REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA)

USAID Uzazi Staha – Community Partnerships for Respectful Care [CPRC] Project

COMMUNITY BASED SOCIAL BEHAVIOR CHANGE (SBC), DEMAND CREATION, MOBILIZATION AND OUTREACH-BASED SERVICES DELIVERY ACTIVITIES IN 7 COUNCILS [MWANZA & SHINYANGA REGIONS] OF TANZANIA

AWARD DATES: 1^st September 2022 to 31^st May 2023

1. KEY DATES

2. PURPOSE

The Americares Community Partnerships for Respectful Care (CPRC) project has issued this Request for Application (RFA) to solicit applications from Tanzania Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs), and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs). In collaboration with regional and council health management teams (R/CHMTs), successful applicants will implement community-based interventions, such as the community scorecard, to mobilize communities, build community-facility linkages, and promote local solutions to increase COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and uptake in communities. Successful applicants will also support the R/CHMTs in capacity building efforts for community health workers (CHWs) and healthcare providers (HCPs) and in COVID-19 vaccine data collection systems to accelerate COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and coverage.    

This RFA describes the 1) objectives and characteristics of award activities to be implemented and 2) the process and requirements for a grant application. Issuance of this RFA does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the project. Moreover           USAID Uzazi Staha reserves the right to reject any or all applications or award a grant without discussions or negotiations, if it is considered to be in the program’s best interest.

• BACKGROUND

About Americares:

Americares is a health-focused relief and development organization that saves lives and improves health for people affected by poverty or disaster. Each year, Americares reaches 85 countries on average, including the United States, with life-changing health programs, medicine, medical supplies, and emergency aid. Americares is one of the world's leading non-profit providers of donated medicine and medical supplies. For more information, visit americares.org

About the Community Partnerships for Respectful Care (CPRC) Project:

The Americares CPRC is a five-year project (2020-2025) funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The project aims to reduce child and maternal morbidity and mortality by utilizing community- and facility-based high-quality, high-impact health services, while expanding the number of new and underutilized partners implementing such activities. The CPRC project, also known as USAID Uzazi Staha in Swahili, works with faith-based, private health facilities (HFs), and community networks to address disrespectful and abusive maternity care at the facility level and improve the perception of RMNCAH+FP services among communities and influence norms and beliefs to increase the uptake of RMNCAH+FP and nutrition services. The project also provides strategic technical assistance at the national, regional, and council levels. Americares Tanzania works with Christian Social Services Commission (CSSC) to implement the USAID CPRC project in the Mwanza Region. 

About the CPRC Global Vax

To support the Global Vaccine Access (VAX) initiative effort, USAID has awarded Americares with an additional $3.8 million through the USAID CPRC mechanism. The Global VAX project aims to rapidly accelerate the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines to reach 70 percent of the eligible population in Mwanza and Shinyanga regions through social behavior change (SBC) and community-based interventions by generating demand for COVID-19 vaccines. The project will take a facilitative approach in supporting the R/CHMTs in ensuring they have the technical insight, resources, and structures they need to successfully lead the implementation of macro- and micro-plans for increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake. CPRC Global VAX will be covering four councils in Mwanza (i.e. Kwimba DC, Magu DC, Misungwi DC and Ukerewe DC) and three councils in Shinyanga (i.e. Shinyanga MC, Kishapu DC and Msalala DC).

3. OBJECTIVES

CPRC will work directly with four successful applicants (CSOs, CBOs, FBOs and NGOs) across seven councils of two regions and provide funding opportunities in a Fixed Amount Awards (FAA) mechanism. The successful applicants will support the regions’ vaccination demand creation, community mobilization, service delivery and COVID-19 data management efforts in line with Tanzania’s Phase II acceleration plan. Also, the successful applicants will use community scorecard approach to identify major concerns around COVID-19 vaccines, create locally driven solutions to combat vaccine hesitancy/misinformation while strengthening linkages between facility and community health services. The application process aims is to identify eligible CSOs, who can mobilize quickly and leverage long-standing grassroots relationships to bring effective and tailored interventions to the eligible population for the vaccine, including priority groups. The successful applicants will work with existing CHWs, HCPs, and key community stakeholders to address vaccine hesitancy utilizing a robust community mobilization and social and behavior change (SBC) approach. Successful applicants will also be accountable for 1) planning activities and relevant trainings including budget development 2) day-to-day implementation of approved activities and 3) monitoring and evaluation of project activities. Among other tasks, CSOs are expected to implement key community level interventions of the project, including:

1. GENDER EQUALITY AND PRIORITY GROUPS

Americares recognizes that gender equality and priority groups are fundamental in the program design and implementation to achieve its program goal. Thus, Americares promotes gender equality and includes priority groups in all aspects of our operations and programs. In this RFA, the CSO's proposed activities should align with prevailing national gender policies and USAID's Gender Policy and Women Empowerment. Similarly, CSOs must demonstrate how their technical approach will benefit the women, girls, and priority groups from program development through implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

1. AWARD TYPE

Americares Tanzania expects to sub-award applicants at a fixed price, using Fixed Amount Award (FAA) grant mechanism. The application period under this RFA is a 9-months implementation from 1^st September 2022 to 31^st May 2023 with maximum funding of $150,000 (approximately TZS 327,000,000) per each focused geographic area/council. Applying CSOs are highly encouraged to consider project design, implementation plan and budget based on nine months of performance, associated activities, implementation budget, milestones, and deliverables. The CSOs administration and operational budget should not exceed 35% of the total budget per geographical area/council.

