Capacity Building for Global, Regional, and National Immunization Programs | CDC RFA GH21 2102

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA GH21 2102

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, offered a cooperative agreement funding opportunity titled "Capacity Building for Global, Regional, and National Immunization Programs" (Funding Opportunity Number: CDC RFA GH21-2102; CFDA 93.318). The grant is aimed at boosting the real-world capacity and performance of immunization programs in priority countries so they can meet major vaccine-preventable disease goals, including polio eradication and measles and rubella elimination. The larger public health intent is to reduce illness and deaths linked to vaccine-preventable diseases, while also strengthening preparedness for emerging threats like COVID-19 and supporting the groundwork needed for coronavirus vaccine introduction.

At its core, the opportunity focuses on building stronger systems that can prevent, detect, and respond to vaccine-preventable diseases. That includes improving immunization service delivery (so vaccines reliably reach people who need them), strengthening comprehensive vaccine-preventable disease surveillance (so health authorities can find cases quickly and track trends), and reinforcing the operational capacity required to prepare for, detect, and respond to outbreaks. The emphasis is not only on routine immunization performance, but also on the ability to surge during outbreaks and to close gaps that allow diseases to spread.

A key part of the work is targeted action to reach populations that are un-immunized or under-immunized, especially those considered high-risk. The recipient is expected to design and carry out strategies that improve access and raise vaccination coverage where it is weakest, which is often where outbreaks take hold. This means the award is not just about technical planning at the national level; it is also about practical, on-the-ground approaches to reaching missed communities and improving equity in immunization coverage.

The NOFO also puts weight on sustainability and smarter decision-making within national immunization programs. One of the mechanisms highlighted is support for evidence-based policy processes through National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs), which help countries evaluate scientific evidence and make informed decisions about immunization schedules and strategies. In addition, the recipient is expected to advance program evaluation and use findings to drive innovation, with the goal of increasing the overall impact of immunization investments over time rather than relying on short-term gains.

A distinct operational responsibility included in this opportunity is management and coordination of Pakistan's National Stop Transmission of Polio (NSTOP) program, along with support to countries experiencing polio outbreaks or at high risk of outbreaks. This signals a strong polio focus within the broader immunization strengthening agenda, tying global eradication priorities to the capacity-building work supported by the grant.

From an administrative standpoint, this was a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism, meaning CDC would typically expect substantial involvement and collaboration during implementation compared to a standard grant. Eligibility was listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement). The opportunity anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of $13,000,000. The NOFO was created on February 19, 2021, with an original application closing date of April 20, 2021, and electronic submissions due by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the deadline date. Overall, the grant opportunity is designed to strengthen immunization systems in priority countries in a way that supports eradication and elimination targets, improves outbreak detection and response, reaches underserved populations, and reinforces the systems needed to address COVID-19 and future global health threats aligned with CDC goals.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control - CGH in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Capacity Building for Global, Regional, and National Immunization Programs" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.318.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 19, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 20, 2021 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 pm ET on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $13,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for CDC RFA GH21 2102

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