The COVID Response Fund will address the following needs:

1. Enabling community solutions and innovations to keep people living with HIV (PLHIV) healthy and continue their access to essential HIV and AIDS services, including life-saving ARVs.
2. Enabling innovative solutions focussing on HIV prevention among vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis.
3. Provision of accurate information on COVID-19 to people living with or vulnerable to HIV.
4. Support for PLHIV, women, young people, children and key populations who suffer increased violence and/or human rights violations due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Download the Call for Proposals as a PDF

At this point, the Aidsfonds COVID-19 Response Fund does not accept any new applications as all funding has been allocated. 

• Before you apply, please check first with your Aidsfonds contact whether your proposed activities can be accommodated under your existing contract.
• To submit to the COVID Response Fund, applicants must fill in an online application form. Please note we will not be able to accept applications by email.
• Please note: the chapter for this fund is "Aidsfonds", and the category is "Aidsfonds COVID Response Fund"
• The application form consists of two parts. The first part covers the proposed intervention(s), the second part consists of organisational and banking details. Both parts have to be completed to submit an application.
• Applicants are allowed to submit more than one application. However, each funding request should not exceed € 10,000. Applicants can receive multiple grants.
• The fund will remain open depending on available funding and needs. The total amount available through the COVID Response Fund is € 500,000.

In case of any problems or questions, please contact covidresponsefund@aidsfonds.nl.

Applications meeting the eligibility criteria will be scored based on the selection criteria. Applications will be assessed every week on an ongoing basis. Decisions will be made within 3 working days after which a notice of approval will be sent by email. We aim to initiate transfer of the funds within 7 days of a positive decision.

Eligibility criteria for the applicant

• The applicant is a current grantee or partner of Aidsfonds. This means you are currently receiving funds directly from Aidsfonds (so nót via an alliance or partnership for which Aidsfonds is lead agent), or you have received funds directly from Aidsfonds up to three months prior to your application.
• Proposals of individuals will not be taken into consideration for funding.

Eligibility criteria for the application

• The proposal is aimed at mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on people living with or vulnerable to HIV.
• The proposal contributes to one or more of the focus areas of the COVID Response Fund:
  1) Provision of accurate information on COVID-19 to people living with or vulnerable to HIV.
  2) Enabling community solutions and innovations to keep people living with HIV (PLHIV) healthy and continue their access to essential HIV and AIDS services, including life-saving ARVs.
  3) Enabling innovative solutions focussing on the HIV prevention among vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis.
  4) Support for PLHIV, women, young people, children and key populations who suffer increased violence and/or human rights violations due to the COVID-19 crisis.
• The proposal is in line with the strategic goals of Aidsfonds.
• The activities will be immediately implemented and will last no longer than 6 months.
• The proposed activities cannot be accommodated by your current Aidsfonds grant/project.
• The proposal is submitted in English.
• The proposal is submitted through the online application form.
• The funding request does not exceed € 10,000.

Organisational information is collected with care and delicacy. Information will be stored in a secured database.

After an application is found to be eligible, the application will be assessed by the Operational Team based on the following criteria:

1. The extent to which the proposal mitigates the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on PLHIV and other vulnerable communities.
2. The extent to which the proposal is in line with the priorities of the COVID Response Fund and Aidsfonds overall goals.
3. The budget is clear and reasonable and reflects the proposed activities.
4. The applicant shows the capacity to implement the proposed activities.

Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5, in relation to each other. Only applications with an average score higher than 3.5 will be considered for funding.

When reviewing the applications, we will keep the following in mind:

• We will prioritise activities which are not (easily) fundable through current Aidsfonds funding streams.
• We may prioritise activities that can support our advocacy, communications or fundraising work aimed at benefitting our communities.

Existing documents will be reviewed for completeness.

• Compensation of losses of livelihoods of beneficiaries.
• Nutritional support not related to ARV adherence.
• IT equipment or support  (to be covered by existing grants. If this is not the case it may be considered on a case by case basis).
• Organisational support (to be covered by existing grants).
• Activities or commodities that can be covered by existing programmes.
• Staff costs not directly related to the proposed activities. Only in exception we will fund staff costs that are directly related to the COVID activities and that cannot be funded by other resources. We will review this case by case.
• PPE for community members, we only fund PPE for staff members, outreach workers and healthcare workers

At this point, the Aidsfonds COVID-19 Response Fund does not accept any new applications as all funding has been allocated. 

