Deadline: 28 January 2016
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation seeks Concept Memos from an organization or consortium interested in partnering with local civil society organizations (CSOs) and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Africa. The proposed work of the organization/consortium would include providing sub-grants to these local organizations and a range of support to help them implement advocacy and communications strategies that build political commitment and accountability for meeting immunization access goals. Through this work, the lead organization/consortium would help build local CSOs’ and NGOs’ capacity to engage in immunization advocacy and communications over the longer-term. This work would initially focus on a select group of countries to be identified based on criteria outlined below.
By providing funding and technical assistance for advocacy and communications activities to local CSOs and NGOs – and convening, strengthening and mobilizing this community – this investment aims to build a stronger, more sustainable cohort of local organizations supporting immunization, engaging with governments, and ensuring stronger accountability to in-country immunization goals. These local organizations would lead on their own strategies to advocate and communicate for improvements in immunization financing, systems and delivery based on national immunization targets with activities tailored to the national context.
The Foundation expects the following outcomes from this investment:
- Ensure immunization is a domestic health priority
- Strengthen national, and state/district policies and political action to improve immunization programs
- Increase domestic financing and accountability to supporting national immunization programs
Grants Available
Assuming full proposals of sufficient merit, this request is expected to fund 1-2 grant(s) for an aggregate total cost of up US $10 million over five years.
Timeline for Applications
- December 1, 2015: Request for Concept Memos announced
- December 10 2015: Deadline for clarifying questions for Concept Memos
- December 15, 2015: Clarifying questions and answers posted on Foundation website
- December 15, 2015: Deadline for Webinar registration
- December 17, 2015: Webinar for applicants interested in learning more about the Request for Concept Memos
- January 28, 2016: Deadline for submitting Concept Memos
- April 13, 2016: Finalists notified; full proposals requested (by invitation)
- May 12, 2016: Deadline for submitting proposals (by invitation)
- September 2016 (anticipated): Award announced
Eligibility Criteria
- Both private and public organizations can submit Concept Memos.
- Submissions received by the deadline will be evaluated on criteria that include:
- Relevant experience in the work proposed, including grant making experience
- Relevant experience in operating and networking in multiple African countries
- Organization’s capabilities and reputation
- Organization’s understanding of the Foundation’s mission, structure, and priorities related to improving advocacy and communications efforts to support political will in Africa
- Additional evaluation criteria the Foundation considers relevant to the specific services in question
- Ideally the grantee/consortium will be based in Africa; if headquartered elsewhere, the organization must have a strong presence and/or offices in Africa.
- Organizations that will not be considered for this investment include entities that:
- Have no experience in health-related advocacy or communications in Africa
- Have no experience sub-granting to other organizations
- Have a commercial interest in vaccines and/or immunization-related products
- Rely on Foundation funding for more than 50 percent of their overall support
- Applications from individuals unaffiliated with an organization will not be considered.
- Partnership or consortium are welcome within a single application. However, applicants need to elect one primary contact per application.
How to Apply
- Download and use the Concept Memo template provided on the Online Application Tool. First time applicants will need to create an account.
- The length of the Concept Memo should be no more than six pages, inclusive of the General Information cover page. Please do not provide additional attachments to the Concept Memo.
- If you are invited to submit a full proposal later, additional attachments such as CVs and other supporting materials will be accepted.
For more information, please visit Gates Foundation Call for Proposals.