The NOREPS concept

NOREPS is a partnership between the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning, the Norwegian Red Cross, major Norwegian NGOs and selected Norwegian suppliers of relief goods. It responds to international emergency needs through a combination of standby personnel, ready-to-deploy stocks of relief goods and life-saving equipment, and excellent logistics.

NOREPS is designed to provide relief agencies with immediate support during emergency operations, particularly in the time-critical first phase. NOREPS is intended to meet the need for immediate, internationally coordinated assistance with goods and equipment that are appropriate to the situational needs and are of suitable quality and competitively priced.

NOREPS’s main focus is on preparedness and rapid response. Its established system of standby capacities enables it to have pre-packed products airborne within 24 hours and service packages and trained personnel on site within 72 hours.

NOREPS is a one-stop provider of personnel, supplies and, in some cases, financing. The standby product and personnel capacities cover many basic relief operation needs, such as establishing initial operational infrastructure and meeting the immediate needs of victims, without compromising the mandates of relief agencies. NOREPS also provides support for longer-term operations.

NOREPS strengthens the emergency relief response by supplementing existing local and regional capacities with its specialised resources. NOREPS is administered by Innovation Norway.