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Grand Challenges

Multiplex Platforms to Assess Indicators of Micronutrient Status, Inflammation and Infectious Disease

Before applying to this Grand Challenges request for proposals (RFP), applicants should familiarize themselves with the supporting documents, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.gatesfoundation.org/documents/sample-terms-and-conditions.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">terms and conditions of the Gates Foundation</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/sites/default/files/files/indicators_of_micronutrient_status_rules_and_guidelines.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rules and Guidelines</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/sites/default/files/files/indicators_of_micronutrient_status_application_instructions.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Application Instructions</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/multiplex-platforms-assess-indicators-micronutrient-status-and-infection-and-inflammation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)</a>.
If you plan to apply to this RFP, we will host a dedicated&nbsp;<a href="https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/87a5ecee-9e3c-417d-a46c-ab3012b9fa85@296b3838-4bd5-496c-bd4b-f456ea743b74" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">webinar</a>&nbsp;on August 11, 2026, 7:00-8:00 a.m. US PDT. The session will provide an overview of the RFP and include time for questions. To attend, please <a href="https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/87a5ecee-9e3c-417d-a46c-ab3012b9fa85@296b3838-4bd5-496c-bd4b-f456ea743b74" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">register</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=ODhrKdVLbEm9S_RW6nQ7dNyUf4PhutFBmFMAT6JKpddUOVBQVzFaR041MFc4MEU0QkFDTEpUVEs1Qi4u" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">submit your questions in advance</a>. A recording will be posted on the challenge page following the session for those unable to join live.
<h2>Background</h2>
Vitamins and minerals, collectively referred to as micronutrients), play essential roles in human metabolism and are required for physical growth, cognitive development, immune function, and the recovery from infection. Micronutrient deficiencies, particularly among vulnerable groups in low- and middle-income countries (chiefly women of child-bearing age, especially during pregnancy and lactation, preschool-age children and older adults), constrain social and economic development and limit progress toward good health and well-being. These deficiencies may arise from insufficient dietary intake, from concurrent disease or parasitism, or from genetic traits that affect MN metabolism. Diagnosing their causes, magnitude, severity, and population prevalence is essential for designing appropriate treatments and interventions, and for monitoring their effectiveness and safety.
Over the past fifty years, progress against several long-standing micronutrient deficiencies has been substantial. Goiter and cognitive impairment caused by iodine deficiency have largely disappeared with iodized salt and iodine supplementation in animal feed; survival and resistance to infection have improved through correction of vitamin A deficiency; and neural tube defects have fallen in many high-income countries through folic acid fortification and supplementation. Progress against iron deficiency and anemia has been more modest, in part because infection and inflammation impair iron absorption and utilization. Micronutrient status must therefore be assessed together with biomarkers of infection and inflammation. There is also a need to add bioindicators for micronutrients that are infrequently assessed but central to physiology: vitamins B2 and B12, for example, are essential for the conversion of folic acid into folate (the active form of vitamin B9) and for combined action as catalyzers of many enzymatic reactions. In non-affluent populations, B2 or B12 deficiency may be as important as B9 deficiency.
Recent advances in immunological and molecular recognition technologies allow several bioindicators to be measured simultaneously. For example, the Quansys multiplex kit measures several analytes (soluble transferrin receptor, ferritin, retinol binding protein, thyroglobulin and the acute-phase proteins CRP and AGP) in a single microplate well. This is possible because these analytes are immunogenic proteins for which specific antibodies can be generated. Extending this approach to less immunogenic bioindicators may now be feasible using other analyte-binding molecules, such as folate-binding protein from milk or porcine plasma, the B12 intrinsic factor, and synthetic nucleotide sequences, including RNA or DNA) aptamers that bind small molecules. This Grand Challenge seeks novel approaches to extend analytical coverage, improve sensitivity and specificity, simplify measurement, reduce cost, and enable frequent monitoring of micronutrient status by local institutions. A multiplex assay works only for analytes of similar chemical nature and concentration, so the wider micronutrient panel under discussion for the MNBI (for example zinc, vitamin C and vitamin D) cannot simply be folded into a single platform; those analytes require different detection principles and belong to separate future workstreams. No single platform is expected to carry every analyte, and this challenge focuses on the multiplex-compatible set, allowing a complementary, separate plate where needed (for example, red-blood-cell folate).
