Request for proposals for Congenital Syphilis Advocacy Strategy. Closing Date: 1 May 2026 About Evidence Action Evidence Action Evidence Action is a global nonprofit scaling proven health and development solutions to reduce the burden of poverty for hundreds of millions of people. From fighting parasitic worms and providing millions with safe water access to enabling treatments to prevent anemia and congenital health issues, our evidence-based interventions provide the greatest impact for communities per dollar spent. Our expertise in cost-effective programming, continuous improvement, and commitment to results has allowed us to reach more than half a billion people with our programs over the past decade. We work in nine countries and counting, with 900+ staff- and in some geographies, values-aligned partners - delivering transformative outcomes. The RFP Timeline Intention to bid notifications: Accepted on a rolling basis Questions on the RFP are due by: 17 April 2026 Questions will be answered by Evidence Action on or before: 22 April 2026 Your RFP response is due via email by 5 pm EDT on: 1 May 2026 These dates are subject to change. You will be notified via email of any adjustments made to the timeline. Background, Purpose, Deliverables & Methodology Background Congenital syphilis causes over 390,000 adverse outcomes annuallyincluding 150,000 stillbirths and 70,000 neonatal deathsyet remains severely underfunded relative to its burden. The problem is worsening: babies born today are 11% more likely to be exposed to congenital syphilis than eight years ago. The solution is straightforward and highly cost-effective. Screening pregnant women using HIV/syphilis dual rapid tests (costing just $0.15 more than existing HIV tests) combined with same-day benzathine penicillin treatment (less than $0.20) prevents over 80% of these devastating outcomes. Yet despite proven interventions and recent progress through Global Fund investments, congenital syphilis receives a fraction of the attention and resources proportional to its impact, leading to significant gaps. While new HIV infections among children under five have declined dramatically, falling by 62% from 310,000 in 2010 to approximately 120,000 in 2024, the global burden of congenital syphilis remains high, with the WHO estimating 700,000 cases globally in 2022. The Global Coalition for the Elimination of Congenital Syphilis has been established with Gates Foundation support, convened by Evidence Action in partnership with WHO, PATH, Unitaid, and other stakeholders. With governance of the coalition established, the focus now shifts to coordinated advocacy execution to achieve the coalitions primary objective: resource mobilization to drive at least 20M of new funding for congenital syphilis elimination. Purpose Develop a comprehensive, actionable global advocacy strategy that guides coalition-led advocacy efforts to mobilize resources and elevate awareness for congenital syphilis elimination. The strategy will consist of: (a) donor and stakeholder identification and mapping; (b) a stakeholder engagement plan; and (c) development of advocacy assets (d) identification of opportunities to increase dedicated resources, including through domestic resource mobilization. Note: An investment case on congenital syphilis elimination will be developed in parallel to the advocacy strategy; see here. The content of the investment case may influence the advocacy strategy and vice versa. Interested individuals / firms are welcome to submit a single proposal encompassing both RFPs. If you are doing so, please indicate that in your RFP submission. Deliverables Deliverable #1: Core Advocacy Strategy Document (25-30 pages + appendices). We expect the advocacy strategy to include the following sections but this may be subject to change as the scope is refined. Section 1: Donor and Stakeholder Identification and Mapping (6-8 pages) Current funding landscape for congenital syphilis (donors, funding amounts, gaps, domestic resource mobilization) Donor landscape mapping and segmentation by type (philanthropic, bilateral, multilateral, domestic resources, industry) Prioritized list of top 20-30 funding prospects with organizational profiles Mapping of non-traditional and emerging donor segments who have not previously funded global health or congenital syphilis work Stakeholder power/interest analysis (champions, blockers, influencers) Civil society landscape mapping, including identifying CSOs in priority countries that are already engaged in triple elimination work Windows of opportunity (conferences, funding cycles, policy moments) Section 2: Stakeholder Engagement Plan (6-8 pages) Donor Engagement Strategy: Tailored value propositions for each donor segment, specific engagement pathways and tactics by donor type, timing considerations aligned to donor funding cycles, meeting and cultivation strategies, specific asks and investment opportunities Audience-specific