Deadline: 20-Oct-22

Grand Challenges Canada seeks a team to speed significant change or action (an “Ecosystem Catalyst”) by developing an independent, credible platform for aggregating ready-to-scale global health innovations across Sub-Saharan Africa that can be matched with public sector demand for solutions.

This platform should draw upon multiple innovation pipelines and reflect relevant public sector stakeholder priorities at local and regional levels, inclusive of multilateral entities, in its design, in order to facilitate government uptake of innovations in low- and middle-income country contexts for scale and sustainability.

Objective

The objective of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to select an Ecosystem Catalyst (“Funding Recipient”) to enter into a grant agreement with Grand Challenges Canada to develop an independent, credible methodology for defining and aggregating ready-to-scale global health innovations.

Scope of Work

• Grand Challenges Canada seeks a team to speed significant change or action (an “Ecosystem Catalyst”) by developing and implementing an independent, credible aggregation platform for ready-to-scale global health innovations, for the purposes of matching available innovation supply across Sub-Saharan Africa with specific articulated needs of stakeholders in low- and middle-income countries, in order to facilitate government uptake of innovations for scale and sustainability.
• The Ecosystem Catalyst’s platform will scan, assess and select ready-to-scale innovations for aggregation according to a rigorous methodology aligned with relevant public sector stakeholder priorities at local and regional levels, inclusive of multilateral entities. It should source innovation widely from both major global pipelines and importantly local players that might otherwise go untapped by demand-side actors.
• This platform should account for a diversity of innovation types / sectors, reflecting health innovation investment priorities from both Grand Challenges Canada’s portfolio and those of funders elsewhere in the ecosystem in its aggregation activities. Design should consider, but need not be limited to, sectors that are strongly aligned with Grand Challenges Canada’s five priority areas for investment in Global Health Innovation.

Outcomes

Success in the first 12 months includes the following outcomes:

• Aggregation of innovations from global and local innovation pipelines across multiple priority global health areas.
• Selection and promotion of ready-to-scale innovations across multiple priority health areas.
• Demonstrated interest in the short-listed innovations from public sector scaling stakeholders.
• Support for the platform activities from multiple organizations, including a minimum of $1.50 in funding for every $1.00 that Grand Challenges Canada provides.

Geographic Scope

Grand Challenges Canada seeks an Ecosystem Catalyst to assess and aggregate innovations sourced from multiple pipelines and across multiple geographies in SubSaharan Africa, curating them with the intention of increasing scale and sustainability via the public sector in Sub-Saharan African geographies beyond the innovations’ initial implementation. Proposals should clearly demonstrate that Applicants have the capacity and expertise to develop a credible, independent platform for use within their target geographies.

Activities & Deliverables

The successful project team will be expected to engage in the following activities and provide similar deliverables listed below in order to demonstrate project progress and success, and to be eligible for renewed funding:

• Performance reporting focused on utilization of funds, learnings and outcomes achieved. The frequency of reporting will be every three or six months, depending on their assessment of project and institutional risk.
• Sharing progress, achievements and lessons learned in a timely manner, including through:
  • Stakeholder engagement.
  • Learning community.
  • Open access publications.
  • Press releases.
  • Social media.

Grand Challenges Canada must be acknowledged in any dissemination of knowledge activities.

• A final report accounting for financial expenditures, that captures a clear assessment of project impact and learnings from both its successes and failures. Please note that a 5% hold back of funds will be released to the funding recipient upon submission of a satisfactory final report and full justification of costs.

Instructions for reporting will be provided to the funding recipient. Written progress reports and conversations via teleconference may be required to satisfy reporting requirements. The funded recipient must retain supporting project documentation until March 31, 2031 after the end of the Grant Agreement, including financial records, and may be audited by Grand Challenges Canada or any funders of this initiative. Associated requirements, as well as the full and detailed listing of activities and deliverables will be reflected in the Grant Agreement.

Eligibility Criteria

• Before moving forward in the review process, all proposals will be screened for eligibility based on the criteria.
  • The Applicant must be a non-profit organization, for-profit company, research/ academic institution, limited liability companies or any other legal institution that is capable of receiving and administering funding. Preference will be given to qualified applicants with strong presence in low- and middle-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Proposals must include all required information and address all questions. Only complete proposals will be considered for review.
  • Applications must be submitted in either English or French.
  • Grand Challenges Canada may, at any time and at their sole discretion, modify eligibility criteria with respect to an Applicant, Project Leads and/or eligible countries, to the extent that such modifications do not materially undermine the review process.
• Please note:
  • Grand Challenges Canada must approve any changes in applicant organization from the originally funded grant.
  • Grand Challenges Canada must approve any changes to the original application relating to the Applicant or Project Lead.
  • Project Leads must get their affiliated institution’s sign-off and any other required approvals before submitting any application.

For more information, visit https://www.grandchallenges.ca/funding-opportunities/