Strengthening Public Health Systems in Sierra Leone

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through the Global Health Center, has released a forecasted funding opportunity titled Strengthening Public Health Systems in Sierra Leone. This program will be funded under Assistance Listing 93.318, which is focused on protecting and improving health globally by strengthening public health impact, systems, capacity, and security. The opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement and reflects CDC’s ongoing work with multisectoral and multilateral partners in Sierra Leone. By leveraging its global health expertise, CDC aims to support the country in building resilience within its health systems and strengthening national public health institutions. The primary purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity is to improve Sierra Leone’s capacity to identify, respond to, and mitigate health threats, with emphasis on sustainable health security. The program’s objectives include the prevention of emerging health threats, strengthening national health security, and transitioning assistance activities directly to the Government of Sierra Leone and its National Public Health Agency. Special emphasis is placed on core capabilities in data and surveillance, diagnostics, public health workforce development, institutional capacity, and prevention and response to infectious disease threats. Through these efforts, CDC seeks to ensure long-term improvements in health system resilience. The scope of the program is broad and includes activities that build institutional leadership, enhance laboratory and diagnostic networks, improve disease surveillance and reporting mechanisms, and bolster preparedness for infectious disease outbreaks. While specific spending rules are not outlined in the forecast, cooperative agreements generally allow for costs tied directly to programmatic objectives, including staffing, training, technical assistance, and infrastructure development. Because the opportunity is still in forecast status, applicants should prepare to align budgets with CDC’s standard cooperative agreement guidance once the final NOFO is released. Eligibility for this grant is wide-ranging and includes U.S. and international applicants. Eligible entities include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, independent school districts, public housing authorities, Native American tribal governments and organizations, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations including small businesses, public and private institutions of higher education, and special district governments. The eligibility list indicates that this opportunity is broadly open and not restricted to one entity type, allowing for diverse applicants with relevant expertise in public health systems strengthening. The forecasted timeline indicates that the funding opportunity will be posted by January 19, 2026, with an application due date of March 20, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET. Awards are expected to be announced on August 31, 2026, with projects starting September 30, 2026. No pre-application requirements such as letters of intent or concept notes are listed in the forecasted notice, but applicants should remain attentive for updates in the full solicitation. The opportunity is not listed as rolling, but it is reasonable to expect recurring opportunities given the CDC’s long-term commitment to global health security. The total estimated program funding is $125,000,000, with three awards anticipated. Award ceilings and floors are not specified in the forecast and should be confirmed once the official Notice of Funding Opportunity is released. Matching or cost-sharing is not required, making this accessible to a wider pool of applicants. Interested applicants are encouraged to monitor the Grants.gov posting for updates once the official application package is available. For further information, potential applicants may contact the designated grantor representative, Broderick Yoerg, at DGHPNOFOs@cdc.gov or by phone at 404-234-0666. Applicants should direct technical questions about submission to Grants.gov support and programmatic inquiries to the CDC point of contact. Because this opportunity is currently forecasted, applicants should anticipate updates in scope and requirements before the final release and plan accordingly to prepare competitive applications by the submission deadline.