<h2>The Challenge</h2>
Although combined immunological measurement of several micronutrient biomarkers has been demonstrated, current methods still have important limitations. These include heterogeneity in the composition of standards and controls; inconsistent batch-to-batch performance of&nbsp;analyte-binding molecules; variable reactivity for some analytes, especially soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR); and a functional analytical range that is too narrow to cover the physiological values of some analytes, such as CRP. It would&nbsp;also be valuable to add bioindicators for vitamins B1, B2, B9 and B12, which may require binding molecules that recognize metabolites or proteins associated with deficiency, a specific vitamer (plasma methyl-tetrahydrofolate without reacting with folic acid), comparable reactivity across vitamers (several folate forms in red blood cells), or a specific carrier-protein form (holo-transcobalamin rather than apo-transcobalamin or haptocorrin for vitamin B12).
The improved assays must combine high analytical specificity, sensitivity and robustness with a functional analytical range matched to the physiological values expected in the target populations&nbsp;(women of reproductive age, including during pregnancy and lactation, preschool-age children and older adults). Assays must remain low-cost (no more than US$20 for all analytes measured in duplicate) and require very small sample volumes, preferably less than 10 µL of plasma or serum). The tests are intended for population surveillance rather than local clinical (point-of-care) use. They should be designed to run many samples in a single batch in a small number of national or regional reference laboratories. The goal is to reduce dependence on expensive, infrequent population surveys and on export of samples to specialized laboratories in high-income settings.
This challenge is structured around two alternatives,&nbsp;a minimum-scope approach and an optimistic-scope approach. Targets are aligned with the candidate <a href="https://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/sites/default/files/files/indicators_of_micronutrient_status_target_product_profile.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Target Product Profile</a> for this platform, and applicants will be held to the relevant performance, cost and instrument targets.
<div class="responsive-table"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Parameter</th>
<th>Alternative A - Minimum scope</th>
<th>Alternative B - Optimistic scope</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Analyte panel</td>
<td>Strengthen and modestly extend the current multiplex test. Measure: soluble transferrin receptor, ferritin, RBP4, thyroglobulin, plasma methyl-tetrahydrofolate (without cross-reactivity with folic acid; a complementary folic-acid-specific test may be proposed), holo-transcobalamin (without cross-reactivity with apo-transcobalamin and all-haptocorrin), CRP and AGP.</td>
<td>All Alternative A analytes, plus metabolites or proteins associated with vitamin B1 and B2 deficiency, and thyroid hormones. A complementary test for whole-folate vitamers in red blood cells may also be included, on a separate microtiter platform if needed.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sample volume</td>
<td>≤10 µL plasma/serum</td>
<td>≤5 µL plasma/serum. Other specimen types, such as dried blood spots (DBS), may also be addressed as optimistic scope; see note below. Response (not optimization) in twice that volume of whole blood from the same individuals should also be measured and reported, together with hematocrit.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Analytical Precision (CV)</td>
<td>&lt;20% CV total; &lt;15% within-run at the functional analytical sensitivity covering the expected physiological range of each analyte</td>
<td>&lt;10% CV total; &lt;8% within-run at the functional analytical sensitivity covering the expected physiological range of each analyte</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Analytical sensitivity (LoD)</td>
<td>sTfR: 2–30 mg/L&nbsp; Ferritin: 5–100 µg/L&nbsp; RBP4: 0.3–3.0 µmol/L&nbsp; Thyroglobulin: 10–100 µg/L&nbsp; Methyl-THF: 5–50 nmol/L&nbsp; Holo-transcobalamin: to be defined&nbsp; CRP: 1–30 mg/L&nbsp; AGP: 0.5–5 g/L&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;</td>
<td>sTfR: 1–40 mg/L&nbsp; Ferritin: 2–200 µg/L&nbsp; RBP4: 0.2–4.0 µmol/L&nbsp; Thyroglobulin: 5–300 µg/L&nbsp; Methyl-THF: 2–100 nmol/L&nbsp; RBC folate: 100–2000 nmol/L&nbsp; Holo-transcobalamin: to be defined&nbsp; CRP: 1–50 mg/L&nbsp; AGP: 0.25–5 g/L&nbsp; Thyroid hormones, B1, B2: as required for satisfactory diagnostic performance</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Accuracy (Bias / Trueness)</td>
<td>≤ 10% bias across the measuring range for all target analytes when tested against certified reference materials</td>
<td>≤ 5% bias across the measuring range for all target analytes when tested against certified reference materials</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Concordance&nbsp;</td>
<td>≥90% concordance when measured against, validated laboratory immunoassays or analytical gold standard methods, for all target analytes</td>
<td>≥95% concordance when measured against, validated laboratory immunoassays or analytical gold standard methods, for all target analytes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Cost target</td>
<td>≤US$20 per sample for all analytes measured in duplicate (i.e., 2 wells). This ceiling is per sample for the full panel in duplicate, not per analyte.</td>
<td>≤US$20 per sample for all analytes measured in duplicate (i.e., 2 wells). Optimistic stretch goal: ≤US$10 per sample for the full panel in duplicate.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Instrument</td>
<td>Bench-top signal-detection device, ≤US$30,000 per unit.</td>
<td>Bench-top signal-detection device, ≤US$25,000 per unit.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Funding &amp; term</td>
<td>Awards up to US$200,000 per project; grant term up to 12 months.</td>
<td>Awards up to US$800,000 per project; grant term up to 24 months. Budgets and terms evaluated per project and commensurate with scope.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div>
Note on dried blood spots:&nbsp;application of these assays to dried blood spots is a distinct downstream study to be undertaken once the tests are developed, and is not part of the core development scope of either alternative. Sample-volume targets are included&nbsp;to keep this pathway open. Applicants with an integrated, DBS-capable approach may optionally submit DBS-readiness data; such data are invited but will not be scored.
