The Benjamin William Mkapa Foundation

The Benjamin William Mkapa Foundation is a Tanzania-based non-profit organization established in 2006 to complement and support the development efforts of the Government of Tanzania. Through federal contract and grant awards, the Foundation primarily provides healthcare quality oversight, training, and technical assistance services focused on HIV/AIDS programs and health systems strengthening in Tanzania. The Foundation's work aligns closely with U.S. government global health initiatives, particularly the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). As a recipient of both prime and sub-awards, The Benjamin William Mkapa Foundation has demonstrated expertise in monitoring and improving healthcare services, building clinical staff capacity, and supporting public health initiatives in high-burden areas of Tanzania.

As a prime contractor, The Benjamin William Mkapa Foundation has been awarded two significant contracts by the Defense Health Agency. The most recent is a $1,113,535.30 firm fixed price purchase order awarded in April 2024 for non-personal services related to community-led monitoring of HIV programs in Tanzania. This four-year contract involves gathering data from healthcare recipients and workers, analyzing information, and providing recommendations to stakeholders across 92 wards in the country. Previously, in September 2020, the Foundation received a $2,101,883.16 definitive contract to monitor and manage the quality of services at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research-supported facilities in Tanzania, utilizing PEPFAR funding. As a subcontractor, the Foundation has provided technical assistance to strengthen health systems under contracts with Jhpiego Corp and ABT Associates. These subcontracts focus on enhancing leadership, governance, policy advocacy, and human resources for health, particularly in the areas of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) services. None of these contract awards were designated as set-asides.

The Benjamin William Mkapa Foundation has also received substantial support through federal grants. A prime grant award of note is a five-year, $54 million cooperative agreement from USAID Tanzania, awarded in February 2020, to support the Mkapa Fellows Program. This program aims to build clinical staff capacity and deliver quality services in high-HIV burden areas of Tanzania with shortages of health workers. As a subgrantee, the Foundation has participated in two significant projects. Under a subaward from JSI Research & Training Institute, the Foundation contributes to enhancing Tanzania's tuberculosis program for sustainable and effective TB contact investigation, applying a client-centered approach within existing health systems. Additionally, through a subaward from PATH, the Foundation supports a digital health initiative by capturing backlog data in 11 pre-determined regions of Tanzania mainland, covering 69 councils. These grant-funded activities demonstrate the Foundation's involvement in diverse public health initiatives, from disease-specific programs to broader health system strengthening efforts.