Technical Support to Improve Global Health Security Systems in Sierra Leone

Location:	District of Columbia
Posted:	Jun 18, 2026
Due:	Jul 20, 2026
Agency:	FHI 360
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	R - Professional, Administrative and Management Support Services
Solicitation No:	2026-018-Sierra Leone_RFP_02
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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Request for Proposals

Request for Proposals for Technical Support to Improve Global Health Security

Solicitation Number: 2026-018-Sierra Leone

To: Prospective Organizations

From: FHI 360 STRIDES ACTIVITY TEAM

Contract Title: Technical Support to Improve Global Health Security Systems

Location: SIERRA LEONE

Date Issued: June 18, 2026

Questions Due: June 25, 2026, 23:59 Eastern Daylight Time

Responses Posted: July 1, 2026, 23:59 Eastern Daylight Time

Submission Deadline: July 20, 2026, 23:59 Eastern Daylight Time

Submission Email: STRIDESProcurement@fhi360.org

Introduction and Project Overview: STRIDES Activity in Sierra Leone

FHI 360, under the Strengthening Infectious Disease Detection Systems (STRIDES) Activity, invites

qualified organizations to submit proposals to support the implementation of Global Health Security

(GHS) activities in Sierra Leone. STRIDES is funded by the U.S. Department of State and aims to

strengthen national and subnational capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease

threats in alignment with international standards and U.S. Government global health security priorities.

Sierra Leone remains vulnerable to public health emergencies due to recurrent outbreaks and ongoing

health system constraints. Past events—including cholera, Ebola, Lassa fever, COVID-19, and mpox—

have exposed persistent gaps in laboratory capacity, surveillance integration, emergency response

coordination, and multisectoral information sharing. While the Government of Sierra Leone has

strengthened its health security systems through the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS),

the establishment of the National Public Health Agency (NPHA), and the expansion of electronic

surveillance systems, the country’s 2023 Joint External Evaluation (JEE) identified continued gaps across

prevention, detection, and response capacities. Key challenges include limited surge capacity,

suboptimal incident management systems, fragmented data use, and insufficient integration across

human, animal, and environmental health sectors.

STRIDES is designed to address these gaps by strengthening laboratory networks, integrated surveillance

systems, data architecture, and outbreak response capabilities. The Activity emphasizes system

integration, improved data use for decision-making, and stronger One Health coordination, while

building institutional capacity and supporting sustainable, government-led systems. Implementation will

be national in scope, with targeted support in high-priority districts identified jointly with NPHA based

on risk and system needs.

FHI 360 seeks a qualified subcontractor with demonstrated in-country presence to support Activity

implementation in close coordination with NPHA, Government of Sierra Leone ministries, US Embassy,

Freetown, STRIDES technical teams, and U.S. Government-funded partners, including the Meeting

Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) and Reaching Impact, Saturation and Epidemic Control

(RISE) projects. Applicants should demonstrate relevant technical expertise and propose approaches

that are feasible, aligned with national priorities, and designed to strengthen existing systems without

duplicating partner efforts. Through this effort, STRIDES aims to enhance Sierra Leone’s capacity for

timely detection, investigation, and response to infectious disease threats, contributing to national

resilience and broader regional and global health security objectives.

Global Health Security (GHS) Objectives

Through this Request for Proposals, FHI 360 seeks qualified local, regional, and international

organizations to implement technical support and capacity-strengthening activities that directly

contribute to the four STRIDES objectives in Sierra Leone:

1. Strengthen detection capacity and laboratory systems at national and subnational levels for

both human and animal health networks, including improvements in biosafety and biosecurity,

diagnostic quality, and access to essential laboratory services.

2. Develop and strengthen sustainable surveillance systems, integrating event-based and

indicator-based surveillance approaches to enable timely detection and reporting of public

health threats.

3. Enhance data collection, analysis, interoperability, and reporting, supporting evidence-based

decision-making across surveillance, laboratory, and emergency response functions.

4. Provide targeted outbreak detection and response support, including surge technical support,

laboratory and surveillance support, and strengthened coordination and logistics during public

health emergencies.

Contractors may propose implementing one or more of the above objectives based on their technical

expertise, institutional capacity, and ability to operate effectively within Sierra Leone’s context. FHI 360

anticipates awarding one or more subcontractors to partners demonstrating strong alignment with

STRIDES’ technical priorities, the Government of Sierra Leone’s health security objectives, and its cross-

sectoral, systems-strengthening approach.