Why has Aidsfonds started this Fund?

Aidsfonds is very concerned about the possible impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the continuation of life-saving prevention and treatment services for people living with or vulnerable to HIV. When such services get interrupted, HIV might spread further, and drug resistance may increase. At the moment there is no full picture yet on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the HIV response. However, it is clear that our partners, who provide critical HIV and sexual and reproductive health services to their communities face increased difficulties to reach people in need, due to COVID-19 related health and safety measures. This is particularly the case for people who are already experiencing barriers in accessing services and human rights violations due to HIV-related stigma, discrimination and exclusion. Therefore Aidsfonds set up the COVID Response Fund has been set up to support existing Aidsfonds grantees and partners with flexible, rapid and short-term funding for activities that mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on people living with or vulnerable to HIV.
 

The overall objective of the fund is to continue contributing to the Aidsfonds strategic goals during this pandemic:

• Less than 200,000 new HIV infections globally.
• Everyone living with HIV worldwide receives treatment.
• Awareness and support in society, and full funding of the HIV response.

What needs will the Fund address?

The COVID Response Fund will address the following needs:

1. Enabling community solutions and innovations to keep people living with HIV (PLHIV) healthy and continue their access to essential HIV and AIDS services, including life-saving ARVs.
2. Enabling innovative solutions focussing on HIV prevention among vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis.
3. Provision of accurate information on COVID-19 to people living with or vulnerable to HIV.
4. Support for PLHIV, women, young people, children and key populations who suffer increased violence and/or human rights violations due to the COVID-19 crisis.

My organisation does not receive Aidsfonds funding directly at the moment, can we still apply?

To be able to respond rapidly, only direct grantees are eligible to apply for the COVID Response Fund. This means you are currently receiving funds directly from Aidsfonds, OR you have received funds directly from Aidsfonds up to three months prior to your application.

If you are a sub-grantee (e.g. through RCF), you cannot apply. However, you could coordinate with the organization that is directly receiving funds from Aidsfonds about the possibility to submit a joint proposal as a sub-grantee. In any case, it will be good to check with your Aidsfonds contact person what the possibilities are. A lot of activities may be accommodated under your existing contract. This also applies to sub-grantees for PITCH and BtG.

What if my organisation needs more than EUR 10,000?

The grant is for a maximum of 6 months. If you need more than EUR 10,000 during this period, please discuss this first with your Aidsfonds contact person. A lot of activities may be accommodated under your existing contract. There is also the opportunity to submit more than one proposal. Your Aidsfonds contact person can advise you best how to go about this.

Can we submit more than one proposal?

Applicants are allowed multiple grants per organisation.

In which language should I submit a proposal (the portal gives me options)?

Only applications in English will be accepted.

How do I apply?

Applicants can fill in an online Application Form through our Grant portal. Please note we will not be able to accept applications by email.

The Application Form consists of two parts:

• The first part covers the proposed intervention(s) (narrative description and an excel budget).
• The second part consists of organizational and banking details.

Both parts have to be completed to submit an application.

We have submitted an application, when will we know whether the proposal has been approved?

Applications will be assessed every week on an ongoing basis. Decisions will be made within 3 working days after which a notice of approval will be sent by email. We aim to initiate transfer of the funds within 7 days of a positive decision.

Can we appeal the decision if our proposal is rejected?

Due to the emergency nature of the fund and the fast turnover, it will NOT be possible to appeal decisions on grants. However, based on the feedback you receive and in consultation with your Aidsfonds contact person, you could submit a new modified application.

What is not funded?

• Compensation of losses of livelihoods of beneficiaries.
• Nutritional support not related to ARV adherence.
• IT equipment or support, as this is often covered under your existing contract.
• Organisational support, as this is often covered under your existing contract.
• Activities or commodities that can be covered by existing programmes.

It may be good to check with your Aidsfonds contact person what the possibilities are for your proposed activities. A lot of activities may be accommodated (through reallocation) under your existing contract.

How long will the COVID Response Fund be open?

It will remain open depending on available funding and needs.

Have your questions not been addressed in this Q&A?

In case of any other questions or problems, please contact covidresponsefund@aidsfonds.nl.

Visit our dedicated COVID-19 page for answers on COVID-19 and HIV medication, stories from communities, and more.