Release date: 10 August 2012
Application due date: 31 August 2012 (before 16:00, Pretoria time)
University Research Co., LLC (URC) is managing a five-year Tuberculosis Program in South Africa. The program is funded through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The overall focus of the program is to provide assistance in strengthening TB-care initiatives at district and community levels, as well as strengthening the health system to manage the pressures exerted by the HIV and AIDS epidemic in South Africa. The program will be implemented in all nine provinces throughout the country, inclusive of the 18 priority districts.
As part of the USAID Tuberculosis Program South Africa, URC is managing a small grants program to fund innovative interventions to increase the availability and demand for TB and TB-HIV services. The grants will be given to local organisations to implement interventions that strengthen DOTS including TB case detection, active case finding, follow up of TB cases, expanding TB services for children, integration/expansion of TB into HIV services (including implementation of 5Is), PPM DOTS, improving access and quality of laboratory services and advocacy, communication and social mobilisation (ACSM) to increase demand and utilisation of TB services in South Africa. The grantees, in collaboration with NTCP, local health departments, TBSA and other local agencies, will work towards achieving the grant objectives (increasing community awareness, increasing demand for TB and TB/HIV services, improving treatment adherence through DOT, etc).
Note: The majority of grants will be designated for local non-profit organisations working at community level. A limited number of grants will be available for research/management organisations for strengthening TB, TB/HIV (strengthen supervision, default/contract tracing, etc) at the facility/district/provincial levels. Priority will be given to organisations that include activities looking at the priority areas (ie looking at the TB statistics and all the districts that are poor performing) in Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Northwest, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo. Also, offerers may propose to work in any of the nine provinces with preference given to activities proposed in the South African Government’s 18 priority districts.
Applicants should prepare and submit the concept paper form to the URC-Pretoria office. The concept paper form will include the name of the organisation, NPO number, tax registration, title of proposed project, context rationale for the proposed project, project goals and objectives, project strategy/listing of project activities, expected results, innovation (how different is it from other or earlier projects), organisational background, including expertise and experience, budget estimate, and complete contact information.
URC will convene a Grants Selection Committee to evaluate and short-list applicants. Short-listed applicants will be contacted and requested to submit full applications.
The concept paper form can be found at the USAID TB Program South Africa web portal at http://www.tbsouthafrica.org
Applicants should email their concept paper form to Ms Hyla van den Berg at [email protected]
Any questions regarding the Request for Concept Papers may be submitted to [email protected] with “Questions re Concept Paper” in the subject line, by no later than 21 August 2012. Responses to questions will be posted at www.tbsouthafrica.org on 24 August 2012. Hand delivery address: URC Offices, Rigel Park Block B, 466 Rigel Avenue South, Erasmusrand, Pretoria 0181. Tel. (012) 484-9300.