This page addresses the second stage of the Global Fund grant life cycle: grant-making.
Grant-making is the process of translating a funding request into one or more quality grants, with the Global Fund Strategy embedded in grant design. This process involves five phases, which are detailed below.
Where possible, applicants and Principal Recipients (PRs) are encouraged to start grant-making activities during funding request submission and Technical Review Panel (TRP) review (see advanced grant-making) to ensure grants can start on day one of their implementation period (see implementation readiness).
Plan
During the funding request stage, before funding request submission, the PR, Global Fund Country Team, Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) and Local Fund Agent (LFA) agree on timelines and deliverables.
The CCM provides oversight throughout grant-making activities and facilitates community engagement. The LFA supports grant-making by reviewing capacity and the effectiveness of implementation arrangements, and identifies potential gaps.
Additionally, each in-country partner completes their relevant Grant Entity Data (GED).
Negotiate
After the funding request is submitted to the TRP, the PR and Country Team collaborate to work towards grant implementation and negotiate the details of grant documents. This involves finalizing the Performance Framework, Detailed Budget, Health Product Management Template, Implementation Arrangements Map, risk assessment and more.
If savings and efficiencies are found during planning and negotiation, these may be used to fund additional activities that are listed on the Register of Unfunded Quality Demand.
Approve
The grant is then submitted for review by the Grant Approvals Committee (GAC), a group composed of technical partners, representatives of civil society, and relevant staff and leadership from Global Fund Secretariat. The GAC then recommends the grant to the Board, and the Country Team prepares the Grant Confirmation – the legal contract between the Global Fund and the PR – for signature.
Sign
Once the Board has approved the grant, the Grant Confirmation is signed. Signature is required at least one month before the implementation start date.
Get Ready
Following the signature of the Grant Confirmation, the PR and Country Team continue to collaborate to ensure grants are ready for implementation. The Country Team then processes the first disbursement. PRs are required to be ready to start implementing activities on day one of the implementation period.