DEADLINE: 10TH OCTOBER, 2022
HEARTLAND ALLIANCE LTD/GTE
REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA) FOR ACCELERATING CONTROL OF THE HIV EPIDEMIC IN NIGERIA, CLUSTER 6 (ACE 6: LAGOS, EDO & BAYELSA)
FUNDING PROJECT: ACCELERATING CONTROL OF THE HIV EPIDEMIC IN NIGERIA (ACE: LAGOS, EDO & BAYELSA)
ELIGIBILITY CATEGORY: GENERAL POPULATION LED/COMPETENT ORGANIZATIONS IN ACE 6 FOCAL STATES (BAYELSA, EDO AND LAGOS STATE).

Heartland Alliance LTD/GTE (HALG) is seeking applications from qualified, locally registered and competent community-based organizations for subaward on the ACE 6 project focusing on HIV case finding in PMTCT settings, pediatrics, and adult general population; linkage to care for identified HIV positive clients, continuity on treatment for the clients finked, Gender-Based Violence prevention and post-GBV Interventions, Mental health and psychosocial support services and human rights interventions. The application will be awarded and implemented following Heartland Alliance LTD/GTE regulations governing grants under the grant management policy.

HALG intends to engage the applicant(s) who best meets the objectives of this funding opportunity based on the merit review criteria described in this RFA for potential award. Eligible parties interested in applying are encouraged to read this RFA thoroughly to understand the type of program sought, application submission requirements, and selection process.

Kindly note that issuance of this RFA does not constitute an award commitment on the part of HALG nor does it commit HALG to pay for any costs incurred in preparation or submission of an application.

(1) INTRODUCTION (PROGRAM SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND)
HALG is a service-based human rights organization that leads the efforts of mitigating physiological, psychosocial, and socio-economic impacts of HIV/AIDS, injustice, and violations experienced by individuals through the application of a progressive and inclusive approach to protecting and promoting the rights of extremely vulnerable populations. Since its inception, HALG has established itself as an industry leader in several specialized program areas. Individuals and communities that HALG empowers through its programming include key populations {Female sex Workers, people living with HIV/AIDS, displaced individuals, sexual minorities including LGBT individuals and People Who Inject Drugs etc.) and the general population (specifically, children under 5, adolescents and young people, men and women of reproductive age). Also programmed for are children who have been trafficked, engaged in armed conflict, have suffered or are at risk of suffering violence, women survivors of discrimination, violence, and trafficking, Survivors of trauma and torture etc.

Since 2009, HA LTD/GTE has worked at the intersection of health and human rights to develop and implement Relive programs to reach and provide services to stigmatized and hard-to-access key populations in Nigeria. In 2022, based on her track record of delivering excellence in key populations programming, HALG’s service population was expanded to include the general population, particularly women and children, through the USAID-funded Accelerating HIV Epidemic Control (ACE 6) Project, ongoing in three states in Nigeria (Bayelsa, Edo and Lagos). The ACE 6 project is intended to provide evidence-based services that will deliver measurable results to the general population by addressing programmatic and systemic barriers to HIV epidemic control in the areas of case finding, linkage to care and treatment, health systems strengthening, pediatric/adolescent care and treatment, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HI V, among others. Within the 5-year life span of the project (2022 – 2027), ACE 6 aims at contributing towards mitigating the impacts of HIV/AIDS, achieving epidemic control, and ending AIDS in Nigeria by 2030 through the above-mentioned strategies.

(1.1) BACKGROUND
Since its discovery in 1985, HIV and AIDS have remained issues of public health concern in Nigeria following the fact that a cure has not been found yet. The number of persons living with HIV/AIDS and the number of persons affected by AIDS have been on the increase because, despite several sensitization campaigns, people are yet to consciously adopt strategies to protect themselves from the virus. Worse still is the fact that many individuals are still not aware of their HIV status and so continue to engage in behaviors that expose them to risk of contracting or transmitting HIV. According to UNAIDS and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, there are 1.9 million People living with HIV in Nigeria. While Nigeria’s national HIV prevalence is 1.4% among adults aged 15-49 years, as revealed by the Nigeria National HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) 2018, women within the 15-49 years age group are more than twice as likely to be living with HIV than men (1.8% versus 1.0% respectively). The difference in HIV prevalence between women and men is greatest among younger adults, with young women aged 20-24 years more than three times as likely to be living with HIV as young men in the same group. Among children aged 0-14 years, HIV prevalence is 0.2%. Significant efforts have been made in recent years to stop new HIV infections among children.

