Through our calls for proposals, we solicit the best new ideas to tackle some of the most pressing global health challenges. We then work with our partners to design impactful projects that aim to accelerate access to critical health tools in low- and middle-income countries.
Learn more about what we’re looking for and how to submit an idea here.
For further details please refer to the proposal process document on the how to apply for funding page.
Yes. While the primary focus of Unitaid investments is in low-income countries, proposals that include middle-income countries in scope are eligible. In principle, Unitaid looks for proposals that accrue benefit to those most in need (e.g., those in low-income countries, vulnerable populations). To this end, proposals should clearly demonstrate the use of innovative and sustainable approaches, and are expected to outline a concrete and clear pathway to results and impact. Applicants should also demonstrate that their proposal is feasible and that they have the capacity to implement it.
Across our portfolio of projects, at least 85% of Unitaid funds dedicated to commodity purchases must be spent in low-income countries. While middle-income countries are not ineligible for inclusion in Unitaid-funded projects, there are overall limits on Unitaid funding that can be dedicated to commodity purchases in these countries. For any proposed project that includes a greater than 15% proportion of funding for commodity purchases in middle-income countries, this needs to be justified in the proposal as being essential to realizing project objectives. Wherever possible, funding in middle-income countries should be used to increase access to commodities for vulnerable groups.
Yes, in certain circumstances. Unitaid works through market-based interventions to have global market and public health impact. This may require work in more than one or two countries. However, an intervention in a single country (or in a very limited number of countries) can be supported when the proponent can make the case, with clear supporting evidence, that such an intervention could have global impact.
Unitaid interventions are delivered through implementers; that is, Unitaid does not implement interventions directly and has no in-country presence. For proposals that include country implementation, proposal submitted should demonstrate that the organization has the capability and capacity to deliver the proposed work in project countries and that the intervention will have a global/regional effect.
Yes. Unitaid can provide grants to NGOs. All Unitaid implementers must demonstrate their established capacity to manage their project.
Yes, a consortium approach may be considered for the project implementation purposes. However, projects should be as lean as possible. Any consortium approach should have a strong lead organization with overall responsibility for project implementation.
A consortium is a group of partners who have agreed to implement the project together based on clearly defined agreements, which set out the basis on which all but the lead implementer is a sub-grantee with no direct legal relationship to Unitaid. Entities or individuals providing commercial services to the project are service providers and not consortium members. Partners collaborating on the implementation of the project but that are not an active part of the project design and execution are not to be considered members of the consortium but will be identified as collaborating partners.
Should the establishment of a consortium for project implementation purposes be necessary and substantiated, the selection of the lead agency or organization in a consortium application is at the discretion of the consortium members. It should be noted that the consortium lead has overall responsibility for project implementation, including coordination of consortium members and communications with/reporting to Unitaid. They are also often the main route of funding. In determining the most suitable lead, consideration should be given to each of these factors to identify which organization is best suited to deliver on each and assume overall responsibility for project activities. The capacity of the lead organization to manage the consortium and to report will be key at all stages of the project implementation.
Yes. Organizations can certainly respond with more than one proposal as lead organization. However, the organization must have the capability to deliver on any proposal they submit. Organizations must provide robust justification for the configuration of any consortium proposed, including the relative roles and responsibilities of members in achieving the goals detailed in each proposal.
Yes, consortium members, service providers and collaborating partners can participate in several proposals under the same call for proposals.
Subject to call scope, Unitaid can support some late-stage R&D activities. Unitaid interventions typically focus on the formulation or final product field validation where a product is about to reach the market. However, Unitaid carefully monitors the pipeline for innovative new products that may be “game changers” in the market to support entry, enable future scale-up and have public health impact.
Unitaid provides guidance on the application process and the application forms. Questions should be addressed to the Grant Applications Manager at proposalsunitaid@who.int.
In the interest of fairness and transparency, Unitaid does not provide guidance to individual organizations on substantive issues for responding to each particular call beyond what is available in the call text and associated documents published on the Unitaid website. In some cases, webinars may be arranged.
Unitaid makes catalytic investments. The timeframe is typically 3 to 5 years, including transition and sustainability plan.
We do not specify minimum or maximum grant sizes. We consider funding size in light of our strategy, available funds, investment required for impact, and existing portfolio of projects. As a general principle, we aim to fund projects that are targeted and ‘lean’ – that is, scoped at the minimum size required to achieve the desired market impact and public health effects and demonstrate value for money.
Unitaid encourages grantees to take all measures to secure tax and customs duty exemptions for all expenses incurred, especially regarding the purchase of commodities with delivery to project countries. It should be noted that many of our grantees succeed in securing such exemptions.
