Deadline: 23-Jun-2026
Grand Challenges South Africa, hosted by the South African Medical Research Council, has launched an RFP to fund cost-disruptive diagnostic and screening technologies for low- and middle-income countries. The program focuses on ultra-low-cost, scalable, and AI-enabled diagnostic solutions for diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV, STIs, and maternal and newborn health. Funding is available across three tiers, supporting projects from early proof-of-concept to advanced validation.
Overview of the RFP
The RFP aims to support the development of diagnostic and screening technologies that are affordable, scalable, and suitable for low-resource environments. It focuses on reducing per-test costs to near US$1 and minimizing incremental screening costs to near zero. A key objective is enabling same-visit clinical decision-making while strengthening local research and manufacturing capacity in South Africa.
Priority Innovation Areas
The program prioritizes transformative technologies such as multimodal sensing systems, AI-enabled diagnostic interpretation, software-defined diagnostics, and modular platforms that can be adapted across multiple diseases. It also encourages reusable hardware systems, cold-chain independent solutions, environmentally sustainable designs, and digital traceability or surveillance integration. Innovations should be designed for deployment in low-resource settings and should support scalability across health systems.
Disease Focus Areas
Tuberculosis-focused innovations include symptom-agnostic community screening tools and near-patient diagnostic systems aligned with WHO target product profiles. HIV-related priorities include decentralized viral load testing, early infant diagnosis, and near-point-of-care CD4 or advanced HIV triage tools. Additional focus areas include sexually transmitted infections, women’s health, and maternal and newborn health, with an emphasis on scalable diagnostic workflows.
Funding Structure
The program provides three funding tiers based on maturity. Proof-of-concept awards provide up to R5 million for early-stage feasibility studies and prototyping over 24 months. Mid-level awards provide up to R8 million for product refinement and early validation over 24 months. Advanced platform awards provide up to R16.5 million for verification and field readiness over up to 36 months, targeting mature technologies or advanced adaptations.
What the Program Does Not Fund
The RFP excludes implementation-only projects that lack research and development components. It does not support procurement or rollout activities without innovation, large definitive clinical trials without a development pathway, or discovery-only biomarker research without deployable outcomes. Proposals without a credible strategy for achieving cost reduction, scalability, and operational feasibility are also excluded.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants include South African universities, public research institutions, non-profit organizations, and for-profit companies registered in South Africa. The principal investigator must be a South African citizen or permanent resident affiliated with an eligible institution. International collaborators are allowed but must comply with South African regulatory conditions. Applications led by women, historically disadvantaged universities, women-led institutions, and academic-private sector partnerships are strongly encouraged.
Why This Matters
This initiative addresses major diagnostic gaps in low- and middle-income countries where access to timely and affordable testing is limited. It supports earlier disease detection, reduced dependence on centralized laboratories, and improved healthcare accessibility in rural and underserved regions. The program also strengthens local innovation ecosystems and promotes AI-driven healthcare solutions that can improve surveillance, outbreak detection, and health system efficiency.
How the Program Works (Application Process)
Applicants must first select the appropriate funding tier based on their technology maturity level, whether proof-of-concept, mid-stage development, or advanced validation. Proposals must demonstrate a clear strategy for cost reduction, scalability, and suitability for low-resource environments. Applicants are expected to design deployable systems that support same-visit diagnostics and include prototype or validation plans. Strong applications also include partnerships with South African institutions and plans for local capacity building. Submissions must follow the official RFP guidelines issued by the program administrators.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Common errors include submitting proposals that focus only on research without a deployment pathway, or failing to meet cost targets such as near-zero screening costs or near US$1 per test. Other mistakes include weak scalability plans, lack of suitability for low-resource environments, overly complex system designs, and insufficient justification for AI or sensing technologies. Proposals without clear implementation feasibility or multi-disease adaptability are also likely to be rejected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. The main goal of the RFP is to fund diagnostic technologies that are low-cost, scalable, and suitable for low-resource healthcare environments in LMICs.
Q2. Priority disease areas include tuberculosis, HIV, sexually transmitted infections, women’s health, and maternal and newborn health.
Q3. Funding ranges from R5 million to R16.5 million depending on project maturity and duration from 24 to 36 months.
Q4. International organizations can participate only through collaboration with eligible South African institutions.
Q5. The program does not fund implementation-only projects, procurement, or discovery-only research without deployment pathways.
Q6. Preferred technologies include AI-based diagnostics, multimodal sensing, software-defined tools, and modular diagnostic platforms.
Q7. The lead applicant must be a South African citizen or permanent resident affiliated with an eligible institution.
Conclusion
The Grand Challenges South Africa RFP is designed to accelerate the development of affordable, scalable, and high-impact diagnostic technologies for low-resource settings. It emphasizes innovation that combines AI, multimodal sensing, and modular platforms to improve disease detection and healthcare delivery. The program plays a key role in strengthening South Africa’s health innovation ecosystem while addressing critical global health challenges.
For more information, visit Grand Challenges.