WHO Global Grants for Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Capacity Building 2026

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new call for proposals under its Global Grants for Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Capacity Building 2026. This funding window is specifically designed to address critical gaps in health emergency preparedness in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), aligning with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) core capacity targets. The grant offers substantial funding, with individual awards ranging from $5 million to $20 million over a 12- to 36-month implementation period. The key focus areas include strengthening surveillance systems, laboratory networks, infection prevention and control (IPC) in healthcare settings, risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), and supply chain management for medical countermeasures. The WHO emphasizes that proposals must demonstrate integration across these pillars and include a sustainability plan to ensure long-term capacity retention. The grant is part of a broader $1.5 billion global health security funding package pledged by donors at the 2025 Global Health Summit. Successful applicants will be expected to coordinate with national health authorities and align with national health sector plans. The deadline for concept notes is July 15, 2026; full proposals are due by October 1, 2026, for shortlisted applicants. This grant represents a pivotal opportunity for organizations aiming to build resilient health systems against future pandemics.

This grant opportunity is designed for a diverse range of eligible entities operating in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as classified by the World Bank. Eligible applicants include national ministries of health and public health institutes that are responsible for implementing IHR core capacities and national health emergency preparedness plans. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations with proven experience in health emergency response, epidemiological surveillance, risk communication, and community health systems strengthening are also encouraged to apply. Academic institutions and research consortia with expertise in outbreak science, health systems strengthening, and operational research may participate as lead or sub-grantees. Private sector entities, including social enterprises and local health technology companies, may partner with public or non-profit lead applicants, particularly in areas such as digital health tools, diagnostics, and supply chain logistics. All applicants must demonstrate at least five years of operational presence in the target country, a minimum of three years of experience in health emergency or related public health programming, and a proven financial management capacity with audited statements for the past two fiscal years. The WHO will prioritize applications from countries with the highest burden of infectious disease outbreaks, those in fragile or conflict-affected settings, and those with significant gaps in IHR self-assessment scores. Consortia must designate a lead applicant responsible for overall grant management and reporting. Sub-grantees must clearly delineate their roles and demonstrate added technical capacity.

The WHO's investment priorities for this grant are structured around five strategic pillars: (1) Strengthening national and sub-national surveillance systems to achieve real-time event-based surveillance and case detection, including integration of community-based surveillance mechanisms and laboratory networks; (2) Enhancing laboratory capacity for timely and accurate diagnosis of epidemic-prone diseases, including molecular diagnostics, genomic sequencing, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance; (3) Improving infection prevention and control (IPC) and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities, ensuring that at least 80% of targeted health facilities meet WHO minimum IPC standards; (4) Strengthening risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) capacities to build trust and ensure culturally appropriate response measures, including addressing infodemic management; and (5) Developing and maintaining functional supply chains for essential medical supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE), and vaccines, with a particular focus on last-mile delivery in remote and conflict-affected areas. Key performance indicators include a 20% reduction in time from outbreak detection to response initiation, a 15% increase in laboratory sample throughput, and a 25% improvement in community knowledge of preventive behaviors. The WHO expects grantees to integrate gender and equity considerations throughout all activities and to engage local partners and community leaders in co-designing interventions. Digital innovation is a cross-cutting priority; applicants are encouraged to propose scalable digital solutions for surveillance, data management, and health workforce capacity building. The grant also emphasizes sustainability by building local institutional capacity and fostering partnerships with national training institutions and professional associations.

Eligibility criteria are comprehensive and multi-layered. Legal eligibility: Applicants must be legally registered as a government entity, non-profit organization, academic institution, or internationally recognized NGO in a WHO member state. Financial eligibility: Applicants must submit audited financial statements for the last three fiscal years and demonstrate a minimum annual operating budget of $2 million or equivalent for the lead applicant; for consortia, the lead must hold at least $1.5 million in annual revenue directly related to health programming. Technical eligibility: The applicant must provide evidence of at least three successful health emergency response projects of similar scale within the last five years, including references and performance reports. Spatial eligibility: The proposed interventions must be implemented in eligible LMICs as per the World Bank or OECD DAC list; priority is given to countries with high IDI (infectious disease index) scores or those that have experienced a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) since 2020. Compliance and governance: Applicants must have a clear anti-fraud policy, conflict of interest policy, and a whistleblower mechanism; they must also comply with WHO's Code of Conduct and humanitarian principles. Sub-grantees: Lead applicants may subcontract up to 40% of the total budget to local partners but must justify any subcontracting and include capacity building plans. For consortia, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) or partnership agreement is required. Language: Proposals must be submitted in English, French, or Spanish; budget justification and narrative must be in the same language. Deadline: Concept notes must be submitted by July 15, 2026, with full proposals invited for shortlisted applicants by October 1, 2026.

To maximize the chances of securing funding from the WHO Global Health Emergency Preparedness Grant, organizations should follow a structured three-phase approach integrating GSLI courses. Phase 1: Pre-proposal Preparation (Now – June 15, 2026). Audit internal capacity using the WHO Joint External Evaluation (JEE) tool to identify gaps in IHR core capacities. Enroll in GSLI's 'Writing Winning Proposals' course (3-week intensive) to develop a compelling narrative aligned with WHO's priorities. Simultaneously, complete the 'Project Management for Development' course to design a results framework using logical framework analysis (LFA) approach. Phase 2: Partnership and Consortium Building (June 16 – July 10, 2026). Establish a consortium with local public health institutes, NGOs, and academic partners. Use GSLI's 'Financial Management for NGOs' training to develop a robust budget narrative with clear cost allocations for each output. Conduct due diligence on partners using a standardized capacity assessment tool. Phase 3: Concept Note and Full Proposal Development (July 11 – October 1, 2026). Draft a concept note emphasizing alignment with WHO's five pillars, highlighting past performance, and demonstrating community engagement strategies. Upon shortlisting, elaborate a full proposal including a detailed M&E plan using GSLI's 'Monitoring & Evaluation' course to develop SMART indicators and a data quality assurance plan. Integrate GSLI's 'Procurement & Supply Chain' course to design a logistics strategy for medical supplies. Submit all required annexes, including partner MoUs, financial statements, and risk matrix. Post-award, the GSLI 'Grants Management' course will ensure compliance with WHO reporting requirements and financial controls.