Specifically, the objectives of this challenge are to:
<ul>
<li>Improve the current multiplex test for immunological determination of nutritional-status analytes, overcoming standard heterogeneity, widening the functional analytical range to the expected physiological values, and maintaining simplicity and low cost (Alternatives A and B).</li>
<li>Extend the panel to bioindicators of vitamins B9 and B12&nbsp;by introducing novel binding molecules (Alternatives A and B).</li>
<li>Measure the nutritional status of vitamins B1 and B2&nbsp;using metabolites or proteins associated with their deficiency (Alternative B).</li>
<li>Develop an immunological or other binding-based test for total folate in red blood cells that gives results comparable to the microbiological assay, and maintain accuracy and precision from small plasma/serum volumes to enable later application to dried blood spots (Alternative B).</li>
<li>Maintain accuracy and precision using small plasma or serum volumes in order to enable later application to dried blood spots.</li>
</ul>
Funding Level
Awards depend on the alternative proposed:
<ul>
<li>Alternative A (minimum scope):&nbsp;awards up to US$200,000 per project, with a grant term of up to 12 months.</li>
<li>Alternative B (optimistic scope):&nbsp;awards up to US$800,000 per project, with a grant term of up to 24 months, evaluated per project.</li>
</ul>
Application budgets should be commensurate with the scope of work proposed. Indirect costs may be included in the budget, up to a maximum of 15% of the total budget (subject to the&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.gatesfoundation.org/Documents/Indirect_Cost_Policy.pdf" target="_blank" title="https://docs.gatesfoundation.org/documents/indirect_cost_policy.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gates Foundation's indirect cost policy</a>).
Eligibility Criteria
This initiative is open to nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies, international organizations, government agencies and academic institutions. We particularly encourage applications led by women or in collaboration with women-led organizations, and applications from or in collaboration with institutions based in low- and middle-income countries. Only applicants applying through a legally recognized corporate entity are eligible. Because no single institution is likely to hold all the necessary expertise, collaboration among groups working in human metabolism, biomolecule characterization and immunology is strongly encouraged.
We are looking for proposals that:
<ul>
<li>Address a clearly defined analyte, performance or cost target within the scope of this challenge.</li>
<li>Demonstrate a novel or innovative approach to extending multiplex analytical coverage (e.g. new analyte-binding molecules).</li>
<li>Demonstrate collaboration and coordination among institutions with complementary expertise.</li>
<li>Can realistically achieve the objectives within the proposed timeframe.</li>
<li>Include a feasible implementation plan for low- and middle-income reference laboratories, with attention to affordability and end-user needs.</li>
<li>Show potential for scalability at low cost and assure the future supply of equipment and reagents.</li>
<li>Offer ongoing technical assistance and equipment maintenance.</li>
</ul>
We will not fund proposals that:
<ul>
<li>Fall outside the thematic focus of this RFP.</li>
<li>Offer incremental improvements without meaningful innovation.</li>
<li>Are commercialization-only efforts.</li>
<li>Constitute basic research without translational relevance.</li>
<li>Focus on excluded geographies or populations.</li>
</ul>

Micronutrient deficiencies, particularly among vulnerable groups in low- and middle-income countries (chiefly women of child-bearing age, especially during pregnancy and lactation, preschool-age children and older adults), constrain social and economic development and limit progress toward good health and well-being. These deficiencies may arise from insufficient dietary intake, from concurrent disease or parasitism, or from genetic traits that affect MN metabolism. Diagnosing their causes, magnitude, severity, and population prevalence is essential for designing appropriate treatments and interventions, and for monitoring their effectiveness and safety.

