Published: June 12 2026
Deadline: June 30 2026
Locations: Uganda
The SAFEStart Plus Project Small Grants call for applications is now open for community led organizations in Uganda. Eligible organizations are encouraged to review the details below and submit their proposals before the deadline.
About The Programme
The International Community of Women living with HIV Eastern Africa (ICWEA) in partnership with Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) and World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) has issued a call for proposals to support community led organizations from Uganda. These organizations will implement community level SAFEStart Plus project interventions under the small grants scheme. The small grants range from US$5,000 to US$10,000 for one year.
The programme focuses on community led interventions for the elimination of vertical transmission (EVT) of HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis. Vertical transmission refers to the passing of an infection from a mother to her child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. Eliminating vertical transmission is a critical public health goal that requires strong community engagement and locally appropriate interventions.
Purpose Of The Small Grants
The small grants aim to strengthen community led responses to elimination of vertical transmission by focusing on several key areas. These include strengthening community structures, capacity development, demand generation for elimination of vertical transmission services, and advocacy and accountability.
Work Streams For Technical Proposal Development
Applicants must address at least three of the following work streams in their application.
Strengthening community structures involves supporting community groups and networks, establishing or strengthening community platforms, and improving community led data collection and reporting.
Capacity development includes training community members and peer advocates, strengthening knowledge on elimination of vertical transmission for HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis, and building advocacy and monitoring skills.
Demand generation for elimination of vertical transmission services involves conducting awareness campaigns, promoting uptake of antenatal testing and treatment services, and addressing stigma and misinformation.
Advocacy and accountability includes generating evidence or using lived experiences to advance advocacy and policy engagement to accelerate elimination of vertical transmission in Uganda.
Generate and use community led evidence to engage decision makers, track elimination of vertical transmission services availability, access, affordability and quality, and support dialogue and advocacy with duty bearers.
Amplifying community voices includes participating in national and sub national platforms such as Community Advisory Boards, engaging stakeholders including the Ministry of Health, Global Fund, and UNAIDS, and influencing policy and programme decisions.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants must meet the following criteria. Organizations must be community led organizations operating at national or sub national level already focusing on elimination of vertical transmission, community led monitoring, maternal and child health, HIV, Hepatitis B or Syphilis programming.
Applicants must have a proven track record of community engagement and advocacy within HIV, Hepatitis B or Syphilis programming. Experience in conducting community led interventions and community capacity strengthening initiatives is required.
A strong understanding of community resources and a history of managing similar donor funded programmes is necessary. Applicants must demonstrate capacity to design and implement effective community ownership strategies as a core component of their interventions. This should include evidence of how they will engage and strengthen community structures in planning, delivery, and follow up of activities. Applicants should also show practical mechanisms for community participation including training, supervision, and linkage of these structures to formal health systems.
Organizations must be registered or be a clearly defined informal structure if applicable. Community led organizations operating in priority regions and districts will be prioritised. Priority will also be given to organizations led by women, young people, and affected communities.
Application Deadline
The submission deadline is one month up to June 30 2026. Any application submitted after the deadline will be disqualified. For more information follow the link to the ICWEA page and download all required materials to apply.