• PRIORITY AREAS

CSOs should propose to work in one or several priorities geographic areas/councils in the region they operate. Applicants should select only geographic priority areas in which they meet all three of the following conditions:

1. CSO has a current presence (office, staff, or networks of allies and volunteers in the area).
2. CSO has previous experience (implementing projects in the area over not less than one year); and
3. CSO has a good reputation (to be confirmed through a letter of support and reference checks).

Americares reserves the right to request finalist CSO(s) to revise their applications to suit their geographic capacity better and address varying needs of the program in the following selected geographical areas/councils which CSO(s) need to prepare technical application based on the category groups below.

• INDICATORS

CSOs implementing activities under grants are expected to contribute directly to the following indicators:

1. APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY

Eligible applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Must be registered in Tanzania as a local Civil Society Organization (CSO) and have a good reputation. Must present a letter of support from relevant Local Government Authority from each selected priority area, a scanned copy of the registration certificate or a certificate of compliance.
• Must have a physical presence at least in one of the selected districts or regional level and implement the interventions directly (and not subcontract activities to other organizations).
• Previous experience working on maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health, and family planning or community-based SBC, demand creation, mobilization and community outreach-based service delivery activities is required.
• Previous experience as subawardee of prime recipient on US-government funded projects within the past five years is preferred.
• Be able to meet minimum administrative and financial eligibility criteria to receive funding.
• Experience in COVID-19 vaccine uptake demand-side interventions preferred.

Excludes:

• All politically affiliated CSOs
• All CSOs barred or sanctioned by registrar of NGOs in Tanzania or the U.S. Government
• All CSOs that do not meet the minimum requirements outlined in this RFA

1. APPLICATION CONTENT

The technical application is the most important factor in selecting sub-awards. Thus, the application should be specific, complete, and presented concisely. The application must demonstrate the applicant's capabilities and expertise to achieve Global VAX's goals. Each application must contain:

1. Cover page with the name of the organization and contact information for this RFA, including contact, address, telephone, fax, and email address
2. Technical application including proposed geographical coverage, specific objectives to be achieved, activities to be implemented, implementation procedures, monitoring, and other resources needed
3. Work plan, Ghant Chart Categorized budget for the award period of 9 Months [1^st September 2022 to 31^st May 2023] with budget notes
4. Experience implementing similar programs in the selected area or the country
5. List of office(s) physical presence (address, phone number, number of staff)
6. Staffing, administrative and operational structure
7. The overall page limitation for the technical application is 12 pages (not including the cover page, acronyms, table of contents, and annex). The application shall be written in English and typed on A4 paper, must use Arial, size 12 font, and standard 1-inch margins with each page numbered consecutively. (Points will be deducted for applications that do not follow guidance).

Applications should have all components below as relevant for the selected objective; -

SUBMISSION

Submit your inquiries and application package via infotanzania@americares.org. Please write “Americares CPRC Global Vax - RFA/01/2022 Application” in the subject of every email you send related to this RFA.

• The deadline for receiving inquiries/questions/clarifications is Monday, 8^th August 2022, at 6:30 pm (East African Time).
• Questions received and answers provided will be shared with all applicants by Tuesday, 9th August 2022.
• Applications must be submitted no later than Sunday, 14^th August 2022, at 6:30 pm EAT. Applications received after this date and time will not be considered.

Americares will not refund any costs incurred by CSOs in preparation for this application. This includes, but is not limited to, costs for preparing and submitting an application and other communications related to the application. Americares will inform only finalist CSOs. Consider your application unsuccessful if you do not hear back from Americares by September 01, 2022, at 4:30 pm. Thank you for your interest in Americares work in Tanzania and for supporting national initiatives to saving lives and improve health for people affected by poverty or disaster so they can reach their full potential.

• CONTACT PERSON

The contact person for this RFA is the CPRC Project Director. Interested CSOs may obtain further information at the address below during office hours from 08:00 – 16.30 hours local time on Mondays to Fridays inclusive, except on public holidays.

The Project Director,

CPRC/USAID Uzazi Staha Project

Americares Tanzania,

2^nd Floor, Ekacliff Building House,

Balewa Road / Isamilo Area, Nyamagana City Council,

P.O. Box 49 Mwanza,

Tel:  +255 765-696-867

E-mail: JFulli@Americares.org