Strengthening the Quality, Accessibility, and Sustainability of the National Health Laboratory System (NHLS) in the United Republic of Tanzania under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) | CDC RFA GH 23 0023

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA GH 23 0023

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, released this discretionary funding opportunity as a PEPFAR-supported cooperative agreement focused on Tanzania's National Health Laboratory System (NHLS). The program is designed to strengthen how laboratory services are delivered across the country so that people can access high-quality diagnostic testing and results that are accurate, timely, and reliable. The emphasis is on laboratory services that directly support HIV and tuberculosis (TB) programs, while also improving capacity for other diseases that matter for public health decision making, including outbreak detection and ongoing disease surveillance.

The core purpose of the opportunity is to improve access to, and sustainable delivery of, quality laboratory services by strengthening the NHLS as an integrated, tiered network. Tanzania's system is described as a six-tier structure spanning national, zonal, regional, district, health center, and dispensary levels. In practical terms, that means the work is not limited to central reference laboratories; it also aims to improve how testing and results move through the full diagnostic network, including the lower-level facilities where many patients first seek care. The opportunity also points to "above-site" laboratory support, which generally refers to cross-cutting improvements that help multiple facilities at once, such as network coordination, referral systems, quality management approaches, and other backbone functions that make a national diagnostic system work efficiently.

A major theme in the announcement is that strong laboratories are essential for clinical care and public health. High-quality lab results support better clinical decision making and patient management, especially for HIV and TB where treatment decisions and monitoring rely heavily on dependable testing. At the same time, the opportunity highlights broader health security goals: using the laboratory diagnostic network efficiently for disease detection, outbreak response, and surveillance. This signals an expectation that applicants will support systems and practices that help Tanzania detect and track diseases more effectively, not only within HIV/TB programs but also across conditions of public health importance.

The approach CDC describes is primarily technical assistance (TA) rather than direct service delivery alone. Recipients are expected to provide TA to Tanzania's Ministry of Health (MOH) and to PEPFAR Implementing Partners (IPs) as they carry out laboratory-related activities. Because the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, CDC typically has substantial involvement in program direction and oversight compared to a standard grant, meaning the recipient would likely collaborate closely with CDC and national stakeholders on planning, implementation, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement.

From a funding standpoint, the notice contains an unusual detail: the Year 1 award ceiling is listed as 0 (none), while CDC also anticipates approximately $10,000,000 in total fiscal year funding for Year 1, subject to availability of funds. In other words, the announcement does not set a maximum cap per individual award for the first year, but it does indicate the overall amount CDC expects to make available across awards in that first year, assuming funds are available. CDC expected to make two awards. The opportunity is identified as CDC RFA GH 23 0023, cataloged under CFDA number 93.067, with a health-focused funding activity category.

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any type of entity, with the caveat that applicants must still follow any additional eligibility clarifications included in the full notice text. The opportunity was created on January 23, 2023, with an original application closing date of March 24, 2023. Applications were required to be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.

Overall, this funding opportunity is about strengthening the national laboratory backbone that supports HIV and TB services while also improving Tanzania's broader capacity for reliable diagnostics, surveillance, and outbreak response. The expected work centers on supporting the MOH and PEPFAR partners through targeted technical assistance and system-level improvements that make laboratory services more accessible, higher quality, and more sustainable across all tiers of the health system.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control - CGH in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strengthening the Quality, Accessibility, and Sustainability of the National Health Laboratory System (NHLS) in the United Republic of Tanzania under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.067.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 23, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 24, 2023 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 pm ET on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for CDC RFA GH 23 0023

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