Research institutes, nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies, international organizations, government agencies and academic institutions may apply. Uganda-based institutions are eligible, and projects or consortia led by applicants from low- and middle-income countries are encouraged. Individuals and organizations classified as individuals for U.S. tax purposes are not eligible. Applicants must also comply with Gates Foundation global-access requirements and the sanctions, weapons and tobacco restrictions stated in the call.

This Grand Challenge seeks affordable, scalable and operationally simple pathogen-sequencing workflows for routine public-health use in low- and middle-income countries. Proposals should substantially reduce sample-to-sequence cost and complexity while maintaining data quality and compatibility with widely deployed sequencing platforms.

Benefits
Tier 1 feasibility awards provide up to US$300,000 for up to 24 months. Tier 2 development awards provide up to US$600,000 for up to 24 months. Tier 3 advanced development and validation awards provide up to US$800,000 for up to 36 months. The programme anticipates approximately 15 awards across the tiers, with final amounts based on technical maturity, scope and funding availability.

Requirements
Prepare a milestone-based research and development proposal that demonstrates a credible pathway toward approximately US$1 to US$10 total sample-to-sequence cost, simplifies pathogen-specific workflows, and can operate reliably in low-resource public-health laboratories. The proposal should explain target pathogens or use cases, sequencing-platform compatibility, turnaround time, data quality, scalability, supply-chain robustness and proof-of-concept or validation plans. Applicants must use the official application instructions, Rules and Guidelines and budget template.

How to apply
Review the full RFP and supporting materials on the Grand Challenges page, select the funding tier appropriate to the maturity of the proposed solution, and submit through the official Gates Foundation application portal linked from the opportunity. Provide the technical proposal, milestones and required budget materials before the deadline.