Procurement conditions within Unitaid grants may vary according to the commodity purchased, and detailed procurement conditions are typically finalized during grant development. Regarding quality assurance, as a general rule, Unitaid has harmonized its policy with those of other major partners, such as the Global Fund or PEPFAR. As a result, Unitaid typically requires that products be WHO prequalified, authorized for use by a stringent regulatory authority, or reviewed and permitted for use by the expert review panel as described in Unitaid’s quality assurance guidelines.
Unitaid welcomes efforts to improve access to better, quality-assured treatment. Unitaid requires that any product procured with its funds conform with our quality assurance guidelines – i.e., that products are WHO-prequalified or approved by a recognized SRA. In addition, in funding activities not directly related to product procurement, Unitaid still emphasizes the importance of quality assurance to 1) ensure that people in need receive appropriate, quality-assured medicines and diagnostics and 2) contribute to improving market health and stability for quality-assured health products.
While Unitaid considers rights-based approaches important, we work through a market-based approach. The two approaches are not mutually exclusive, but the language used to present the issues, and the way to estimate and articulate impact can be considerably different. Nevertheless, one may wish to consider including elements related, for example, to the use of intellectual property flexibilities to bring down prices in quantifying impact.
If you intend to submit a proposal, we invite you to complete and send the intention to submit form to proposalsunitaid@who.int. The form can be found on the calls for proposals page.
There are no Unitaid policies or rules that preclude a lead organization from sharing information on an intent to submit a proposal or proposal submission to Unitaid while the ISP or proposal is under review. As the owner of the ISP or proposal you are free to share ISP or proposal content both pre- and post-submission. However, when sharing ISP or proposal information, it is important to emphasize that there is no guarantee of funding at either the ISP or proposal stage.
The ISP submission form is only available in English, however the ISP can be prepared in English or French.
ISPs are reviewed in either language. However, at the next stage, proposals would need to be submitted in English.
No. However, the submission form provides a useful guidance on how proponents should approach each section of the proposal form.
At the proposal stage, proponents are requested to provide quarterly planning and monthly planning only for the first year of the project. The monthly planning can be indicative at this stage and if the proposal receives “go-ahead” decision, a more detailed planning will need to be done during the grant agreement development process.
There is no need to have budget at the ISP stage. At the stage of submission of a proposal an indicative but realistic budget estimate will have to be prepared using the budget template (annex 2) that can be downloaded from the how to apply for funding page.
Unitaid agrees to fund a fair share of general administrative expenses linked to the general running of the head office administration of the different consortium members. Such expenses should primarily include expenses associated to head office corporate functions which support the entire operations (e.g. general management, human resources, finance, accounting, legal, internal audit, risk management) as well as expenses linked to the general running of headquarter infrastructures (e.g. facility, information systems). Unitaid has established the following maximum levels:
Any expenses linked to fundraising and lobbying activities are excluded from such general administrative expenses and are not funded by Unitaid. When projects are implemented through a consortium of organizations, Unitaid only accepts general administrative expenses of either the lead grantee or the sub-grantee and does not support overlapping layers of general administrative expenses.
There is no differentiation in the funding approach based on the type of entity.
Yes, Unitaid uses a standard expense classification. It can be found in the proposal budget form (Annex 3) that is available on the how to apply for funding page.
Budgets of sub-awards to partners should be detailed using the proposal budget form (section 1, table Budget by organization). Download the budget template (Annex 3) from our how to apply for funding page.
Unitaid requires the grantees to engage with an audit firm to carry out annual financial audits during the project implementation and until the end of the project. The lead applicant should therefore include financial audit costs in the annual budgets. Such financial audit would normally include reasonable assurance engagements and agreed-upon procedures on specific areas. The estimated value of audit costs should be based on prevailing market rates.
Co-funding is not a mandatory requirement; however proponents are encouraged to include this information in the proposal.
Please note that Unitaid defines co-funding as funding secured from other funding sources in addition to the Unitaid project funding to accomplish the Unitaid project outputs. Other funding source that will be used to finance activities which will support but not directly contribute to the achievement of the outputs should not be treated, and therefore not included, as co-funding.
Please note that the budget form asks you to indicate the co-funding source (Section 2 of the form), if applicable, and if the co-funding is confirmed or anticipated.
The proposal must plausibly demonstrate a clear analysis of the expected market and public health impacts and how the proposal would contribute to goals and targets set in respective disease strategies by WHO and other partner organizations. Download more detailed guidance on impact assessment and other topics from the how to apply for funding page.
Yes, proponents are free to change the goals and outcomes. The pre-populated goals and outcomes are only included to be a guide for the level and type of statements Unitaid is expecting.
Unitaid would like to encourage proponents to identify the most critical risks for the implementation of the project instead of presenting a large list of potential risks.
The annexes 6, 7 and 8 need to be filled for the lead agency only.
Unitaid proposal processes do not include the process of appeal. Letters are sent to inform each proponent of the result of the review and indicate decisions and rationale. In some cases, Unitaid may provide additional feedback at its discretion.
