The World Bank’s GFF × CIVIC Platform, a joint initiative of the Global Financing Facility (GFF) and the CIVIC: The Civil Society and Social Innovation Alliance, has selected two consortiums to lead civil society and youth engagement in health systems. Supported by a US$10 million investment over two years, the consortiums will manage subgranting and provide technical assistance to ensure meaningful and sustained participation of civil society and youth in GFF partner countries.
Following an open call for proposals launched in July, applications were reviewed by expert committees from both the GFF Secretariat and CIVIC team. The GFF Civil Society Coordinating Group (CSCG) contributed priority criteria for the selection, and proposals were evaluated based on project design, sustainability, complementarity among consortium partners, and alignment with GFF-supported country platforms and World Bank operations.
The first consortium, led by PATH in partnership with the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) and the Organization of African Youth (OAY), will focus on strengthening civil society engagement and youth leadership to advance domestic resource mobilization for women, children, and adolescent health. Through subgrants to local organizations, capacity-building activities, structured policy dialogues, and accountability mechanisms, this consortium will help civil society and youth-serving organizations influence financing decisions and shape national health system priorities.
The second consortium, led by Action Against Hunger along with the Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN) and The Youth Café (TYC), will scale and institutionalize community-led innovations to improve adolescent health and nutrition outcomes. By connecting local actors to governance processes, strengthening advocacy and coordination networks, and harmonizing CSO- and youth-led solutions with national health systems, the consortium aims to enhance adolescent well-being and support evidence-informed policy adoption.
Through these partnerships, the GFF × CIVIC Platform seeks to amplify community voices, foster inclusive and evidence-based policy dialogue, and strengthen accountability mechanisms within health systems. Subgrants are expected to be announced and implemented in the first half of 2026, following the finalization of agreements between the World Bank and the respective consortiums.