By strengthening laboratory networks, surveillance integration, and outbreak response readiness,

STRIDES will support Sierra Leone to build a more resilient, coordinated, and lasting foundation for

national and regional health security – protecting communities in Sierra Leone from current and future

infectious disease threats.

Technical Description of the Work to Be Performed – STRIDES Scope of Work

Applicants may propose activities across one or more of the following thematic areas. Proposals should

clearly articulate how activities complement, not replicate, ongoing EpiC and RISE investments.

A. Outbreak Preparedness, Detection, and Response Systems

• Strengthen national and subnational coordination structures, including Incident Management

System and Emergency Operation Center functionality.

• Support integration of disease specific response platforms into routine epidemic preparedness

mechanisms.

• Enhance surveillance data analysis, visualization, and use for decision making.

• Support simulation exercises, after -action reviews (AARs), and rapid risk assessments (RRAs).

B. National Laboratory Systems Strengthening

• Improve laboratory network functionality, including specimen referral, biosafety, and quality

management.

• Support implementation of laboratory quality management systems aligned with International

Organization for Standardization (ISO) 15189:2022.

• Introduce or strengthen diagnostics, including multiplex or genomic approaches, where aligned

with national plans.

• Strengthen linkages between laboratories, surveillance, and emergency response.

C. Zoonotic Disease and One Health Surveillance

• Strengthen integrated surveillance across human, animal, and environmental health sectors.

• Support hotspot mapping, targeted surveillance, and risk assessments for priority zoonoses.

• Enhance surveillance at border points and in border communities through coordination with

neighboring countries.

• Build capacity of wildlife, veterinary, and district surveillance personnel.

D. Risk Communication and Community Engagement

• Strengthen community based detection, reporting, and referral systems.

• Support development and dissemination of evidence based, culturally appropriate public health

messaging.

• Promote community led approaches that improve trust, ownership, and compliance with public

health measures.

• Support communication products linked to surveillance, preparedness, and traveler health.

STRIDES will coordinate closely with national frameworks and ongoing regional and bilateral initiatives

to ensure complementarity, avoid duplication, and maximize the impact of investments. Activities will

be implemented through existing government systems at national and subnational levels to reinforce

institutional capacity, support local ownership, and promote long-term self-reliance. Where appropriate,

STRIDES will also engage regional partners, academic institutions, community-based organizations, and

the private sector to leverage technical expertise and strengthen implementation.

Under the technical leadership of FHI 360, STRIDES will deliver a combination of targeted technical

support, training and mentorship, and systems strengthening. Limited and strategic procurement of

laboratory and outbreak response commodities may be undertaken, subject to U.S. Department of State

approval, to address critical gaps and support lasting improvements in capacity.

STRIDES Sierra Leone will be implemented through a partnership model that integrates regional

technical oversight with in-country execution through a lead local subcontractor. The subcontractor will

work closely with NPHA and relevant government entities, supported by NGOs, universities, and

specialized technical partners as needed. Implementation will prioritize strengthening government-led

systems, including use of hub-and-spoke laboratory mentorship models, and will be closely coordinated

with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, EpiC, and RISE to ensure aligned, efficient, and delivery

of GHS interventions.

Technical Management Model

The STRIDES technical oversight model will ensure a unified “One STRIDES” approach, with FHI 360

providing overall leadership in subcontract management, compliance, and coordination. As the prime

partner, FHI 360 will oversee contractual performance, ensure adherence to donor and Activity

requirements, and align all partners through shared governance structures, workplans, and reporting

processes. It will act as the central convener, coordinating engagement with the Government of Sierra

Leone and ensuring that implementation remains consistent with STRIDES’ global standards and

priorities.

Within this framework, PATH and Black & Veatch (B&V) serve as core technical partners, providing

specialized expertise in surveillance/data systems and biosafety/biosecurity, respectively. Working

closely with the Sierra Leone-based subcontractor(s), they will offer technical guidance, tools, and

mentorship to ensure interventions are evidence-based and aligned with international best practices.

The subcontractor will lead day-to-day implementation while engaging in routine coordination, joint

planning, and technical reviews with FHI 360 and consortium partners, and will be responsible for timely

reporting and incorporation of feedback, ensuring integrated, high-quality delivery across all program

areas.

