Save the Children has launched its 2025 Call for Innovations to accelerate progress toward a world where no child suffers from a vaccine-preventable disease. This call targets local organisations in Nigeria and Ethiopia that are developing innovative solutions to the persistent barriers preventing children from accessing life-saving immunisation services.
The initiative is part of the Immunisation Accelerator, funded by GSK, and is designed to identify, fund, and support promising innovations that can help reduce the number of children who are zero-dose or under-immunised. This critical investment aims to contribute directly to achieving immunisation equity and improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations.
Why This Matters
Despite global advancements in immunisation, millions of children continue to miss out on essential vaccines—especially those living in marginalised, remote, or conflict-affected areas. The COVID-19 pandemic further disrupted immunisation systems, making it even more urgent to find novel and context-specific approaches that can be rapidly implemented and scaled.
This call for proposals reflects Save the Children’s commitment to collaborative, evidence-driven innovation and the belief that local organisations are uniquely positioned to identify, understand, and address the complex barriers affecting vaccine access in their communities.
Scope and Objectives
The 2025 Call for Innovations invites applications from organisations with solutions that:
- Address any type of barrier to vaccine access, including but not limited to: demand generation, misinformation, infrastructure gaps, gender-related barriers, logistical constraints, data management challenges, or service delivery models.
- They are at the testing or evidence-generation stage of the innovation cycle.
- Have some early indication of success or feasibility in reducing immunisation-related barriers.
The ultimate objective is to generate actionable evidence of what works, which can then inform larger-scale implementation by health systems, governments, and partner organisations.
What the Partnership Offers
Successful applicants will be designated as Innovation Partners and will receive both financial and technical support to further test and refine their interventions. Key features of the partnership include:
- Funding of up to US$100,000 per project to support research, pilot implementation, and monitoring and evaluation activities.
- An initial partnership term of up to 18 months, with potential for extension based on results and alignment with program priorities.
Why This Matters
Despite global advancements in immunisation, millions of children continue to miss out on essential vaccines—especially those living in marginalised, remote, or conflict-affected areas. The COVID-19 pandemic further disrupted immunisation systems, making it even more urgent to find novel and context-specific approaches that can be rapidly implemented and scaled.
This call for proposals reflects Save the Children’s commitment to collaborative, evidence-driven innovation and the belief that local organisations are uniquely positioned to identify, understand, and address the complex barriers affecting vaccine access in their communities.
Scope and Objectives
The 2025 Call for Innovations invites applications from organisations with solutions that:
- Address any type of barrier to vaccine access, including but not limited to: demand generation, misinformation, infrastructure gaps, gender-related barriers, logistical constraints, data management challenges, or service delivery models.
- Are at the testing or evidence-generation stage of the innovation cycle.
- Have some early indication of success or feasibility in reducing immunisation-related barriers.
The ultimate objective is to generate actionable evidence of what works, which can then inform larger-scale implementation by health systems, governments, and partner organisations.
What the Partnership Offers
Successful applicants will be designated as Innovation Partners and will receive both financial and technical support to further test and refine their interventions. Key features of the partnership include:
- Funding of up to US$100,000 per project to support research, pilot implementation, and monitoring and evaluation activities.
- An initial partnership term of up to 18 months, with potential for extension based on results and alignment with program priorities.
- Comprehensive support for design, piloting, evaluation, and documentation of the innovation.
- Integration into the broader immunisation ecosystem, allowing partners to collaborate with key global health stakeholders and scale their impact.
Who Should Apply?
This opportunity is open to local, community-based, or nationally registered organisations operating in Nigeria or Ethiopia. Applicants should:
- Be working on innovative solutions related to immunisation.
- Have experience in implementing health-related or community-based programmes.
- Be capable of conducting evidence-generation or pilot-testing activities.
- Demonstrate the ability to manage funds and meet reporting requirements.
Preference may be given to initiatives that are inclusive, gender-sensitive, scalable, and have the potential to create sustainable change.
Application and Assessment Process
The application process is fully online. Applicants must submit their proposals via the designated application form available on the Save the Children website.
The process includes:
- Eligibility Check – Applicants must confirm they meet the basic requirements regarding location, organisational status, and stage of innovation.
- Proposal Submission – A detailed application including project description, objectives, methodology, budget, and plans for evidence generation.
- Assessment – Proposals will be assessed based on innovation potential, feasibility, relevance to immunisation barriers, evidence-generation strategy, and impact potential.
- Decision – Selected applicants will be notified and invited to join the Innovation Partnership Programme.
For applicants seeking support, Save the Children provides application guidance, FAQs, and technical assistance options. Wrap-around support may also be available to help grantees navigate implementation, learning, and scaling opportunities.
Important Dates
- Application deadline: Please refer to the official Save the Children website for the exact submission deadline and application timeline.
- Implementation period: Projects are expected to begin shortly after selection and continue for up to 18 months.
Conclusion
The 2025 Call for Innovations is a critical opportunity for locally led organisations in Nigeria and Ethiopia to bring forward their most promising ideas for overcoming immunisation challenges. By becoming Innovation Partners, organisations can access the resources, networks, and visibility needed to transform small-scale solutions into large-scale impact.
In a time when vaccine equity is more important than ever, this initiative by Save the Children offers a vital platform to demonstrate what works—and ensure no child is left behind.