This paper [explores] systematically the new roles companies are playing in humanitarian action. The paper is a product of a scoping exercise to assess the depth and nature of non-commercial and commercial business engagement in humanitarian relief;...illustrative case studies [involving DHL (part of Deutsche Post World Net); TNT; Management Systems International; Planning and Development Collaborative International (PADCO) (part of AECOM); CDM (part of Camp Dresser & McKee) ]; and interviews with numerous experts and practitioners conducted over 2006 and early 2007. [Companies involved in non-commercial initiatives included in the scoping exercise: Alcoa, American Express, AstraZeneca, BASF, Bloomberg, Boston Consulting, BP, Brandix Lanka, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Broefje Orchards, Brunswick, Capital Group, Citigroup, Coca-Cola, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Deutsche Post World Net, Ericsson, Ethos Water, FedEx, Goldman Sachs, IDT, JP Morgan Chase, Johnson & Johnson, KPMG, Microsoft, Motorola, Nestle, Nike, Nortel, PepsiCo, Pfizer, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Procter & Gamble, Rolls Royce, SAS, Time Warner, TNT, UPS, Vodafone] [Companies involved in commercial initiatives included in the scoping exercise: Agulhas Development Consultants, AIS Development, American Manufacturers Export Group, Associates in Rural Development, ATOS Consulting, Bankable Frontier Associates, Birks Sinclair & Associates, CDM, Checci, Chemonics, Creative Associates International, Crown Agents, Cui PRODEST, Development Alternatives, DPK Consulting, Emerging Markets Group, Enterplan, Environmental Resources Management (ERM), Futures Group, Genesis Analytics, International Resources Group, InterWorks, Management Systems International, Oxford Policy Management, PADCO AECOM, PMTC, QED, Segura Consulting, Social Development Direct, IDL, Law and Development Partnership, Services Group, Verulam Group, Triple Line Consulting, Voxiva, WYG]