UnitaidExplore CFPs: Seeking Ideas to improve Child Health in LMICs

Deadline: 25-Nov-20

The innovation environment is evolving, therefore, UnitaidExplore – a funding mechanism is seeking new ideas from across spheres to develop innovations that can be modified, repurposed, or reimagined for the goals of global health.

UnitaidExplore is looking to improve child health outcomes by developing better delivery systems for children’s medicines for use in low resource settings. Delivery and formulation solutions of interest may include—but are not limited to! —micro-needles, supportive technologies such as taste-masking, enhancement of bioavailability, and others described in the Unitaid landscape Innovative Delivery Systems for Paediatrics Medicines. UnitaidExplore aims to support transformative solutions and they are open to diverse technologies; surprise them!

Unitaid supports innovations that have transformative potential to improve public health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). UnitaidExplore aims to complement the current focus of Unitaid’s portfolio on innovation, by targeting small projects with the potential for large change.

Get ready to Pitch Day in February 2021

• Selected applicants will be contacted on 15 December 2020 to submit additional materials by 11 January, 2021. Please be prepared to submit your entity’s legal status, documents supporting the status of any intellectual property, financial statements (audited ones, if available), business plans, and other requested materials.
• By early February, finalists will receive the invitation to a Pitch Day in February (date to be confirmed with selected candidates). On Pitch Day, a final set of applicants will discuss their applications with a review panel via video or teleconference.
• Applicants will be expected to provide a short pitch of their work and address questions raised by the panel during a live discussion. Following Pitch Day, the successful applicant(s) will enter a contracting process with Unitaid.

Key Aspects

• Size: UnitaidExplore aims to invest in the range of USD $500k to 2M with the final amount negotiated during contracting. Funded work is expected to occur over a period of six months to two years.
• Proportionality: UnitaidExplore applications are purposefully light and open. After an initial review of all potential solutions, additional materials will be requested from selected applicants.
• Stage-gated funding: Applicants will be paid fixed payments following the achievement of agreed milestones and through a performance-based mechanism.

Increasing access to Medicines for Children is Vital

• Access to optimal medicines and treatments that meet the unique needs of children is vital. Currently there are critical gaps in the availability of fit-for-purpose treatments tailored for children living in LMICs and affected by the deadliest infectious diseases.
• Commonly those caring for children are forced to administer ill-formulated and dosed medicines. This can lead to ineffective treatment and poor health outcomes, including death.
• THEY challenge YOU to propose a solution that can be applied to essential medicines for children in LMICS that can transform and improve their care and treatment leading to lives saved.

Application Procedure

• Please download the application from the link given on the website and complete on Microsoft Office Word or other compatible document editing software.
• Please download the Schedule of Sample Terms and Conditions of UnitaidExplore.
• To apply, email at the address given on the website with your completed application form before the deadline on Wednesday 25 November, 2020 at 17:00PM CET.
• Important notes for your application:
  • Please note that their email system accepts messages up to 8 MB in size. For submissions exceeding this size, please split your submission in several messages.
  • After emailing your application, you should receive a confirmation. If you do not receive this email receipt, UnitaidExplore cannot ensure your application will be reviewed. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. Submitted applications will be reviewed on a competitive basis.
  • Make sure your organization reviews and will be able to accept the Sample Terms and Conditions—by applying, you indicate you will accept these terms.

For more information, visit https://unitaid.org/news-blog/unitaidexplore-keeps-seeking/#en