First Agility Fund - People's Vaccine People's Vaccine

FIRST ROUND Agility Fund

Entry for the first round of applications for the Agility Fund are now closed. A second round of applications will be available later in the year, around September-November 2022.

mORE ABOUT THE FUND

The Agility Fund is designed to provide rapid, small-to-medium sized grants up to $20,000 to members of the Alliance. Its aim is to support members to:

tackle immediate threats to COVID-related human rights work where action must happen quickly to be effective
and/or to seize upon urgent opportunities for change that contribute to the removal of key barriers to vaccine, test and treatment equity.

Please note that the first round was for members only. However a second (and final) round of funding will be open to applications later in 2022 (c September-November) which will be open to non-members as well.

Eligibility criteria

In order to submit an application for a grant, you must fulfill the following criteria:

Your organisation is an official member of the People’s Vaccine Alliance as per the Members list on this page.
Your proposal relates to a threat to COVID-related human rights work, to an urgent intervention, or to seize political opportunities for change that contribute to the removal of key barriers to COVID vaccine, diagnostics, and treatment equity.
You can evidence that the situation is unanticipated and/or time specific.
Your proposal demonstrates a realistic plan for a strategic change or solution to a specific problem within 1-6 months.
You can demonstrate that your project would benefit your local community and/or support the work of other alliance members or people in the broader movement.
Your organisation doesn’t take money from pharmaceutical companies

NEXT STEPS

To submit an application, please:

Download and read the terms and conditions document
Download and fill in the application form
Email your application to [email protected] by 9am UCT 30th May 2022

Terms and Conditions

Application Form

Frequently Asked Questions

Submitting an application

How can we apply for an PVA Grant?

You can submit an application by filling in the downloadable form and emailing it to [email protected]. You will need to answer some initial questions to determine eligibility.

When can we submit an application for funding?

You can submit an application from 16th until 30th May 9am UCT 2022.

What are the criteria for submitting an application?

In order to submit an application for a grant, you must fulfil the following criteria:

Your organisation is an official member of PVA as per this list.
Your proposal relates to a threat to COVID-related human rights work, to an urgent intervention, or to seize political opportunities for change that contribute to the removal of key barriers to COVID vaccine, diagnostics, and treatment equity.
You can evidence that the situation is unanticipated and/or time specific.
Your proposal demonstrates a realistic plan for a strategic change or solution to a specific problem within 1-6 months.
You can demonstrate that your project would benefit your local community and/or support the work of other alliance members or people in the broader movement.
Your organisation doesn’t take money from pharmaceutical companies

Can I apply for this grant and available regional PVA grants?

Yes, you can apply for any grant you may be eligible for.

How much can we apply for?

The maximum funding available as Grant is $20,000 per grant, this means you can also apply for smaller amounts. However, please make your budget as accurate as possible. We may also ask questions about your proposed budget. You may not receive the full amount you apply for. You will be required to report against your budget so we encourage you to think carefully about the proposed activities and costs.

Can individuals apply for funding?

You can only apply as an organisation that is working on PVA-related campaigning.

Can coalitions and networks apply for funding?

Not in the May 2022 round of applications. There will be a second round of application in Q3 (c September-November) of 2022 that will be available to non-member organisations that work towards the same objectives and in line with our manifesto.

I am not an official member but I want to apply with a joint proposal with an official member, can I do that?

Yes, as long as one of the applicants for the agility fund is an official member. We encourage joint proposals that would benefit your local community and/or support the work of other alliance members or people in the broader movement to be submitted.

Can organisations that are not legally registered submit an application?

Organisations are required to be legally registered. As part of our due diligence process, we may request evidence of your organisation’s existence and recent work, including financial management accounts.

What languages can we submit our application in?

Unfortunately, this time, we can accept applications in English only. We are working to make multiple language submissions available for the next round of application, please bear with us.

Which currency should we write our budget in?

We can only accept budgets in USD in this round of applications. If you are working in local currency, the USD funds will be sent and converted in your local account at the prevailing rate.

