On February 3, the Pandemic Fund launched the application process for the first round of funding with a call for Expressions of Interest (EoI). The first round of funding will focus on three specific areas of financing: strengthening comprehensive disease surveillance and early warning systems, laboratory systems, and human resources/public health workforce capacity.
Voluntary and non-binding, the EoI helps facilitate coordination amongst partners (e.g., countries, regional entities, and Implementing Entities) in developing and submitting proposals. It also enables the Pandemic Fund Secretariat to identify synergies amongst proposals, and better understand the needs of applicants with the goal of enhancing coordination.
What has taken place so far? The Secretariat held two information sessions on February 14 and 16, interpreted in six languages. Both sessions were oversubscribed with close to 1,000 participants, representing national governments, international organizations, regional health technical agencies, civil society organizations and academia from across 140 countries, demonstrating strong demand for pandemic prevention and preparedness financing in low- and middle-income countries. Facilitated by the Executive Head of the Secretariat, the prospective funding applicants asked questions about their eligibility, priority areas, role for Implementing Entities and delivery partners as well as the application and the decision-making process behind the Fund’s first call for proposals.
What’s the next step in the process? Prospective applicants have until February 24 to submit their EoIs after which the Secretariat will provide feedback on opportunities to increase coordination among partners in developing and submitting proposals, possible synergies between proposals, or consolidation of similar proposals, where relevant. This will also enable the Secretariat to connect applicants and initiatives, where needed. Finally, the EoIs will help the Secretariat obtain a sense of the demand for funding, better understand needs, and support applicants throughout the call for proposals process.
The Pandemic Fund expects to announce the call for proposals in early-March after which applicants will have 11 weeks, to submit their proposals. Funding decisions by the Governing Board are expected in July 2023.
More information on the Pandemic Fund including process and timelines, submission requirements and eligibility criteria for the funding proposals can be found on the Pandemic Fund’s website