Organization: India HIV/AIDS Alliance (Alliance India)
Program: SAMAGRA (formerly known as VIHAAN) – a care and support program for People Living with HIV (PLHIV) across India.
Funding Source: Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM).
Application Deadline: 10 September 2024

Background of the Program

• Strategic Shift in 2013: Under NACP IV, India revised care and support strategies, with the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) providing treatment through government healthcare facilities, and civil society organizations delivering care and support services to PLHIV.
• Principal Recipient (PR): India HIV/AIDS Alliance was selected as the PR to implement the care and support program across India.
• Program Reach: Since June 2013, the SAMAGRA program has reached about 1.68 million PLHIV through 310 care and support centres (CSCs).
• Program Continuation: The program has been approved for continuation from April 2024 to March 2027, with CSCs supported by the Global Fund.

Scope of Work for Care & Support Centre 2.0 (CSC 2.0)

• Outreach Prioritization: CSC 2.0 will prioritize outreach services for 11 specific groups, including Positive Pregnant women, HIV-exposed infants, Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) cases, and Lost to Follow-Up cases.
• Coordination with ART Centers: CSC 2.0 staff will receive monthly lists from ART centres outlining outreach service requirements, and outcomes will be updated back to ART centres.

Eligibility Criteria for NGOs/CBOs Setting Up CSC

• Non-Eligibility: Discontinued organizations cannot apply.
• Legal Registration: Must be a non-profit legally registered under:Organizational Structure: Must have a clearly defined structure.
  • The Societies Registration Act of 1860 (or equivalent)
  • The Charitable and Religious Act of 1920
  • Indian Trusts Act of 1882 (or equivalent)
  • Section 25C of the Companies Act, 1956 (or Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013)
• Statutory Requirements: Should have 12A and 80G certificates.
• Administrative Systems: Must have established administrative and management systems.
• Financial Management: Sound financial track record with established financial management systems (latest three years' audit reports required for NGOs and one year for CBOs).
• Experience: Minimum of three years’ experience in managing public health or allied programs in health; experience in HIV/AIDS care and support is an added benefit.
• Local Presence: Must have operated for a minimum of three years (NGOs) or one year (CBOs) in the same district with a good track record in service provision.
• Infrastructure: Must be ready to provide adequate infrastructure necessary for CSC activities.

Application Process

• Submission: Interested NGOs/CBOs should submit proposals/applications via email to ssrselection2024@allianceindia.org with the subject line: "Application for SSR for SAMAGRA under GFATM."
• Deadline: 10 September 2024
• Queries: Questions about the RFP should be sent to ssrselection2024@allianceindia.org by 31 August 2024. Responses will be compiled and sent to all who raised queries by September 2024.