messaging frameworks: Distinct messaging documents for each priority audience, including Ministries of Finance, Ministries of Health, external philanthropic donors, bilateral donors, and multilateral funders, reflecting the substantially different tone and value propositions required for each Donor outreach plan: A concrete roadshow plan for presenting the concurrently developed investment case directly to priority funders in-person, including a schedule of investor roundtables and small-group convenings mapped to key global health moments In-country champion plan: An identification and engagement plan for locally-based advocates in high-burden priority countries, including proposed roles, engagement pathways, and how their advocacy would complement global efforts Communications: Plans for coalition-branded events and webinars, media engagement approach, and digital communications tactics, including a specified set of concrete activities (e.g. side meetings, media outreach, data sharing moments, donor cultivation sessions) Visibility Strategy: Event engagement plan that distinguishes between established global health convenings where congenital syphilis is already on the agenda; regional and country-level platforms where government decision-makers can be reached directly; and non-traditional spaces where congenital syphilis has not previously been discussed and new donors can be engaged. For each, the plan should specify concrete activities and tailored messaging Section 3: Advocacy Assets (10-12 pages) Core advocacy messages framework tailored to distinct audiences: Messages for donors (philanthropic, bilateral, multilateral) Messages for policymakers (global health governance) Messages for implementers (technical partners, service delivery organizations) Messages for domestic government audiences (e.g Ministries of Finance, Ministries of Health) in focus countries Content specifications for advocacy materials to be developed (e.g. country case studies) A modular advocacy materials package including individual slides, one-page briefs, talking points, and social media assets, in addition to any longer-form documents, that could be made available in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese Communications channel strategy that covers both traditional global health spaces and non-traditional venues, regional summits, and private philanthropic convenings Content calendar for coalition visibility that identifies 1-2 anchor events per year around which the coalition will concentrate collective advocacy energy and media outreach, with specific activities mapped to each Section 4: Implementation Timeline and Coordination (2-3 pages) 18-month implementation roadmap Quarterly milestones and activities Integration with key global and regional health calendar moments Deliverable #2: Advocacy Implementation Toolkit A set of practical tools and templates for coalition use, including but not limited to: Stakeholder mapping matrices Engagement tracking log Message house frameworks by audience type Advocacy brief templates (for donors, policymakers, implementers, domestic government audiences) Email outreach templates Country case study template, to capture successes, challenges, and lessons learned from national programs making progress A modular slide library that coalition partners and country teams can draw from independently, pulling individual slides relevant to their audience rather than relying on a single static deck Note: All materials should be designed with a clear "ask" framework, giving users a concrete sense of what action they are being asked to take and how they can engage, and should be structured to allow for regular updates as new evidence, country examples, and funding opportunities emerge Potential Methodology Stakeholder Consultation: 15-20 key informant interviews with coalition group members, potential donors, country government representatives, global health advocacy experts, and/or MNCH/STI network leaders. Pre-consultation with priority target donors should occur early in the process, before the strategy structure is finalized, to ensure framing and messaging resonates with key audiences Landscape Analysis: Mapping of current congenital syphilis funders and funding amounts Analysis of donor priorities and funding cycles Review of comparable MNCH and STI advocacy campaigns Assessment of policy windows and opportunities Assessment of civil society partnerships and existing triple elimination advocacy efforts in priority countries Strategic Framework Development: Develop theory of change with coalition input Map advocacy pathways for priority audiences Coalition Workshop: Facilitate 1-2 virtual strategy workshops with coalition working group to gather input, build consensus, validate strategic direction How to apply We highly recommend that you view the formal RFP here. Proposal Requir Tender Link : https://reliefweb.int/job/4206087/rfp-congenital-syphilis-advocacy-strategy
