Grants Program

LGHS provides locally-driven small grants to organizations in LGHS countries through a grants under contract (GUC) mechanism. The LGHS grants program identifies local entities through solicitation processes, including Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) and fully open solicitations.

The LGHS landscape assessment team met with the Kocebuka Community Foundation team in Zimba, Southern Province to learn more about their risk communication and community engagement efforts during the COVID pandemic. Photo by Benson Chitambo, Panagora Group

LGHS Grants Process

The grants program funds activities that address global health security issues by supporting local partners. These partners include not-for-profit and for-profit NGOs, civil society organizations, community-based organizations, local cooperatives or associations, and private enterprises. They work at the national and subnational levels to build sustainability in key technical areas. Each grant comes with organizational capacity strengthening (OCS) support. Our local teams of OCS and GHS technical specialists assess each grantee holistically to provide a tailored package of technical and OCS support. This ensures that every grant incorporates the latest best practices and equips organizations to sustain GHS efforts long-term.

Local organizations involved in health security in LGHS focus countries can apply for grants. USAID does not plan to award grants to government partners, parastatals, quasi-governmental entities, or universities.

Step 1 of 6 – Pre-solicitation

LGHS directly works with local global health entities in host countries to encourage applications from most suitable local entities.

Step 2 of 6 – Solicitation

LGHS hosts solicitation meetings for interested organizations to ensure process is streamlined and localized for our applicants.

Step 3 of 6 – Screening and Selection

LGHS assembles a technical evaluation committee in each country to review and evaluate bids.

Step 4 of 6 – Award

LGHS executes local entity awards to awarded organizations.

Step 5 of 6 – Administration

LGHS works with subnational, national to global actors to to best support the grants lifecycle for our local grantees.

Step 6 of 6 – Close-out & Next Steps

Grantees complete all program deliverables to conclude the grant cycle. LGHS grantees can continue to leverage LGHS global health security tools and resources and stay connected with the broader GHS community to address health needs in their communities.

Types of Organizations that receive LGHS grants

LGHS is currently operating in Cameroon, Kenya, Jamaica, Senegal, Zambia, and Sierra Leone. Grant support will be extended to local entities that are legally registered and the law of the cooperating country, to strengthen their country’s global health security capacity. These may include:

not-for-profit and for-profit NGOs;
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs);
Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) (not-for-profit and for-profit);
local cooperatives or associations; and
private enterprises.

Grantees must be demonstrate that they:

Have sound managerial, technical, and institutional capacities to attain project results;
Have a system of internal controls and measures to safeguard assets and prevent fraud;
Hold good standing with all civil and fiscal authorities;
Possess financial accountability and the ability to maintain detailed records of all expenditures; and
Are willing to sign relevant assurance and certification required by USAID based on grant value.