The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced five new Grand Challenges (GC) Requests for Proposals (RFPs), offering a significant non-dilutive funding opportunity from the private sector. These RFPs present exciting prospects for researchers, innovators, and organizations aiming to address some of the world’s most pressing health challenges.
The new RFPs include:
- Innovations for Gram-Negative Antibiotic Discovery: This new initiative is the result of a unique collaboration between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and Wellcome. The three organizations are launching the Gram-Negative Antibiotic Discovery Innovator (Gr-ADI) program, which aims to unite funders, research institutions, and industry partners in the fight against antimicrobial resistance—a global health crisis now recognized as the third leading cause of death worldwide. The focus of this RFP is on discovering antibiotics with broad-spectrum activity against Enterobacteriaceae, with Klebsiella spp. selected as the initial pathogen to drive the discovery process.
- Accelerating Innovations to Address Heavy Menstrual Bleeding in Women in Low-Resource Settings: This RFP seeks innovative solutions to improve the management and treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) in women, particularly in low-resource environments where access to healthcare can be limited. The goal is to develop effective, affordable, and accessible solutions for a condition that affects millions of women worldwide.
- Enhancing HIV and TB Diagnosis: Adjunct Technologies for Sample Collection and Processing: This initiative aims to identify new technologies and methods that improve the sample collection and processing stages of HIV and tuberculosis diagnostics, particularly in low-resource settings. The goal is to enhance the accuracy, accessibility, and speed of these crucial diagnoses.
- Innovative Data and Modeling Approaches to Measure Women’s Health: This RFP calls for the development of innovative data collection and modeling approaches that better capture and measure various aspects of women’s health. The focus is on improving health outcomes through data-driven insights, with the intention of filling current gaps in understanding women’s health at a global scale.
- Reducing the Burden of Preeclampsia: This RFP seeks solutions to address the growing burden of preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening condition that affects pregnant women. The initiative encourages innovations that can help reduce the incidence of preeclampsia and improve outcomes for both mothers and babies.
In addition to these RFPs, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation plans to host informational webinars to provide more details about the funding opportunities and answer any questions from potential applicants. These sessions will offer valuable insights into the RFPs and help guide interested parties in preparing their proposals.
Learn more about how EGC can help you secure Gates Foundation or other private foundation funding!