Positive Action invites applications to the 2023 Round 1 funding for Innovator Grants, focusing on developing community-based approaches for the rapid introduction of ARV based HIV prevention technologies and programme innovations for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) (15-24) in their diversity in Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Innovator Grant that focuses on providing HIV prevention information and services for cisgender adolescent girls and young women, those who sell sex, those who inject or use drugs and LBTQ adolescent girls and young women.
Focus Areas
The Technical Review Committee (TRC) is a group of external experts with demonstrated experience and leadership in HIV programming who review applications and make recommendations for funding. The TRC scoring looks at the following areas:
Clear overview of the context regarding the thematic area of focus: The TRC looks for explicit evidence and data on the state of play in the HIV response as it pertains to the relevant thematic area.
Addressing gaps: The TRC looks for interventions that will address the stated gaps in the thematic area of focus that will contribute to the HIV response.
Community engagement: Positive Action believes that engaging affected and local communities is critical to addressing the drivers of health and life inequalities. The TRC places higher weighting on how the applicant has engaged and/or will engaged the communities of focus in the design, implementation and monitoring of the project, including remuneration of peer educators/supporters.
Realistic goal, objectives and activities: The TRC looks for detail in the activities to ensure that they will respond to the stated objectives and subsequently meet the goal of the proposed project.
Innovation and scalability: The TRC looks for new approaches that are being piloted in an Innovator call, and the feasibility of scalability following proof of concept.
Cost effectiveness and value for money: The TRC places high weighting on the budget, looking at feasibility of implementation and cost-effectiveness
Themes
Community based advocacy and educational campaigns to raise awareness for HIV prevention technologies such as vaginal ring, oral PrEP, long-acting PrEP.
Lessons from the implementation of oral PrEP have shown that it is important to engage the key influencers of AGYW in support of their prevention journey. Much like the uptake of contraceptives, parents/caregivers, male partners and fellow peers (amongst others) often influence the HIV prevention choices of AGYW.
Applicant should highlight what community-based advocacy and/or educational campaigns will be implemented to raise awareness and increase support for AGYW in their diversity to access, use, stay on (or stop) the HIV prevention journey.
Drive uptake of HIV testing and prevention services through innovations such as those pioneered and driven by community led organisations during the height of the COVID 19 pandemic, e.g., via digital platforms.
Community based innovative service delivery models provide a wider range of options and flexibility for prevention as these are based on client needs and preferences, convenience and choice which increases user engagement and ownership. Different adaptations should be considered including tele-health for PrEP and community pharmacy-based models.
HIV self-testing could increase access to and uptake of PrEP, as well as continuation and adherence, which is key to achieving prevention targets.
Develop innovative community models to ensure linkage, retention and support for the prevention journey, including through virtual/digital platforms and promote their adoption, where available.
Linkage to and retention in the HIV prevention journey depends on several factors, including structural barriers, risk perception, change in life circumstances, peer pressure from fellow peers and other influencers etc.
The importance of identifying, understanding and addressing facilitators and barriers to starting, remaining on and/or or stopping HIV prevention options are important in order to design innovative methods for supporting AGYW in their diversity on the prevention journey
Engaging and collaborating with relevant in-country stakeholders to support the inclusion of evidence based and costed HIV prevention interventions are included into national planning and proposal cycles.
ARV Based HIV prevention options have the potential to change the trajectory of the HIV epidemic. Political, financial and community support from relevant stakeholders is key to building momentum and mobilisation to achieve the HIV prevention targets. The lessons learnt from oral PrEP are paving the way for the setting up of mechanisms for the rapid introduction of other PrEP options including the vaginal ring and long-acting PrEP.
Applicants are invited to consider how they will work with partners in country to ensure that evidence from community-based HIV prevention programmes are fed in country planning and proposal cycles to ensure that interventions are tailor made for AGYW in their diversity and that demand and supply are facilitated.
Funding Information
Grants of up to £50,000 per year over two years, i.e., up to £100,000 over a two-year period will be awarded.
Geographic Location
Positive Action would like to invite proposals from the following eight countries that have high annual new HIV infections in AGYW and have minimum two ARV based HIV prevention options approved for introduction.
Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Eligibility Criteria
The application form requires you to outline the new intervention(s) that your organisation would like to implement to provide timely, accurate and up to date information on ARV based HIV prevention technologies that will turn the tide of new HIV infections facing adolescent girls and young women in their diversity (15-24 years old).
Positive Action is targeted at supporting communities affected by HIV. Any not-for-profit national or community-based organisation that represents, or is working with or for, affected communities is eligible to submit a proposal. They encourage girl and women led and youth led groups to apply.
Non-governmental organisations that can deliver change at a community level through their links with or representation of the communities affected especially adolescents and young people in all their diversity can apply. Current Momentum grantees of Positive Action are not eligible of this call.
Your project must consist of new work that has not been previously funded, however, it can include projects transferred to a new location(s).
