Frontier Health Markets (FHM) | RFI 20 GH FHM 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFI 20 GH FHM 01

Frontier Health Markets (FHM) is a USAID global health opportunity issued as a Request for Information (RFI), meaning it is not yet a final solicitation for funding but a market research step to shape a future program. Through this RFI, USAID is seeking practical input from organizations about what works in strengthening health markets, what innovative approaches are emerging, and which organizations have the interest and capacity to implement a large, multi-activity initiative. In plain terms, USAID is using this process to learn from the field, test assumptions, and gauge who could realistically deliver the type of work envisioned under FHM before USAID finalizes any formal procurement or assistance mechanism.

The core aim of the proposed FHM program is to increase private health sector contributions to voluntary family planning and broader health outcomes. While voluntary family planning is a central focus, USAID signals that FHM would also support improvements across multiple priority health areas, including maternal, newborn, and child health, as well as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. The emphasis on the private sector suggests the program is oriented toward harnessing and improving the role of private providers, private supply chains, pharmacies and drug shops, private insurers and financiers, social enterprises, and other market actors that influence access, quality, affordability, and sustainability of health services and products.

A defining feature of the concept is health market strengthening at the local level. Rather than delivering services in isolation, the envisioned activities would work on the underlying market conditions that shape how care is delivered and paid for, with the goal of creating more systematic and effective engagement with the private sector. This can include improving how markets function (for example, better quality assurance, smarter regulation, stronger distribution and logistics, more transparent pricing, stronger provider networks, improved consumer information, or financing models that make services more affordable). The RFI framing also implies USAID is looking for best practices and scalable models that have evidence behind them or that are promising enough to warrant further testing and adaptation.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is issued by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the principal U.S. Government agency for international development assistance. The listing identifies the instrument type as a Cooperative Agreement and the activity category as Health (CFDA 98.001). Eligibility is described as unrestricted, which typically signals broad openness to a range of organizations (for example, NGOs, for-profits, universities, partnerships, and potentially consortia), although any future official solicitation would spell out precise eligibility rules and compliance requirements.

The RFI is identified as Funding Opportunity Number RFI 20 GH FHM 01, created on May 6, 2020, with an original closing date of June 5, 2020. The notice references an award ceiling of up to $250,000,000, which signals the potential scale of the future suite of activities USAID may pursue, even though an RFI itself does not represent an obligation to fund and does not guarantee awards. The expected number of awards is not specified in the provided data, reinforcing that this is an exploratory step intended to inform how USAID might structure and size subsequent activities.

Overall, the FHM RFI reflects USAID interest in larger, market-oriented approaches that mobilize private sector capacity to expand access and improve outcomes across family planning and major global health priorities. Organizations responding would be expected to provide grounded market insights, lessons learned, and workable implementation ideas that address the realities of local health systems and private sector dynamics, helping USAID design an approach that is both impactful and operationally feasible.

• The Agency for International Development in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Frontier Health Markets (FHM)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-05-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-06-05. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for RFI 20 GH FHM 01

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