Strengthening the Botswana Ministry of Health (MOH) laboratory and health systems through technical assistance (TA) to effectively manage and sustain a quality HIV/TB program in Botswana under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) | CDC RFA JG 25 0084

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA JG 25 0084

This funding opportunity (CDC RFA JG 25 0084) is a CDC-led PEPFAR cooperative agreement focused on strengthening Botswana's Ministry of Health (MOH) laboratory and broader health system capacity so the country can effectively manage, improve, and sustain high-quality HIV and TB (HIV/TB) programming. The central idea is not simply to deliver services in the short term, but to provide targeted technical assistance that helps national systems run better on their own over time, especially the systems that support HIV/TB diagnosis, monitoring, quality improvement, and outbreak readiness.

For funding, CDC indicates an anticipated total of about USD 3,000,000 for Year 1, depending on the availability of funds. The notice also states that the Year 1 award ceiling is "0 (none)," which typically means CDC is not setting a fixed maximum cap per individual award in the announcement, rather than implying that no funding will be awarded. CDC expects to make around three awards. The instrument is a cooperative agreement, which generally means CDC will have substantial involvement during implementation, such as collaborating on planning, monitoring, technical direction, and performance improvement.

Programmatically, the opportunity is aimed at strengthening MOH systems to manage and sustain quality HIV/TB programs, with a strong emphasis on laboratory systems and the enabling functions that make those laboratories reliable and resilient. The NOFO prioritizes closing gaps in laboratory diagnostics, strengthening quality management systems (QMS), and improving outbreak management capacity within the Botswana Public Health Institute (BPHI). The work is intended to translate into consistent, high-quality HIV-related testing in laboratories as well as at the point of care (POCT), with systems that can continue functioning under pressure and can also respond to related public health threats beyond HIV/TB.

A major expected outcome is more resilient laboratory networks that can support HIV and TB testing needs while also being adaptable to other diseases, which matters for routine surveillance and for surge situations such as outbreaks. The NOFO also underscores continuous quality improvement (CQI) as a core approach, meaning the recipient would be expected to help institutionalize routine measurement, feedback loops, corrective actions, and system-level improvements across HIV/TB-related services. Another highlighted expectation is progress toward international accreditation for selected laboratories and ensuring that laboratories and testing sites consistently adhere to Botswana's national policies and guidelines, reinforcing standardization, patient safety, and data reliability across the testing network.

Sustainability is a repeated theme throughout the description. Beyond improving current performance, the activities are meant to help maintain laboratory service capacity through stronger surveillance for timely intervention, support for multi-disease testing strategies, and better use of HIV/TB resources. The NOFO explicitly points toward adapting activities so local entities can take them on and maintain them, which aligns with PEPFAR's broader goal of country ownership and long-term program durability.

Eligibility is broad and includes various U.S.-based and other organizational types, such as state and local governments, public and private institutions of higher education, tribal governments and organizations, nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses, with the listing indicating the opportunity is effectively unrestricted in terms of applicant category. The opportunity is categorized under Health, tied to CFDA 93.067, and is offered by the Centers for Disease Control-GHC. The original application closing date is February 19, 2025, and the notice was created on December 3, 2024.

In practical terms, an applicant would be proposing a technical assistance package that helps the Botswana MOH and BPHI strengthen diagnostic and quality systems, improve the consistency and reliability of laboratory and point-of-care HIV services, reinforce outbreak management readiness, and advance laboratories toward recognized international standards. The overall intent is to leave Botswana with stronger, more self-sustaining laboratory and health system functions that support HIV/TB program quality now and into the future.

• The Centers for Disease Control-GHC in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strengthening the Botswana Ministry of Health (MOH) laboratory and health systems through technical assistance (TA) to effectively manage and sustain a quality HIV/TB program in Botswana under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.067.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-12-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-19. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Unrestricted.

Apply for CDC RFA JG 25 0084

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: