Strengthening immunization program implementation in sub-national consequential geographies | CDC RFA GH 24 0058

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA GH 24 0058

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through its Center for Global Health (CGH), is offering a discretionary cooperative agreement titled "Strengthening immunization program implementation in sub-national consequential geographies" (Funding Opportunity Number: CDC RFA GH 24 0058; CFDA: 93.318). The overall goal is to build practical, on-the-ground capacity for immunization programs in a set of high-priority countries and specific sub-national areas where gaps in coverage and disease risk remain high. The focus is not just on national policy, but on strengthening implementation in the provinces, states, districts, and other local geographies where children and other target groups are still being missed.

The work supported under this opportunity is aimed at four closely related outcomes. First, recipients are expected to improve the ability of immunization programs to find underserved and under-immunized populations, understand why they are being missed, and design tailored interventions that increase vaccination uptake. Second, the award emphasizes stronger, more comprehensive vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) surveillance systems, meaning better systems to detect, report, and analyze diseases that vaccines can prevent. Third, it aims to improve preparedness and response for VPD outbreaks, which includes readiness planning, rapid detection, investigation capacity, and coordinated response actions when outbreaks occur. Fourth, the NOFO prioritizes strengthening the quality and long-term sustainability of immunization delivery systems, which generally includes improving routine immunization performance, program management, workforce capacity, data use for decision-making, supply and service delivery reliability, and the institutional systems needed to maintain gains after external support decreases.

Geographically, the cooperative agreement targets sub-national areas within six countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Brazil, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Applicants can propose work in one country or in multiple countries, but they must clearly identify which country components they are applying for. The work is positioned as directly contributing to global VPD control and elimination goals, including polio eradication; measles and rubella elimination; hepatitis B elimination; and maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination. More broadly, the CDC frames the opportunity as a way to reduce illness and deaths caused by vaccine-preventable diseases by closing immunity gaps in places where health system access, insecurity, mobility, misinformation, or operational constraints can make coverage uneven.

Eligibility is broad, listing many common applicant types (including various levels of government, universities, nonprofits, for-profits, small businesses, tribal entities, and unrestricted applicants). The NOFO also explicitly highlights that Ministries of Health (MOH) are eligible and provides a specific administrative instruction for MOH applicants completing the SF-424 form: in Block 9, they should choose "Other" (option X) and describe the organization as a Ministry of Health in the "Other" field. Public International Organizations (PIOs) are also explicitly eligible to apply. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically means the CDC expects substantial involvement during the project period, such as collaboration on technical approaches, monitoring, and implementation learning, rather than a fully hands-off grant.

The application structure is strict and country-component based. Applicants must submit one single consolidated application package if they are applying to more than one country, but within that package they must include separate, country-specific project narratives and separate, country-specific budget narratives for each country component. Each country narrative must include a work plan, and each country budget must be itemized and submitted as an attachment following the naming conventions and instructions referenced in the NOFO. The country must also be clearly labeled on the title page of each project narrative, and applicants must include the country or countries in the project title in Block 15 of the SF-424. If an applicant fails to indicate the country on the project narrative title page, the application will be deemed non-responsive.

Responsiveness screening is a major feature of this opportunity. The CDC states that applications will be reviewed for responsiveness first, and several issues can cause an application to be rejected without further review. Examples include missing any required country-specific narratives, work plans, or country-specific budget narratives; submitting materials after the deadline (late submissions are non-responsive); exceeding the page limit for the project narrative (pages beyond the limit will not be reviewed); or failing to follow formatting/appendix rules such as page-numbering appendices and listing them in the table of contents. In addition, the applicant's proposed Year 1 budget for each country component cannot exceed that component's estimated annual funding level described in the NOFO. If the Year 1 amount exceeds the estimate for a country component, that country component application is considered non-responsive and is not reviewed.

Key administrative dates and numbers included in the source information are that the opportunity was created on 2024-01-02 and originally closed on 2024-03-04. The CDC anticipates making about 12 awards. The listed award ceiling is shown as 0 in the provided extract, which usually indicates the ceiling is not specified in that summary field and instead is detailed by component amounts within the full NOFO. Applicants are also directed to use the SF-424 form referenced by the provided link and to pay close attention to the submission instructions, including the rule that requests for paper submission (when allowed under the NOFO's exceptions) must be received at least 3 days before the application deadline.

In practical terms, this opportunity is designed for organizations that can operate alongside national and sub-national immunization stakeholders to improve coverage in hard-to-reach communities, strengthen surveillance and outbreak response for vaccine-preventable diseases, and leave behind stronger, more resilient immunization systems in the specified high-priority geographies. The CDC places heavy emphasis on correct application packaging and compliance with country-by-country narrative and budgeting requirements, with noncompliance leading to a non-responsive determination rather than a scored review.

• The Centers for Disease Control - CGH in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strengthening immunization program implementation in sub-national consequential geographies" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.318.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-01-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-04. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Unrestricted.

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