Implementation Approach

Contractors may propose a technical and financial approach for one or more of the STRIDES objectives

based on their institutional strengths, technical expertise, and operational presence in Sierra Leone

and/or the West Africa region. Consortium proposals are acceptable where partners demonstrate

complementary expertise, clearly defined roles, and effective coordination and governance

mechanisms.

Proposed activities must align with the STRIDES Sierra Leone Scope of Work, State Parties Annual Self-

Assessment Report (SPAR)-identified priority capacities, and national strategies under the leadership of

the NPHA, Directorate of Primary Health Care (DPHC), Directorate of Policy, Planning, and Information

(DPPI), Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC), District Health Management Team

(DHMT), Epidemic Preparedness Rapid Response Group (EPRG), and relevant human and animal health

sector counterparts. Applicants should clearly articulate how proposed interventions will strengthen

national and subnational systems for laboratory detection, surveillance, data use and interoperability,

and outbreak response – emphasizing self-reliance, government ownership, systems integration, and

alignment with ongoing regional and bilateral GHS initiatives.

Contractors must clearly describe:

• Objective 1: Approach to strengthening laboratory systems without duplicating EpiC-supported

diagnostic expansion

• Objective 2: Strategy for integrating surveillance systems and aligning with existing eIDSR/DHIS2

platforms

• Objective 3: Approach to enabling higher-order analytics, interoperability, and governance (not

system duplication)

• Objective 4: Flexible surge support model aligned with national response mechanisms

All approaches must demonstrate:

• Technical soundness

• Feasibility within timeframe and resources

• Self-reliance through government ownership

• Explicit non-duplication with EpiC and RISE

Objective 1: Strengthen Detection Capacity and Laboratory Systems for Human and Animal Health

Networks

Contractors may propose activities that include, but are not limited to:

• Provide targeted technical support, training, and mentorship to public health, divisional, and

animal health laboratories to strengthen diagnostic capacity, biosafety and biosecurity, and

quality management systems.

• Conduct participatory biosafety and biosecurity risk assessments across priority laboratories to

identify gaps in infrastructure, procedures, equipment, and workforce capacity, and support

development and implementation of corrective action plans in coordination with NPHA, DPPI,

MECC, DHMT, EPRG, and relevant human and animal health sector counterparts.

• Support standardization and implementation of laboratory quality management systems and

participation in external quality assurance programs for priority pathogens.

• Support limited, targeted procurement (subject to approval) of essential diagnostic equipment,

reagents, and consumables to address critical gaps in laboratory detection capacity.

• Strengthen specimen collection, packaging, transportation, and referral systems, including cold-

chain management, chain-of-custody procedures, and turnaround time optimization.

• Support equipment installation, certification, preventive maintenance planning, and training of

staff in safe operation and asset management.

• Facilitate interoperability between laboratory information systems and national surveillance

platforms to enable timely reporting and coordinated decision-making.

• Coordinate closely with regional and bilateral partners supporting GHS work in Sierra Leone to

ensure complementarity and avoid duplication.

Objective 2: Develop Integrated and Sustainable Surveillance Systems Using Event-Based and

Indicator-Based Approaches

Contractors may propose activities that include, but are not limited to:

• Strengthen integration of event-based surveillance (EBS) and indicator-based surveillance (IBS)

within Sierra Leone’s national surveillance architecture to support early detection and rapid

response.

• Support multisectoral surveillance coordination among NPHA, DPHC, DPPI, MECC, DHMT, EPRG,

and relevant human and animal health sector counterparts through routine information-sharing,

joint analysis, and development of shared surveillance products.

• Develop, update, and disseminate surveillance SOPs, job aids, reporting workflows, and case

definitions for priority infectious and zoonotic diseases, consistent with international standards

and principles.

• Strengthen feedback loops linking laboratory results, field epidemiology data, and community-

or facility-level alerts to national decision-makers.

• Build capacity of surveillance officers, field epidemiologists, and relevant frontline staff in

outbreak detection, risk assessment, reporting, and use of surveillance data.

• Strengthen community- and facility-level surveillance mechanisms and ensure signals from high-

risk settings are systematically captured and escalated through national systems.

• Support improved visualization and routine analysis of surveillance data to inform operational

decision-making.

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Technical Support to Improve Global Health Security Systems in Sierra Leone

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