This guidance is designed to help TCI accelerator hubs solicit and score formal expressions of interest (EOI) from geographic entities interested in participating in TCI. This is for hubs that have already introduced the TCI concept to different stakeholders and secured interest from specific local government leaders to learn more and/or participate in TCI.

 TCI represents a new mechanism for supporting comprehensive urban family planning efforts in selected cities that follow a three-stage process. TCI’s Challenge Fund provides funding and technical assistance to incentivize the scale-up of successful URHI interventions. Under this mechanism, which is illustrated below, potential city grantees will first express their interest in and qualifications for participating in TCI (Stage 1) by submitting a formal EOI to an accelerator hub. TCI will openly disseminate the EOI requirements to interested parties and evaluate applicants against pre-defined selection criteria to ensure eligibility checklist for challenge funding. Once qualified, applicants access TCI University for an orientation on TCI and technical coaching to develop a project proposal from the accelerator hubs (Stage 2). The submitted proposals will be vetted according to published criteria and, subject to the pool of funds available, those demonstrating the greatest potential for success will be awarded access to counterpart funding for program delivery and technical coaching and mentoring through the accelerator hubs (Stage 3). TCI will ensure a rigorous monitoring and evaluation plan is in place for the implementation sites.  Throughout each stage, it is key that hubs maintain transparency with applicants on what criteria are key to participating in TCI and how applicants are selected for challenge funding.

For the EOI stage, there are four general selection criteria to be reviewed for each TCI applicant. Within each of the four criteria there are suggestions for each of the selection criteria for hubs to adapt. Please review and adapt the details within the four criteria but do not alter the main headings of each criteria.

To ensure consistency, and reduce subjectivity/bias in scoring across each hub, TCI requires that hubs evaluate EOIs on the following selection criteria by scoring each criteria a numerical value from 0 to the maximum points provided. Please note that not all criteria are evenly scored as some criteria are more important than others. Each applicant will receive a cumulative score. The maximum score will be 70 points.  Those applicants with the highest scores will advance to stage two.

The criteria are as follows: 

1. Political commitment (maximum points: 15): Applicant provides written or other examples of public political commitments the city/state has made to increase access to family planning. Applicant should demonstrate how TCI will align with government plans and priorities. Examples can include commitments to FP 20/20, Saving One Million Lives (SOML), etc.. Applicants should detail what political commitment will exist to support FP among political leaders (i.e. do they speak positively on FP?); experience initiating FP/RH projects, “domesticated” any national FP related bills and any outspoken FP champions in its locale.  EOI submissions should include formal/signed agreements, letters, orders, or any other supporting documentation from the highest levels of government to demonstrate formal political support towards the Challenge Initiatives goals.
2. Resource contribution (maximum points: 20): this will include specific commitment cash, non-cash, as well as material and non-material contributions that each city or state can leverage. Domestic budget allocations, loans, grants and donor resources and NGOs operating in the area can be included. Additionally, applicants can affirm if they have a specific budget line for FP or RH activities and a tracking/accounting/auditing mechanism for funds county has/operates a dedicated account to receive donor funds. EOI submissions should include evidence that these resources exist and will be applied towards the Challenge Initintative.
3. System readiness (maximum points: 15): provide details on what health systems are prepared to participate in TCI, including: trained providers for all family planning methods, status of supply chain system, supportive supervision structure, quality improvement, community mobilization, advocacy, and others.
4. Size for potential impact (maximum points: 20): each state/county to identify which urban center(s) should be proposed for TCI as well as what the total number of women of reproductive age (WRA) in each urban center and what percentage of WRA would be reached with FP services. Applicants can also include data on specific FP unmet, which is defined as the proportion of women who needs FP but were not on any method.

Template for EOI: In addition to the template to the left, hubs should include a cover letter describing the purpose of TCI, call for EOIs, list a contact at the accelerator hub for more information or support, and set a deadline for applying. All EOIs should be reviewed at the same time by three or more TCI hub staffers and an analysis of submissions, scoring and selection should be shared with TCI global within one week after EOI submission and applicants should be notified no later than two weeks after submission.