With Nigeria having a projected 2016 population of over 180 million and an estimated 3.2 million people infected HIV, the country is estimated to have the second largest number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the and is among the six nations facing the triple threat of high HIV burden, low treatment coverage and slow decline in new HIV infections. At the end of 2015, Nigeria had over 1,078 facilities providing ART services and over 853,992 PLHIV who had initiated ART. On average, an estimated 180,000 people die annually from AIDS- related illnesses and about 180,000 children aged 17 years or younger are currently orphaned by AIDS in Nigeria. Drivers of the epidemic has been stigma and discrimination, poor disclosure, poverty, gender-based violence among others.

From NAIIS Report, 30.1 % of the adult population reported that they had ever tested for HIV and received their results, while 10.2% indicated that they had tested in the 12 months preceding the survey and received their results. This shows a wide gap in reaching the 95-95-95 target of the UNAIDS for HIV case finding, treatment and viral suppression.

(2) PROGRAM  DESCRIPTION
(2.1) PURPOSE
The ACE 6 request for application symbolizes sustainability and a transition of program implementation from HALG to the Government and local partners. Engagement of local partners is implemented through a tailored- grant awards process, which will guide grantees on a management-by-objectives system, carefully defined indicators and benchmarks, and allow them to put into practice newly gained skills and resources. The engagement is also expected to scale up and improve access to quality HIV prevention services with emphasis on case finding and retention in the three focal states. The project will support community-based organizations in these states to plan and implement comprehensive HIV prevention services for general population in line with national standards/guidelines and international best practices.

The overall goal of the RFA therefore is to identify and make awards to qualified local Nigerian civil society organizations/community-based organizations who best meet the objectives of this fending opportunity, based on merit review and pre-award assessment, to support the implementation of the ACE 6 Project in Bayelsa, Edo and Lagos States Eligible parties interested in submitting an application are strongly encouraged to read this RFP thoroughly to understand the technical guidelines, application submission requirements and selection process.

The objectives of the funding opportunity include:

  • Increased access to and provision of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment Services within Primary Health Care Interventions and in general population settings
  • Increased Quality of HIV/AIDS/TB Services
  • Increased resilience, responsiveness and accountability of health systems and community-based programming through advocacy, capacity building, linkages, data management and other interventions.
  • Successful organizations will, in collaboration with the states’ structures, health care facilities and other relevant stakeholders, contribute to the overall project goal of achieving epidemic control among the general population in Bayelsa, Edo and Lagos states through qualitative HIV program intervention to improve the quality of life of all citizens.

(2.2)  Eligible Applicants
This process is very competitive and open to Nigerian Civil Society/ Community-Based Organizations with physical presence and operations in the focal states. The organizations must have a history of providing similar services in the states and must be fully registered.

(3.0)  APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
Each applicant must submit a detailed technical approach that will take into consideration the local epidemic picture of the state being applied for and strategies to provide interventions based on age, sex and demographics, with particular focus of pediatrics and PMTCT programming.

A detailed plan to scale already existing interventions and a plan for sustainability will be an added advantage.

The entire application must bring out knowledge of local context and show clearly how the following sections will be demonstrated and implemented by the organization:

HIV Prevention (2 pages)

  • Increased Enhanced Peer Outreach Approach (EPOA) for HIV prevention intervention.Increased knowledge of new prevention technologies and healthy HIV-preventive behaviors
  • Understanding & utilizing social media, Leveraging new communication tools
  • Increased access to and skills built to use, prevention commodities such as Pre- and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, condoms, water-based lubricants.
  • Increased access to STI, TB and cervical cancer screening, treatment, and management services, including Gender-based violence related services.
  • Increased access to other Sexual and reproductive health services.

