Request for Proposals (RFP): Fast Track the Cure: Community engagement and awareness building for new DR-TB treatments

Background and Rationale for this RFP

TB Alliance is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding safer, better, faster acting and affordable treatments to fight tuberculosis (TB). Through innovative science and with partners around the globe, we aim to ensure new TB cures reach all who need them and, and in turn, advance global health and prosperity.

TB Alliance has developed and introduced an all-oral, highly effective 6-month cure for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB), known as BPaL (BPaLM when used with moxifloxacin). It is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for treating most forms of DR-TB and the WHO has issued a call to action urging countries to accelerate the rollout of these new therapies.

The BPaL/M regimen comprises 3–4 drugs: pretomanid (Pa) used in combination with bedaquiline (B) and linezolid (L), with or without moxifloxacin (M). Prior to the introduction of this 6-month regimen, treatment for DR-TB ranged from 9-24 months. The BPaL/M regimens, along with having a shorter duration, lower pill burden and higher efficacy of treatment, is also cost-effective and cost saving compared to other regimens.

Many countries have already started or are in the process of starting programmatic use of BPaL/M regimens based on WHO recommendations. TB Alliance has been and will continue supporting countries to rapidly and smoothly roll out the new regimens. TB Alliance intends to engage TB affected communities and support them to participate in this process. We believe that community engagement in the TB treatment response can help create supportive environments for implementation of health innovations and identify and overcome potential challenges. This RFP aims to identify and support 4-6 new community partners this year from the following countries: Peru, Brazil, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam, Philippines, Nepal, South Africa, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.

Successful applicants to this RFP will become new implementing partners of the Fast Track the Cure initiative – a community-led initiative created to raise awareness of and expand and accelerate access to new TB treatments.

This initiate leverages and complements demand creation interventions supported by Challenge Facility for Civil Society.

Goals of this RFP

The goals for this RFP are to:

  1. Through traditional grassroots as well as social media activities, raise awareness of BPaL/M amongst communities affected by TB, health care providers, and other TB stakeholders.
  2. Educate communities affected by TB about TB and TB treatments, including the BPaL/M regimens.
  3. Facilitate community-led engagement in the TB treatment response to support the country to rapidly and effectively deploy BPaL/M to all people with DR-TB eligible for the regimen.
  4. Capacitate TB affected communities to be able to participate meaningfully with their respective National TB Program (NTP) in facilitating roll out of new treatments as needed.

With a better awareness and understanding of the new regimen, we endeavor to empower communities and people affected by TB to ask for access to the best available cures, have support to stay the course of treatment, and ultimately have a positive and successful treatment experience. Through meaningful community engagement in the TB treatment response, we aim to elevate person-centered approaches that respond to community needs while fostering collaboration with health authorities and NTPs.

Eligibility

Established civil society or TB affected community-based organizations in countries noted above, with experience supporting NTPs to deliver quality, people-centered TB care, and educating and mobilizing communities around TB issues.

Fundable Activities

Fundable activities for this RFP can be categorized across four thematic types of work. When developing a proposal in response to this RFP applicants should reflect on local contexts, needs, and their skills and capacity to submit a proposal in alignment with as many of the categories of activities as possible.

In highest burden states/provinces project activities should aim to capacitate communities to support the NTP to smoothly implement BPaL/M by:

  1. Educating affected communities about TB and TB treatment, including BPaL/M;
  2. Building awareness of the BPaL/M regimen amongst TB affected communities, healthcare providers, and other TB stakeholders through traditional grassroots sensitization and digital social media campaigns in your country;
  3. Deploying community led monitoring practices and tools for BPaL/M introduction, and demonstrating to the NTP their utility, while helping integrate them in the national response.

Project Period

Please submit proposals for planned activities to be delivered over a 12-month period, commencing December 1, 2024, and ending November 31, 2025.

Project Budget

The maximum budget available for 12-month project periods is USD $30,000 and will depend on activities approved by TB Alliance for inclusion in the project.

Proposal Development Process

When developing a proposal in response to this RFP, please include the following in your application:

  1. Background information including:
    1. A description of your organization and relevant experience in TB.
    2. Overview of the country context in relation to TB, DR-TB, and BPaL/M adoption.
    3. How you are currently working in relationship with other community partners, TB donors or mechanisms, and the NTP.
    4. If applicable, identifying and explaining any experience with introducing and sensitizing communities to new health technologies.
  2. A project proposal including:
    1. The objectives of the project being proposed, with supporting rationale relevant to your country context.
    2. A detailed description of proposed activities, including associated project milestones and timelines, intended outputs, outcomes and longer-term impact.
    3. A description of how your project addresses inclusion of key and vulnerable populations.
    4. A proposed approach to measuring the success of the project.
    5. A detailed budget.
    6. A summary of the staff and their expertise who would manage or support the project, with an indication of their roles and responsibilities.
    7. Description of the plan for ensuring adequate coordination with TB Alliance.
    8. A justification for the geographical targeting of the project.
    9. A description of how the proposed project aligns with the work and priorities of your NTP, as well as an indication of whether the NTP is aware of and in support of this project proposal.
    10. If relevant, a description of how this project will link with and complement other related initiatives underway within your country and/or by your organization.

Note that if you submit a grant winning proposal, the project will be refined and strengthened further in collaboration with both TB Alliance and your NTP.  

Additional RFP Considerations

To center best practices in communities, rights, and gender, proposals should include clear plans to disaggregate data reported by sex and gender (where possible), as well as make sure that there is equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in delivered activities.

RFP Timelines

Please express your intention to submit a proposal and pose any clarifying questions to robyn.waite-consultant@tballiance.org at your earliest convenience.

Proposals are due by email to robyn.waite-consultant@tballiance.org by September 23, 2024.

We intend to respond to RFPs by late October and will aim to on-board winning applicants by the end of November 2024.

Evaluation Process

Applications will be scored against the completion and strength of the items detailed above in the “Proposal Development Process” section. Decision of TB Alliance will be final. We intend to progress up to a maximum of six project proposals submitted.

 

 

Download the RFP