Multiplex Platforms to Assess Indicators of Micronutrient Status Inflammation and Infectious Disease

AI-Enabled Consumer Engagement to Advance Family Planning

Before applying to this Grand Challenges request for proposals (RFP), applicants should familiarize themselves with the supporting documents, including the <a href="https://docs.gatesfoundation.org/documents/sample-terms-and-conditions.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">terms and conditions of the Gates Foundation</a>, the <a href="https://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/sites/default/files/files/ai_consumer_engagement_for_family_planning_rules_and_guidelines.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rules and Guidelines</a>, <a href="https://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/sites/default/files/files/ai_consumer_engagement_for_family_planning_application_instructions.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Application Instructions</a>, and <a href="https://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/ai-enabled-consumer-engagement-advance-family-planning-frequently-asked-questions-faqs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)</a>.
If you plan to apply to this RFP, we will host a dedicated <a href="https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/ac4a79a3-e3f8-4878-8384-7f4a6a2fc759@296b3838-4bd5-496c-bd4b-f456ea743b74" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">webinar</a> on August 4, 2026, 7:00-8:00 a.m. US PDT. The session will provide an overview of the RFP and include time for questions. To attend, please <a href="https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/ac4a79a3-e3f8-4878-8384-7f4a6a2fc759@296b3838-4bd5-496c-bd4b-f456ea743b74" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">register</a> and <a href="https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=ODhrKdVLbEm9S_RW6nQ7dNyUf4PhutFBmFMAT6JKpddUNFc3TjhIQ05MMTVJUVJSWDg4MkVZOEE0Ty4u" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">submit your questions in advance</a>. A recording will be posted on the challenge page following the session for those unable to join live.
<h2>Background</h2>
Despite significant investment in family planning programs across sub-Saharan Africa, unmet need for contraception remains high. Women and girls face persistent barriers to accessing accurate, personalized information about family planning - barriers that clinic-based counseling alone cannot overcome at the scale and cost required to meaningfully shift contraceptive prevalence. Digital tools have expanded reach, but most existing approaches rely on one-way or rule-based messaging that cannot replicate the kind of responsive, personalized conversation that moves women from awareness to action.
Recent advances in large language models have changed what is possible. Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled consumer engagement tools can now hold nuanced, multi-turn conversations in local languages, respond to individual questions and concerns, and deliver personalized information at very low marginal cost across both public and private sector channels. Platforms with existing distribution - through telecoms, government health systems, community networks, and commercial channels - are beginning to deploy these tools at scale across the region, often serving broad women's health and consumer health needs that could extend to family planning.
What the field lacks is evidence. We do not yet know which AI-enabled engagement approaches work best to drive contraceptive uptake and continuation, which conversation features and content strategies make the difference, or how to evaluate interaction quality in ways that predict real outcomes. Without that understanding, investments in AI-enabled family planning tools cannot be optimized, replicated, or responsibly scaled. This challenge is designed to generate that evidence - and to build the shared analytic foundation the field needs to learn from it.
<h2>The Challenge</h2>
This RFP seeks to answer a core question for the family planning field: can AI-enabled direct-to-consumer engagement improve contraceptive uptake, continuation, and informed method choice at scale - and, if so, which approach works best?
This challenge is designed to generate practical evidence on what high-quality, AI-assisted family planning engagement looks like in the AI era. We are interested in understanding which AI-enabled tools are most effective to engage users and improve contraception uptake and continuation. More specifically, we are interested in understanding which tools and approaches (e.g., content personalization, rapid content scaling, automated customer journeys, etc.) work best for which types of users to directly engage them and improve uptake and which platforms/tools have demonstrated less success for this objective. We do not expect applicants to arrive with platforms already proven for contraception; we welcome consumer engagement approaches with a demonstrated track record in women's health or consumer health more broadly, and ask applicants to deploy, test, and assess how well they work for family planning.
The challenge will focus on women and girls of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa. Interventions can be delivered through public sector platforms, private sector channels, or hybrid models.
Applicants must be able to measure the quality and characteristics of the AI-enabled interaction, scale and usage, and the user outcomes that occur after the interaction. Successful proposals should demonstrate a credible pathway between AI-enabled engagement and family planning outcomes, while also contributing to learning that can inform the broader field. Applicants should be prepared to assess not only whether the intervention changed behavior, but how and why.
