AGP 2019-2020 Start-Up Africa Grants ProgrammeTHET is inviting applications for AGP 2019-2020 Start-Up Africa Grants Programme. The Africa Grants Programme (AGP) supports the training of health workers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Funded by Johnson and Johnson (J&J) and managed by the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET), the AGP engages partnerships between organisations in the UK and Ireland, and their counterparts in Africa.

From 2017 to 2019, the second round of AGP funding supported seven health partnership projects in four African countries, ranging from setting up palliative care training programme for community health workers in Uganda, to improving primary trauma care  services in Sierra Leone, and training health workers in laparoscopic surgery techniques for children with cancer in Ghana.

Traditionally the AGP has supported projects that mobilise UK and Irish health workers to develop the capacity of health workers in Africa through skills transfer, training, mentoring and other collaborative work. In addition to a third round of funding in 2019 which will continue to support this work, THET are delighted to announce an additional pot of money which will fund the establishment of new health partnerships working in the thematic target areas highlighted below.

The funding is available for newly established partnerships, or those who have been working together for 6 months or less, and are designed to meet the costs of the activities necessary to establish and formalise a successful partnership. It will be expected that the start-up grant will fund a needs assessment and, if applicable, a Memorandum of Understanding and initial health systems strengthening activity. The results of the needs assessment will form part of the final report.

The long-term aims of the AGP are to save and improve the lives of women and children, prevent disease in vulnerable populations and strengthen the health workforce in Africa, and so we are particularly interested in supporting partnerships who will contribute to long term, sustainable, systemic change in the future.

Themes and geographic focus

Projects under the AGP 2019-20 Call for Start-Up Grants Applications must operate within LMICs in Africa and will focus on strengthening the healthcare workforce in one of the following two target areas:

Stream 1: Essential Surgical and Anaesthetic Care

This stream will focus on reducing morbidity and mortality from conditions requiring surgical intervention and/or enhancing patient safety as a result of improved anaesthetic care through the training of relevant health workers. The aim of this stream is to improve the access to, and availability of, quality essential surgery and anaesthetic care (particularly for maternal, neonatal or paediatric surgical conditions). Partnerships should be institutions working on these areas, and should use the funding available to carry out a needs assessment to discover priorities in their focus country or area.

Stream 2: Community Healthcare

This stream will focus on increasing the availability and quality of essential healthcare (including attended births) and health information to underserved populations, including women and children, by training those who work and serve on the frontline of healthcare systems. The stream will support the establishment of partnerships focused on the training of cadres working in the community (Clinical Officers, Community Health Workers, etc.), which are aligned with the national strategy and policies incountry. Partners will work at the rural and district level, and generally outside of the central hospital systems.

Geographic focus

There are 13 focus countries for this round of the AGP:

  • Benin
  • Cote d’Ivoire
  • Eritrea
  • Ethiopia
  • Gambia
  • Lesotho
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Mozambique
  • Rwanda
  • Senegal
  • Somalia (including Somaliland)
  • Togo

We will also consider exceptional applications from other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, whose project matches the criteria. Priority will be given to those working in the above countries, however the quality of the application will be the deciding feature.

Applications must be submitted in English.

Size and Duration

Grants are available for periods of between six and twelve months, and will begin from 1 st June 2019 onwards. All project activity must be completed by 31st August 2020. Grants are available from £5,000 to £10,000.

Eligibility Criteria and Requirements

Core Requirements and Eligibility

The core requirements for the Africa Grants Programme 2019-20 Start-Up Grants are as follows:

  • Grant recipients are based in eligible countries
  • Applicants must show demonstrable commitment to forming a long-term Partnership
  • The partnership must be new, or have been working together for 6 months or less
  • It will be expected that the start-up grant will fund a needs assessment. The results of this needs assessment will form part of the reporting
  • Based on the outcome of the needs assessment, the partnership may be formalised with a Memorandum of Understanding and an initial health systems strengthening activity may be completed. While the nature of these may not be explicitly finalised before completion of the needs assessment, these can be included in the budget
  • Project budgets cannot exceed £10,000.

How to apply

This opportunity is open for grant applications from 22nd January 2019 until midnight on 7 th April 2019. All information should be included in the Grant Application Form within the stated sections and word limits. Additional documents or footnotes will not be considered by the selection panel.

Applicants should complete their grant application form collaboratively and submit this, along with letters of support from each of the partners, in one email to AGP@thet.org by midnight on 7th April 2019. Applications received after this date will not be considered.

If you do not receive an acknowledgment email from us within 48 hours of submitting your application, please assume we have not received it and re-submit. If you plan to submit more than one application, these need to be submitted in separate emails.

For more information,please visit https://www.thet.org/resources/agp-2019-2020-start-up-grants-application-form-2/

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