Deadline: 15-Oct-2025
The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), with backing from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), has announced a 2025 call for proposals to support initiatives that complement the Global Fund’s work against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in eligible countries.
This funding is part of Italy’s “Technical Support Spending” mechanism, which permits the allocation of up to 5% of its Global Fund contribution to directly support initiatives led by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Universities, and Public Research Institutions.
Italy has committed €185 million to the Global Fund for 2023–2025. From this, €9.25 million is set aside under the 5% mechanism, with €3,100,564.76 available for this specific 2025 call, including unused funds from 2024.
All initiatives must align with the Global Fund’s 2023–2028 Strategy, which focuses on eradicating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, while also strengthening health systems and ensuring equal access to care.
The aim is to fund innovative, complementary projects that support the Global Fund’s 2023–2028 priorities. Key objectives include reinforcing integrated, people-centered health systems, empowering affected communities, and promoting equity, gender equality, and human rights.
Projects should focus on one or more of the three diseases: HIV/AIDS (particularly among vulnerable groups like young women, LGBTQ+ communities, sex workers, or people who inject drugs), tuberculosis (especially drug-resistant TB and co-infection with HIV), and malaria (focusing on high-risk groups like children under 5 and pregnant women). Cross-cutting concerns like gender, disability, children’s rights, and community ownership must also be addressed.
A total of €3.1 million is available, with each project eligible for up to €775,000. AICS will cover up to 95% of project costs, while applicants must provide at least 5% co-financing. Projects must run for 36 months, and only one application per entity is permitted. Additionally, at least 40% of the budget must be managed directly by the lead applicant.
Eligible countries for project implementation include Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Applicants must be Italian CSOs, universities, or public research institutions. CSOs must be registered under Article 26 of Law No. 125/2014, while universities and research institutions must comply with Articles 24 and Legislative Decree No. 218/2016, respectively.
Each proposal must include a formal partnership: if the applicant is a CSO, it must collaborate with a university or public research body, and vice versa. Applicants must have at least three years of relevant experience (two years for universities and research bodies) and involve at least one qualified local partner with proven capacity in the target country.
For more information, visit AICS.
