Applying for Funding

As described in the overview of the grant life cycle, applying for funding begins when eligible applicants who have received an allocation develop and submit funding requests to the Global Fund. The goal of the applying for funding stage is to ultimately design quality grants that are ready for implementation before the current grants end.

Funding requests are the package of documents submitted by Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs) that tell the Global Fund how the allocation funding will be invested into country disease programs and why the requested investments were chosen as a priority. When applying for funding, CCMs also indicate which Principal Recipients (PRs) will be managing the investments. 

Funding requests provide a broad look at the investments being requested, often with investments across disease programs and PRs, and are developed by the CCM. In comparison, grants are a legal agreement between the Global Fund and a single PR, developed through grant-making negotiations. 

Generally, applicants will structure their funding requests based on the Global Fund’s Modular Framework [ download in English | Español | Français ] which provides standard modules, interventions and performance indicators that are aligned with World Health Organization (WHO) guidance. Applicants are also able to base their funding requests on National Strategic Plan priority areas or on a Payment for Results scheme.

The Global Fund has different funding request expectations depending on country context and the scope of the Global Fund’s investment in a country. These “funding request application packages” have different requirements and review processes. 

In their allocation letters, eligible countries receiving an allocation are informed of the allocation amount, which application approach they are asked to use, and other important details. To assist applicants in optimizing the available funding, the Global Fund publishes core applicant guidance. 

Applicants will take many planning considerations into account when organizing how they will develop funding requests and turn them into grants.