Achieving and Sustaining HIV/TB Epidemic Control in the Mpumalanga Province | 72067424RFA00009

FAQs: USAID-Pretoria - Achieving and Sustaining HIV/TB Epidemic Control in the Mpumalanga Province (NOFO 72067424RFA00009)

1) What is this funding opportunity?

This is a USAID-Pretoria discretionary health funding opportunity titled "Achieving and Sustaining HIV/TB Epidemic Control in the Mpumalanga Province" under NOFO number 72067424RFA00009. It is designed to help people in Mpumalanga Province live longer, healthier lives by achieving and maintaining HIV and TB epidemic control.

2) What is the overall goal of the program?

The overall goal is to achieve and sustain HIV/TB epidemic control in Mpumalanga Province. The program is built on the idea that epidemic control is not only about expanding coverage of core services, but also about identifying and closing remaining gaps, strengthening the health system that delivers services, and ensuring communities and local partners are engaged so gains last over time.

3) Where will the activity take place?

The activity is focused on Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, and is intended to address provincial-level HIV and TB outcomes and system performance.

4) What type of award will USAID make?

USAID expects to make a Cooperative Agreement. This typically involves substantial involvement from USAID during implementation, such as collaboration on work planning, monitoring, and technical direction.

5) How many awards does USAID expect to make?

The opportunity anticipates a single award (ExpectedAwards: 1).

6) What is the maximum funding amount available?

The award ceiling is USD 190,000,000. This suggests a large, multi-year intervention intended to address significant provincial needs and achieve measurable population-level results.

7) What are the main strategic objectives of the program?

The program is organized around three strategic objectives:

• Close the gaps to HIV/TB epidemic control.
• Sustain health gains through strengthened, improved, and resilient health systems.
• Leverage community, civil society, traditional structures, and private sector partnerships to improve and sustain service delivery and client outcomes.

8) What does "closing the gaps to HIV/TB epidemic control" mean in this NOFO?

It means focusing on the specific people, locations, and service delivery points where outcomes still fall short. Examples listed in the opportunity include gaps in reaching populations for testing, prevention, treatment initiation, retention, viral load monitoring, TB screening, and TB preventive services.

9) What does the NOFO mean by sustaining gains through stronger health systems?

This refers to investments and technical approaches that help the provincial and facility-level health system perform reliably over time. The NOFO highlights areas such as service quality, data use, supply chain and commodity availability, workforce capacity, and routine management processes that keep performance stable even when conditions change.

10) Why does the program emphasize community and private-sector partnerships?

The program aims to improve and sustain outcomes by building stronger linkages between the formal health sector and community-based supports, engaging trusted local structures that influence health behaviors and care-seeking, and using partnerships (including civil society, traditional structures, and the private sector) to extend reach and improve continuity of care.

11) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is restricted to local entities as defined in the NOFO. A qualifying local entity must be legally organized under South African law, have its principal place of business or operations in South Africa, be majority owned by South African citizens or lawful permanent residents, and be governed by a body whose majority members are also South African citizens or lawful permanent residents.

12) What does USAID mean by a "local entity" for this opportunity?

For this opportunity, a local entity is one that (1) is legally organized under South African law, (2) has its principal place of business or operations in South Africa, (3) is majority owned by South African citizens or lawful permanent residents, and (4) is governed by a body where the majority of members are South African citizens or lawful permanent residents.

13) Is the application process one step or multiple steps?

The application process is a two-phase process. Phase 1 requires submission of a Concept Paper. Only applicants who are eligible and successful in Phase 1 will be invited to submit a Full Application in Phase 2.

14) What is submitted in Phase 1?

Phase 1 requires a Concept Paper submission, following the NOFO's specific instructions and requirements.

15) What happens after Phase 1?

USAID will review Concept Papers. Only applicants who are both eligible and successful at this stage will be invited to submit a Full Application in Phase 2.

16) Why is USAID using a concept paper down-select approach?

The NOFO describes this approach as a way to reduce burden on both applicants and the funder by narrowing the pool to the most competitive concepts before requiring full technical and cost proposals.

17) What is the listed closing date for submissions?

The original closing date listed is 2024-04-15. Applicants are directed to review the NOFO for the exact instructions and requirements related to submissions.

18) What should applicants pay attention to when preparing their submission?

Applicants should review the Notice of Funding Opportunity carefully and follow the specific instructions and requirements, including any format, content, and submission rules, to ensure compliance.

19) What kinds of service areas are mentioned as examples of where gaps might remain?

The opportunity gives examples such as populations not being reached by testing, prevention, treatment initiation, retention, viral load monitoring, TB screening, or TB preventive services.

20) What does "substantial involvement" by USAID typically look like under a Cooperative Agreement?

Based on the description in the opportunity, substantial involvement may include collaboration with USAID on work planning, monitoring, and technical direction during implementation.

21) What is the intent behind focusing on people, locations, and service delivery points?

The intent is to target the remaining shortfalls that keep the province from fully achieving epidemic control, rather than only expanding services broadly. This approach is framed as finding and closing the remaining gaps in outcomes.

22) What is the program trying to sustain over time?

It aims to sustain HIV/TB health gains by strengthening the health system and ensuring communities and local partners are actively involved so improvements and outcomes continue over time.

23) What does the NOFO suggest about the scale of the activity?

With an anticipated single award and a ceiling of USD 190,000,000, the NOFO signals a large-scale, multi-year provincial intervention intended to cover significant needs and deliver measurable population-level outcomes.

24) What is the core idea behind the program design?

The program is designed around the idea that achieving epidemic control requires more than increasing coverage. It also requires closing remaining performance gaps, strengthening the system delivering services, and engaging communities and local partners to sustain progress.