Research and development services and related consultancy services

Tender description

The UK is seen as a leader in health research and a higher level of UK involvement will add value to global research efforts. FCDO (DFID) has committed to the production and use of high quality evidence, data and innovation to accelerate progress towards the Global Goals. Following extensive internal and global consultation, the following areas were identified as being gaps and an opportunity for the UK to intervene, given our relative strengths: (i) tackling infectious diseases; (ii) building stronger and more resilient health systems; (iii) improving the health of the world’s most vulnerable, including sexual and reproductive health, mental health and maternal, newborn and child health. FCDO (DFID) intends to award a contractor in circa May 2019 for an initial term of 6 years with a budget of GBP 65 500 000. FCDO (DFID) may extend the duration up to an additional 2 years with a maximum total contract value of GBP 95 500 000. The goal of the Filling the Gaps in Evidence portfolio of RPCs is to produce high quality evidence that improves the health of the poorest and most vulnerable people in developing countries. The purpose of this component is to deliver new knowledge for understanding how to build stronger and more resilient health systems. An integrated and multi-disciplinary approach is required to help FCDO (DFID) and the development community better understand what works to build resilient and accountable health systems that deliver for the poorest and most vulnerable. Proposals can address any one or more of the following areas where it is expected that collectively the research programmes will provide critical knowledge: • strengthening the key building blocks of health systems, • delivering essential health services and public health functions in challenging contexts, • improving the resilience of health systems, including capability for detection, preparedness, and response to public health threats, such as infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance, and disaster risk reduction. The goal of the Filling the Gaps in Evidence portfolio of RPCs is to produce high quality evidence that improves the health of the poorest and most vulnerable people in developing countries. The purpose of this component is to generate new knowledge on how to address marginalisation or exclusion of vulnerable groups. The UK is firmly committed to the ‘Leave no-one behind’ agenda. For development gains to be achieved, concerted efforts must be made to reach the poorest and most marginalised. Groups at risk may include people with disabilities, women, children and adolescents and conflict affected populations. Research submissions are expected to include a gender and disability lens i.e. How has the programme design taken into consideration how people with disabilities/men/women are impacted by the issue being researched? What are the different barriers they face? How will the research contribute to an evidence base on how to address these issues? An intersectional lens is critical to better understand the issues. Proposals can address any one or more of the following areas: • mental health, • sexual and reproductive health rights, • maternal and newborn child health, • improving health outcomes for vulnerable groups. The goal of the filling the gaps in evidence portfolio of RPCs is to produce high quality evidence that improves the health of the poorest and most vulnerable people in developing countries. The purpose of this component is to build upon the existing evidence base and to draw on expertise from a range of methodologies and disciplines to deliver new evidence to tackle infectious diseases in low and middle income countries. The research should take account of FCDO (DFID’s) approach to public health and should address a number of core themes, including delivery through health systems, value for money of interventions, the extent to which vulnerable groups are disproportionately affected by infectious diseases and why, and building evidence on interventions in a range of contexts including (but not limited to) fragile and conflict affected states. Proposals can address any one or more of the following areas where it is expected that collectively the research programmes will provide critical new knowledge: • taking interventions to scale in the country health system context, • vector control in low and middle income countries, • social determinants of TB, HIV and other diseases.