Advancing Global Health

The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy, or GHSD, is offering the Advancing Global Health Annual Program Statement, opportunity number DFOP0017890, to support implementation of the America First Global Health Strategy. GHSD is pursuing bilateral, country-specific approaches through Memoranda of Understanding with partner governments that establish shared objectives, mutual commitments, health outcomes, and pathways toward country self-reliance. Government-to-government agreements are expected to be an important implementation mechanism. This APS provides a supplemental framework for projects that complement, extend, or fill identified gaps in bilateral MOU implementation. Specific priorities and needs are issued through Addenda, including country-specific opportunities and service-focused opportunities. Applicants must respond to a specific Addendum rather than submit a general concept under the umbrella APS. The Advancing Global Health program is intended to save lives, strengthen health systems, enhance efficiency, foster self-reliance, and ensure that U.S. global health investments benefit American safety, strength, and prosperity. Projects may provide targeted technical, operational, or catalytic support to address gaps, sequencing challenges, or transitional needs associated with MOU implementation and related government-to-government agreements. Awards may be grants, cooperative agreements, or fixed amount awards. For cooperative agreements, Department of State substantial involvement may include collaboration on programmatic decisions, review of work plans, decisions concerning project phases and implementation methods, and ongoing technical assistance, guidance, and direction. Projects must be completed within five years or less. Continuation funding within the five-year limit may be considered noncompetitively based on funding availability, satisfactory progress, and the Department's determination that continued funding is in its best interest. Eligible applicants include U.S. and foreign private for-profit enterprises, U.S. and foreign public and private institutions of higher education, U.S. and foreign organizations including faith-based organizations, public international organizations, and governmental institutions. Cost sharing or matching is not required and voluntary cost share will not be evaluated during merit review. Applicants do not need a Unique Entity Identifier or SAM.gov registration to submit a Phase 1 Statement of Interest, although a UEI and valid SAM.gov registration are required before submission of a Phase 2 full application. Applicants excluded through SAM.gov or with current debt to the U.S. government are not eligible for an assistance award. Funding restrictions include prohibitions and compliance requirements involving designated terrorist organizations, certain foreign security forces under the Leahy Law, UNRWA, specified mass-migration caravan activities, certain unmanned aircraft systems, applicable anti-discrimination requirements, foreign funding disclosure requirements for institutions of higher education, trafficking in persons requirements, and applicable Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance policies. Phase 1 requires a Statement of Interest submitted in response to a specific Addendum. The SOI must contain a table listing the proposed project title, organization name, applicable Addendum, target benefiting country or countries, total federal share requested, total cost share if applicable, and project length. The narrative must address the issue, challenge, or opportunity; proposed solution and activities; anticipated outcomes and results; proposed partner roles and responsibilities when applicable; and resource contributions or non-federal cost share when applicable. Documents must be in English, costs must be in U.S. dollars, and pages must be numbered. The core narrative may not exceed five pages or 2500 words, excluding permitted charts and tables. Up to four annexes may be reviewed, with each annex limited to one page. The complete SOI package, including the cover page, narrative, and annexes, must be submitted as one PDF document and should identify the applicable Addendum in the file name. SOIs may be submitted through Grants.gov or MyGrants. Grants.gov requires active SAM.gov registration and system-required forms such as the SF-424, although those forms are not evaluated at the SOI stage. MyGrants does not require active SAM.gov registration for the SOI stage, and SF-424 forms are optional there. Faxed, couriered, and emailed submissions are not accepted. As of the analysis date, the active submission windows include Window 2b, July 1 through September 15, with applications due by 5 pm ET on September 15, and Window 3, August 15 through October 30, with applications due by 5 pm ET on October 30. Window 3 questions are due September 3 by 5 pm, with an anticipated response September 21. Window 4 is scheduled for November 15 through January 29, with applications due by 5 pm on January 29. Questions about the grant application process may be sent to GHSD-APS@state.gov. Grants.gov technical support is available at support@grants.gov or +1 800 518 4726, and MyGrants help is available at +1 888 313 4567. Technically eligible SOIs are reviewed by a GHSD Merit Review Panel using equally weighted criteria covering quality of the program idea, organizational capacity and record on previous grants, and program planning and ability to achieve objectives. The review also considers responsiveness to the solicitation, U.S. foreign policy goals, and GHSD priority needs. If equivalent scores occur, the applicant with the lower indirect cost rate receives preference as a tie-breaking mechanism. Following technical eligibility and merit review, an applicant may be declined, recommended for consultative program design, or recommended to proceed to Phase 2. Applicants advancing to Phase 2 are requested to submit a full application, typically including SF-424 forms as applicable, a cover page or executive summary, proposal narrative, budget narrative, monitoring and evaluation narrative and plan, key personnel, timeline, and applicable attachments. The complete process from SOI submission to a potential award may take several months. The APS anticipates up to 100 awards, subject to funding availability and viable submissions. Individual awards may range from a minimum of $500000 to a maximum of $250 million, and total estimated funding is up to $4.5 billion, subject to availability of funds. The Department may make multiple awards, one award, or no awards under an Addendum. Award issuance and timing depend on factors including program complexity, funding availability, and completion of required reviews and approvals. Before award, the Department conducts a risk review addressing financial stability, management systems and standards, performance history, audit reports and findings, and the applicant's ability to implement requirements effectively. Successful recipients are also subject to applicable administrative requirements and must submit required financial and program performance reports at the frequency specified in the award document.

Respond directly to a specific Addendum because general concepts are not considered. Present the most competitive and responsive concept rather than multiple overlapping variations. Clearly connect activities and outcomes to the America First Global Health Strategy and Addendum priorities. Demonstrate organizational expertise and prior program administration experience, articulate achievable objectives and results, and provide a reasonable timeline. Follow the five-page or 2500-word narrative limit and required submission format because noncompliant SOIs may be technically ineligible or not fully reviewed.