Can we request budget to cover our staff and operating costs?

We will not accept overhead costs. If there are specific overhead costs related to activities, they can be itemised as part of the budget. We will only consider budget lines for salaries where there is a specific need for short term technical expertise that is critical to the proposed activities.

What does the PVA Agility Fund not fund?

The following situations and activities fall outside the mandate of the PVA Agility Fund.

Foreseeable funding gaps
Starting general projects that do not respond to a specific, urgent PVA need or opportunity
Activities that have already happened
Core costs of an organisation
Any terrorist financing

What happens to the information we provide in the application process?

Information supplied via the application form is retained by Frontline AIDS in order to inform monitoring and learning from the PVA, and in order to assist any future applications. Data is secure and accessible only to the team administering the grants.

Selection and next steps

How does the selection process work?

The selection of submissions will be managed by a mixed team made of PVA Global team and Frontline AIDS based on a number of elements including the eligibility criteria, impact and compliance with terms and conditions. This process has been modelled based on the efficient structure of Frontline AIDS’ rapid response emergency fund.

The key dates for the selection process are the following:

16-30 May – Submission of applications
30 May 9am UCT – Deadline for applications
30 May-3 June – Shortlisting, all candidates informed of the outcome, due diligence on successful applications
6-10 June – Disbursement of funding

How are applications reviewed?

All applications are processed by the Frontline AIDS and PVA, who carry out due diligence checks, including contacting your referees and our advisors in-country. We may contact you for further information and evidence to support your application. All applications are considered on a case-by-case basis.

What additional information or documentation might Frontline AIDS request?

If necessary and in rare cases as part of our due diligence process, we may request additional information or evidence. This could include copies of your organisation’s registration certificate; copies of project reports, funding contracts, or evaluation reports; your organisation’s annual report; online or documented evidence of involvement with the PVA campaign.

What examples of documentation or evidence should not be submitted to Frontline AIDS?

We seek to safeguard the dignity and security of individuals. Please do not send any documents containing personal or confidential information; video footage or images with identifiable individuals (unless you have a record of their consent to share the images); or any graphic content. If you send these types of materials your application may be rejected.

How quickly will our application be reviewed?

We will acknowledge your application as soon as it is received. The processing time varies according to the information you provide and how quickly we can verify this. Our aim is to provide a decision on applications within 1 week and disbursement within 2 weeks from the application’s deadline. We strongly suggest that you notify your referees to support their prompt response which helps us process applications faster.

Why was our application unsuccessful?

There are several reasons that applications are rejected, including (but not limited to): an application does not meet the criteria; requests for ineligible activities; misrepresentation in applications; incomplete applications; the identification of alternative responses such as reallocation of existing funds or collaboration with other organisations. All unsuccessful proposals will be notified via email.

We were successfully awarded a grant, but we need to adjust our activities and/or budget. Can we?

We understand that there may be unforeseen circumstances that prompt a change to your agreed activities or budget. Please contact the Frontline AIDS staff member you have been in touch with to explain the new circumstances and needs.

When do we have to report on our Agility Fund grant?

Each grant holder is required to submit a full report using the templates provided, within 2 weeks of completing their grant activities. This date is calculated according to when the grant was disbursed and its duration. We will write to prompt you if we do not receive the report within this time.

What does Frontline AIDS do to ensure that no harm is done through Agility Fund grant-making and implementation?

Frontline AIDS has a has a zero tolerance approach to malpractice and misconduct and we take all reports seriously. We are committed to providing a clear and straightforward reporting system and we handle all information relating to malpractice and misconduct appropriately and responsibly. Malpractice and misconduct could be criminal, financial, sexual or HR-related and it can be brought to our attention by anybody. Frontline AIDS undertakes due diligence on all applications using a standard process and set of tools that adhere to our own Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policy. All organisations that are awarded a PVA Agility Fund grant agree to terms and conditions which include a clause about safeguarding. Please see here for more information, including how to report any concerns regarding malpractice or misconduct.