HIV counseling and testing for general populations (2 pages)

  • Genealogy, Social, and Sexual network elicitation counseling, for index clients.Targeted counseling and testing at hotspots (physical and virtual) for general population (adults, adolescents and young people, men) as well as social networks, sexual partners and children of PLHIV.
  • Completed referrals and retention in treatment, care, and support for HIV positive program participants at HA LTD/GTE supported facilities.
  • Increased access to HIV self-testing through distribution of self-test kits to hard-to-reach communities
  • Improved uptake of recency testing for all eligible newly diagnosed HIV positive individuals.

Linkage to services (2pages)

  • Providing access to HIV care and treatment for positive cases identified
  • Access to Enhanced Adherence Counseling and Advanced HIV Disease services for all HIV positive clients enrolled in care and treatment.

Services for Children of PLHIV (2pages)

  • Plans to reach children of PLHIV with HIV testing and other related services
  • Ensure that children of PLHIVs with unknown HIV status access HTS services; and those diagnosed HIV positive access same-day treatment initiation.
  • Prioritize enrollment of children of PLHIV into OTZ clubs and for OVC services and follow up documentations on each child’s progress.

Retention in ART care (2pages)

  • Ensure 100% retention for the initial 12 months post-enrolment for all HIV positive persons identified and enrolled into treatment, as well as their sexual partners, social partners, and children receiving treatment and care services.

GBV/ Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Intervention services (2pages)

  • Post GBV care referral services to HA Ltd/Gte.
  • PEP/PrEPThe modality for screening, identification of distress signs, and basic intervention/referral approaches.
  • Strategies for integration of MHPSS services into existing services

PMTCT/EID (1 page)

  • HTS services for Pregnant women accessing ANC services in community structures
  • Prompt access of EID services for HIV-exposed infants.

TB/HIV (1page)
Community-based TB case finding and HIV testing for all presumptive and confirmed TB cases identified

COVID-19/Monkey Pox (1 page)

  • Prevention Education (including vaccination and non-pharmaceutical prevention activities).
  • Intensify community mobilization for COVID-19 vaccination.

(3.1) Target and Budget Celling
Kindly revert to the Sub Awards Manager for individual organization target and budget

(3.2) ESTIMATED DURATION AND PROJECT SCOPE
The funding period is one year, from October 1, 2022 to September 30 2023, and is subject to renewal, based on performance and availability of funds. Activities will be implemented in communities within the LGAs of Bayelsa, Edo and Lagos states.

(3.3) SUBSTANTIAL INVOLVEMENT
HALTD/GTE will be substantially involved in the sub-award in the following ways:

(1) Approval of the recipient’s implementation plan.

(2) Review of recipient’s progress report, program data and targets reached.

(3) Provision of technical direction for specific program interventions.

(4) Monitoring of program implementation plan.

(5) Approval for engagement and disengagement of specified key personnel.

(4.0) TECHNICAL APPLICATION PREPARATION AND FORMAT
Technical applications should be specific, complete, and presented concisely. The applications should demonstrate the applicant’s capabilities and expertise with respect to achieving the purposes and activities outlined for this program.

Technical proposals should be in English and not longer than 6 pages (excluding cover pages, table of contents, dividers, and Appendices). Proposals should be on A4, Single-spaced, 12-point font Times New Roman type with 1-inch margins on all sides. The Technical proposal should include the following sections:

  • Technical Description and Approach
  • Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
  • Management Plan
  • Community Engagement Plan
  • Personnel and Staffing Plan

(4.1) REQUIRED APPENDICES
Appendices should include the following (no more appendices are allowed):

  • Appendix 1: Organizational chart / Organogram
  • Appendix 2: Job descriptions and Resume for Key Personnel positions and staffing plan for the proposed intervention.
  • Appendix 3: Past Performance References and a list of all sub-awards involving similar or related programs over the past year (where applicable)
  • Appendix 4: Implementation Plan/Work Plan
  • Appendix 5: BudgetAppendix 6: Sustainability Plan
  • Appendix 7: Risk mitigation plan
  • Appendix 8: Cost Allocation of organization (where applicable)List of similar grants implemented by the organization (show project title, duration, funding Source amount, LGAs where project was implemented, project results)

Submit your grant application to: Email: Grants@heartlandalliancenigeria.org  

Applications not submitted based on the above guidelines will not be acknowledged.

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