DMPA-SC Scale-Up

This DMPA-SC Scale-Up Catalytic Opportunity Fund (COF) is a flexible pool of funds to support catalytic activities that advance introduction and scale-up of DMPA-SC self-injection. The DMPA-SC COF is administered by CHAI and stewarded by the Injectables Access Collaborative.

The goals of the COF are to deepen access to DMPA-SC self-injection within public-sector channels; expand access to DMPA-SC self-injection through pharmacies and/or drug shops in large private sector markets; introduce DMPA-SC self-injection in new countries.

Goals

Applicants must select one of the following goals for their project. Eligible countries vary for each goal. Applicants from countries eligible under Goals 1 and 2 may include both public sector and private sector scale-up activities within a single application, as needed.

  • Eligible countries: Benin, DRC, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Togo, Uganda, Zambia

  • Activities to activate and scale DMPA-SC self-injection access through the nonprofit and commercial sectors should be complementary to deepening public sector access and demand.

    Eligible countries: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Uganda

  • Eligible countries: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, South Africa

Eligibility and Requirements

  • Be implemented in an eligible country and aligned with Goal 1, 2, or 3.

  • Demonstrate alignment with national DMPA-SC introduction plan.

  • Must be supported by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and include an endorsement letter from the MOH from the relevant stakeholder who is guiding DMPA-SC introduction and implementation.

  • Demonstrate there is sufficient DMPA-SC stock available in the country and/or in the process of arriving in the country to support achieve the intended outcomes of the proposed project. If any of your project activities rely on commodities, you must describe the supply security situation in your proposal.

  • Demonstrate a clear funding need and that alternative funding sources are not available to support the proposed work.

  • Demonstrate how the proposed work will increase the number of DMPA-SC self-injection (SI) users in the short-term.

  • Implementing timeframes will require no more than 9 months

  • Funding ceiling per application is a maximum of USD $250,000

  • Applications that propose DMPA-SC or self-injection (SI) pilots must be for the purposes of demonstrating high-potential, innovation distribution models aimed at expanding access to SI.

    These pilots should focus on generating evidence to support policy change or operational implementation. Applications focused on piloting DMPA-SC/SI will not be considered if their purpose is to inform decisions about product introduction in a country or channel. Focus on influencing policy change should address clear, tangible policy barriers to increasing easy access to DMPA-SC/SI and should make a strong case for how advocacy activities will lead to an increase in the number of DMPA-SC/SI users long-term.

For more details on the DMPA-SC COF and scoring rubrics that we use to assess applications, please see here: DMPA-SC COF Overview

Submission Information

Applications are reviewed on competitive application cycle. Interested applicants should submit the materials listed here to the COF Team at COF@clintonhealthaccess.org before the stipulated deadline published on this website. 

In order to apply for DMPA-SC COF funds, applicants should submit the following:

  1. Application Narrative in Word document format (EN, FR)

  2. Project Budget for the proposed activities (EN, FR)

  3. Letter of recommendation, or defined informal equivalent, from the National Ministry of Health

    The intent behind this requirement is to ensure alignment of proposed projects to government plans and priorities. As you seek MOH endorsement, please engage in meaningful national coordination with key government stakeholders and partners in-country to align on needs and project approaches prior to submission to avoid misalignment with government priorities and duplication of efforts.

Resources

COF Project Directory

Interested in the projects and organizations supported by the COF? Click on the COF Project Directory for a list of past and current COF award recipients. This register includes project descriptions and points of contact. Please refer to this to ensure no duplication with existing or past awards, prompt local coordination with other partners, and build off of past work as relevant.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • A: Eligible applicants (eg NGO, non-profit, social marketing organization, MOH) vary by COF funding stream. NGOs, non-profit, SMOs, and private sector companies are eligible for the COF. Suppliers are not eligible for the COF.

    Applicants implemented in part, or in full, by local partners are welcome.

  • A: Applicants must be able to provide audited financial statements and satisfactorily complete a financial due diligence assessment.

  • A: The maximum funding amount was decided based on our experience managing the first COF funding stream of DMPA-SC Scale-up where we found it was sufficient for all grants given the short-term and catalytic focus.

  • A: The requirement of a MOH letter should reflect the national/federal MOH for the most part with the intention of ensuring government-led, sustainable product introduction that is aligned to national priorities and plans. Depending on the country context, in some unique cases the COF will accept a subnational MOH endorsement letter for work proposed in that subnational geography for countries with a very large population and a decentralized health system (e.g. India, Nigeria, DRC). For all countries, if applicants are proposing national level work, you must have a national MOH letter to demonstrate alignment with central government priorities.

  • A: We do not have a limit on the number of times an organization can apply per calendar year, method, or cycle.

    However, we encourage organizations to carefully consider the COF's scoring rubric to ensure they have thoroughly evaluated the 'urgency' and 'impact' of each application. They should also consider why the application is timely and whether the proposed work is new, discrete, and catalytic. If multiple applications meet these criteria, organizations should assess whether the projects are interdependent and weigh any associated risks. For instance, there is no guarantee that multiple applications will be approved, and delays in one project could impact the duration or success of another if they are reliant on each other. Reviewers will take these factors into account when assessing applications.

    If the number of applications recommended for funding exceeds the number of applications within a given 11-week cycle, the process will shift to competitive. If the process shifts to competitive, only 1 application per partner per cycle for a given scope of work (i.e., if two applications are submitted by the same partner for the same scope of work in separate geographies), then the COF would only accept one of these applications to be funded within the cycle.  

  • A: Yes, we encourage applicants to apply in future grant cycles. If we have provided feedback on your proposal, we strongly encourage applicants to review the feedback and update their proposal before resubmitting in the next funding cycle.

  • A: CHAI serves as the strategic steward of funds and administrator of the COF. While CHAI disburses funds to sub-grantees, CHAI is not the donor. The COF operates as a pooled donor funding mechanism with multiple donors, meaning that different grants within the COF are funded by various donors. As of December 2024, the various COFs are supported by donors BMGF, FCDO, CIFF, and MSD for Mothers.

  • A: Yes, organizations are eligible to submit new applications to the COF even if another COF award is currently active.

  • A: There are typically multiple grants available per cycle.

  • A: Applications must reflect an understanding of the MOH priorities and plans for DMPA-SC introduction. The connection between proposed activities and the government plan should come through throughout the application.

  • A: For-profit social enterprises are eligible for the COF but must support work that supports the one of the 3 DMPA-SC COF goals.

  • A: Yes, you may apply for multiple products under a single COF application package as long as they support COF eligible SRH products (H-IUD, DMPA-SC, and MA combipack). You may use one application narrative and budget for single submission. We recommend completing the product COF applications  that best represents the “majority” focus of your application. For example, if your project approach is to rollout DMPA-SC and HIUD in the public sector and majority of activities will focus on HIUD with integration of DMPA-SC where possible, you can apply to the HIUD COF.

     

    Although there are strong similarities in the COF criteria, application materials, processes across product funding streams, there are unique eligibility requirements that are by product-specific. Thus, applications should review COF criteria and eligibility for each product and know that reviewers will assess for eligibility for both.

     

    Lastly, we require your endorsement letter from government to indicate desire to introduce all relevant products in your proposal. For example, for an application with a proposed dual DMPA-SC and HIUD rollout, the MOH letter should indicate government desire to introduce both DMPA-SC and HIUD.

  • A: Yes, you can apply for multiple products under a single application. There is not one combined Application Narrative for both, please use the application for whichever product has greater emphasis in the activities. We request that applicants submit required materials (e.g. endorsement letter) for both.