Objectives
The objectives of this challenge are to:
<ol>
<li>Generate evidence on impact and scale. Demonstrate whether and how AI-enabled direct-to-consumer engagement improves contraceptive uptake, method continuation, and/or informed method choice at scale.</li>
<li>Identify the features of effective engagement. Determine which interaction characteristics, content strategies, personalization approaches, prompts, follow-up models, or conversation patterns are associated with stronger user outcomes.</li>
<li>Build a shared evidence base for AI-enabled family planning engagement. Produce labeled conversation examples, interaction taxonomies, quality rubrics, safety, confidentiality, and guardrail protocols, and/or other analytic tools that can help the field evaluate and improve AI-enabled consumer engagement beyond a single program or platform.</li>
<li>Assess cost, feasibility, and added value. Document the cost, operational requirements, feasibility, and comparative value of AI-enabled engagement relative to alternative consumer engagement or demand-generation models, including the conditions under which AI-enabled approaches are likely to add meaningful value.</li>
</ol>
Proposals should be designed to produce both programmatic results and field-building insights. The strongest applications will combine a compelling intervention model with a rigorous approach to measurement, a clear plan for analyzing interaction quality, and a commitment to generating practical learning that can inform future investments in AI-enabled family planning tools.
Funding Level
We will consider proposals for awards of up to $500,000 USD for each project, with a grant term of up to 12 months. Application budgets should be commensurate with the scope of work proposed. Indirect costs may be included in the budget, up to a maximum of 15% of the total budget (subject to the <a href="https://docs.gatesfoundation.org/Documents/Indirect_Cost_Policy.pdf" target="_blank" title="https://docs.gatesfoundation.org/documents/indirect_cost_policy.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gates Foundation's indirect cost policy</a>).
Eligibility Criteria
This initiative is open globally to nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies, international organizations, government agencies and academic institutions. Multi stakeholder collaborations are encouraged. Individuals and organizations classified as individuals for U.S. tax purposes are not eligible to receive an award from the foundation as part of this initiative.
We are looking for proposals that:
<ul>
<li>Applicants should have existing women’s/ consumer health intervention cohorts in Nigeria, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Senegal, Niger, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia or Côte d’Ivoire.</li>
<li>Applicants should have an existing consumer engagement approach - in family planning, women's health, or consumer health more broadly - and an established user base or distribution relationship - characterized by engagement (e.g., monthly active users), not size alone - ideally in at least one target geography at the time of application</li>
<li>The AI-enabled engagement approach itself can be new and innovative, but the grant period should be spent on deployment, learning, and evaluation, not on acquiring users or negotiating platform access</li>
<li>Propose a credible evaluation design that measures the quality, safety, and confidentiality of the AI-enabled interaction and downstream user outcomes, including contraceptive uptake, method continuation, or informed method choice</li>
<li>Have a clear theory of what effective engagement looks like and how interaction quality connects to behavior change - and a plan to test it</li>
<li>Operate at sufficient scale to generate meaningful findings within the grant period</li>
<li>Commit to producing outputs that contribute to the shared evidence base - including but not limited to labeled interaction examples, conversation quality rubrics, interaction taxonomies, or safety, confidentiality, and guardrail protocols</li>
<li>Demonstrate that AI-generated content is grounded in vetted, locally relevant family planning information aligned with national MOH or WHO guidelines</li>
<li>Are led by organizations with deep contextual knowledge of the target geography and population</li>
<li>Define their target user and explain how relevant their existing user base is to family planning outcomes - particularly for solutions not originally focused on family planning</li>
<li>Describe their user acquisition model, including key metrics, and their user retention efforts - recognizing that engagement quality and the human touchpoints before and after the digital interaction matter as much to family planning outcomes as user-base size</li>
</ul>
We will not fund proposals that:
<ul>
<li>Rely on engagement metrics alone - sessions completed, messages sent, users registered - as primary evidence of effectiveness</li>
<li>Lack an existing user base or distribution relationship in a target geography at the time of application</li>
<li>Propose work outside of sub-Saharan Africa. Preference for solutions targeting Nigeria, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Senegal, Niger, or Côte d'Ivoire</li>
<li>Are primarily research-led without a real-world operational deployment component at scale</li>
</ul>

This RFP seeks to answer a core question for the family planning field: can AI-enabled direct-to-consumer engagement improve contraceptive uptake, continuation, and informed method choice at scale - and, if so, which approach works best?
This challenge is designed to generate practical evidence on what high-quality, AI-assisted family planning engagement looks like in the AI era. We are interested in understanding which AI-enabled tools are most effective to engage users and improve contraception uptake and continuation.

The Grand Challenges family of initiatives fosters innovation to solve key health and development problems. See below for Grand Challenges and related grant opportunities.