USAID/India seeking Concept Papers to implement Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) Activity Program

Deadline: 29-Oct-24

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID/India) is seeking concept papers for a Fixed Amount Cooperative Agreement from qualified entities to implement the “Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) Activity.”

The activity identifies the primary development challenge as a reduction in under-50 mortality through a resilient health system that is able to deliver universal health coverage while responding to emerging climate and health shocks. The reduction in under-50 mortality will be achieved by helping build a resilient health system in India that is prepared for future climate and health challenges, while accommodating the special needs of the vulnerable and marginalized population segments in India. The purpose of the activity is to identify, test and scale up sustainable, easily accessible, affordable and quality healthcare models through the institutions, platforms and networks of the national and state governments, city administrations, private sector and community-based organizations.

Goal

• Improved access and reduced out-of-pocket on quality healthcare in India, especially for vulnerable and marginalized communities.

Purpose

• India’s growth, dynamism and human capital provides unique opportunities for USAID engagement, unlike those found anywhere else in the world. It provides the agency with a roadmap of how to transition health programming in emerging economies, especially in ecologically fragile subregions, whilst continuing to promote the agency priorities of diversity, equity and inclusion, localization, using technology responsibly and engaging the private sector for development objectives.
• This Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) activity aims to transform USAID’s traditional assistance to the Government of India (GoI) on cross-cutting health systems strengthening, signaling the transition in the US India partnership in health by strengthening platforms and institutions in the public and private sector to accelerate and scale innovative development approaches that are inclusive, sustainable and leverage digital health technologies. The purpose of the activity is to accelerate and scale up, and not incubate and seed, innovative approaches to increasing access and reducing out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare in India.

Funding Information

• USAID intends to provide up to $20,000,000 in total.
• Base Period (Project Years 1 to 2): Initial award up to $6,000,000. Renewal Period (Project Years 3 to 5): Budgeted at $14,000,000.

Priority Geographies

• This will cover the northeastern states – particularly Assam, the central Indian states of Odisha, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, and urban areas including tier-2 and tier-3 towns and mega urban conglomerates like Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.

Projects and Activities

• Coordination with other USAID projects and activities will include, but is not limited to, the following:
  • Building on the primary healthcare support to the government provided by the NISHTHA project, especially in the northeastern and the central Indian states;
  • Leveraging the network of secondary and tertiary health facilities, including laboratory networks under the RISE and Global Health Security (GHS) projects;
  • Developing synergies with the climate and health activity to be undertaken under two local works activities;
  • Working with USAID’s HIV projects to support the PLHIV community-led micro social enterprises;
  • Assisting scale up of innovations supported under TB, GHS, MCH and FP projects including access to appropriate capital from financial market platforms like impact investment platforms and the Social Stock Exchange;
  • Leveraging the SAMRIDH blended finance arrangement to help scale business and product solutions that can reduce OOPE on health and improve access to care, especially for marginalized and vulnerable communities;

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Applicant
  • Eligibility for this NOFO is open to all eligible and qualified U.S., local and international non-governmental entities. An organization may submit only one (1) application under this notice of funding opportunity. However, organizations participating as a member of a consortium may elect to participate in another consortium for a different Organization/Firm in response to this NOFO.
  • For direct awards to proposed local consortium partners, USAID reserves the right to determine the type of assistance instrument, for example, Cost reimbursement or Fixed Amount Award.
  • USAID welcomes organizations that have not previously received financial assistance from USAID. Faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for federal financial assistance on the same basis as any other organization and are subject to the protections and requirements of Federal law.
• Other
  • An organization may submit only one (1) concept paper under this notice of funding opportunity. However, organizations participating as a member of a consortium may elect to participate in another consortium under a different concept paper.
  • It shall be the responsibility of the applicant organization to be compliant with the local Government’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), if required, for receiving US Government funds through a federal assistance program.
  • In support of the Agency’s interest in fostering a larger assistance base and expanding the number and sustainability of development partners, USAID encourages applications from potential new and underutilized implementing partners who may not have previously received financial assistance from USAID. Any resultant award to a new organization may require a pre-award review of the organizations as part of a “risk assessment” of a potential recipient.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.