Request for Proposal (RFP)
Outcomes-Based Public Health Policy Change Initiatives Grants
Background
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global nonprofit
organization that provides cutting-edge medicine and advocacy, regardless of ability to pay. We are currently the world’s largest provider
of HIV/AIDS care, serving more than 2.5 million people in 49 countries. AHF funds its mission to rid the world of AIDS through a network of pharmacies, thrift stores, healthcare contracts, and other strategic partnerships. Generating new, innovative ways of treatment, prevention, and advocacy has been the hallmark of our success.
To advance research and advocacy for policy change in global health, AHF established the AHF Global Public Health Institute . The Institute operates through offices in the United States and in Latin America and the Caribbean, hosted within the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico. The Institute has partnerships in other regions, such as Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and planned expansion to Africa.
At the AHF Institute , we develop and advocate for evidence-based policy change to create a more equitable and effective global health architecture at all levels. With a focus on infectious diseases and health systems, our work addresses critical gaps in global health security, equity, governance, law, and finance.
We are committed to driving measurable and lasting improvements in global public health policy. A central way we achieve this is through partnerships and collaborations that align with our mission.
We seek proposals capable of delivering verified outcomes in health systems, policies, and practices—particularly in low- and middle-income countries—in line with our transition to an Outcomes-Based Financing (OBF) model. Under this approach, funding is tied to achieved results, ensuring that resources are directed toward interventions that produce demonstrable policy and systems change, or contribute to processes that lay the foundation for such reforms.
This RFP emphasizes outcomes over inputs or activities, prioritizing projects that catalyze or accelerate concrete shifts such as new legislation, changes in legislation, regulatory reforms, financing and funding commitments, institutional strengthening with measurable outcomes, and improvements in governance and health architecture —actions that directly enhance public health capacity and resilience.
We will prioritize proposals that:
- Strengthen regional approaches to public health architecture and emergencies.
- Address structural inequities in access to healthcare services for HIV, STIs, and other infectious diseases.
- Build political will or multi-stakeholder alignment to influence public health reforms.
- Utilize policy analysis, evidence generation, and strategic advocacy to influence decision-making on public health policy.
- Influence legislation, changes in legislation, regulations, or financing and funding decisions at regional, national, subnational, or local levels.
Initial payment: The first disbursement amount will be determined based on the approved work plan, which must be submitted and accepted as the first deliverable. This work plan will outline how the financial resources will be utilized throughout the project and will serve as the basis to establish the total amount of the initial and subsequent transfers.
One or more intermediate payments: Upon achievement of verified interim results, as established in the work plan, and upon approval of a written report supporting the interim results.
Final payment: Upon final verification of agreed outcomes and approval of a written final report.
Projects must propose a clear Theory of Change, identifying outputs, intermediary results, and outcomes they will deliver.
Each applicant must propose their own outcomes framework, which will be mutually agreed upon and finalized with AHF, including targets, indicators, means of verification, and timeline. Proposals with strong monitoring systems and evidence-use strategies will be favored.
The AHF Global Public Health Institute employs an outcomes-based financing approach, with disbursements tied to the achievement of mutually agreed-upon, predefined results, which will be verified and may be subject to independent verification.
The maximum requested funding may not exceed 20% of the total annual budget of the applicant organization or of the department responsible for implementing the proposal. Please note that the maximum annual grant shall not exceed USD 100,000.00.
Exception: For organizations with a total annual budget of up to USD 100,000.00, an exception may be granted, allowing them to request funding of up to 30% of their annual budget, subject to justification and approval by the Institute.
We invite proposals from:
- Academic and research institutions.
- Civil society organizations and advocacy groups.
- Public health institutions and service delivery entities.
- Multilateral and/or regional bodies and platforms.
- Public-private partnerships focused on health systems change.
- Other relevant development institutions.
RFP Submission Form
Proposals will be assessed based on:
- Relevance and clarity of the project.
- Measurability of proposed intermediary results, outputs, and outcomes.
- Feasibility of the work plan and verification methods.
- Potential for sustainable policy change.
- Alignment with AHF Global Public Health Institute priorities.
- W-8 or W-9 tax form.
- AHF wire authorization form.
- Voided check / Bank letter with instructions for wire transfers.
- Signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Submit your full application package to:
- Oluwakemi Gbadamosi, Esq., MA EGID., MA.Comm — [email protected]
- Fernando Ariel Garcia Terron, MD, MSc — [email protected]
- CC: Juan Manuel Alvarez Iraizos — [email protected]
Overhead costs may not exceed 12%. Projects involving human subjects must comply with local ethical review requirements. Acknowledgement of the AHF Global Public Health Institute in any resulting publications, conferences, forums, and other similar events is required, including the use of the logo in digital/printed materials. Intermediary results, outputs, and outcomes will be reviewed and verified prior to the disbursement of the final two tranches.
- Effectiveness – The extent to which an intervention achieves, or is expected to achieve, its objectives and results.
- Impact – Significant positive or negative, intended or unintended, higher-level effects generated by the intervention.
- Inputs – Financial, human, material, and institutional resources used for the intervention.
- Interim results – Measurable progress indicators defined jointly by the parties that demonstrate movement toward the agreed outcomes.
- Outcomes – Short- and medium-term effects of outputs.
- Outputs – Products, services, or changes in knowledge, skills, or abilities that result from the intervention.
- Performance – Degree to which the intervention operates according to criteria, standards, or stated goals.
- Results – The outputs, outcomes, or impacts (positive or negative) of an intervention.
- Sustainability – Extent to which benefits of the intervention continue after funding ends.
- Theory of Change – The pathway by which the intervention is expected to achieve change, including assumptions, causal links, and risks.