Shared learning on what works in the MENA region, produced with partner organisations
A curriculum and approach that can be adapted for future cohorts and other contexts
A practical example of local organisations supporting each other
Help us launch the first cohort
We are looking for funders and partners to help us get started, and we would like to hear from local organisations who may want to take part.
Funders
We would welcome a conversation about funding the first cohort or helping to shape the programme.
UN agencies and INGOs
We are open to partnerships that support your own localisation commitments.
Local organisations
If you are a women-led or local organisation working in a displacement-affected context in the MENA region, get in touch to register your interest. We will share details when the first cohort is confirmed.