The Challenge
High input costs, complex production processes, and limited manufacturing capacity in LMICs keep the price of essential nutrient ingredients and products prohibitively high. As a result, millions of women and children cannot access proven, lifesaving interventions.
At the same time, there is a clear opportunity: innovations across the entire product lifecycle - raw material sourcing, ingredient formulation, manufacturing methods, and packaging - can dramatically lower costs while maintaining quality. Advances in biotechnology, materials science, food technology, and other industries provide models that could be adapted to nutrition.
We are not seeking incremental improvements. This call is for transformative, bold solutions that can reduce costs by at least 50% compared to current baselines, while maintaining or improving safety, efficacy, and user acceptability. We want to support the development and validation of scalable, sustainable strategies that make high-quality nutrient ingredients and products affordable for LMIC health systems and ensure equitable access for every mother and child.
Based on Latham BioPharm Group research, the commonly available pharmaceutical quality ingredients for the nutrients of interest are calcium carbonate, choline bitartrate, choline chloride, and algal DHA powder. The lowest prices reported are 2.1 USD/kg, 5.8 USD/kg, 1.2 USD/kg, and 52 USD/kg (30% purity) respectively. The target cost for exceptionally low-cost nutrient ingredients should be at least 50% below the lowest price identified.
Focus Areas
Applicants may propose projects under one of the following options:
| Option | Scope | Key Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| A | Development of exceptionally low-cost nutrient ingredients (calcium, choline, DHA) |
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| B | Development of a low-cost prenatal supplement (UNIMMAP MMS + 500 mg/day calcium) |
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| C | Development of an advanced prenatal supplement (MMSplus: UNIMMAP MMS + 500 mg/day calcium + 100 mg/day nicotinamide + 450 mg/day choline + 200 mg/day DHA) |
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Funding Level
| Option | Scope | Target (summary) | Funding | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Exceptionally low-cost nutrient ingredients (Calcium, Choline, DHA) | ≥50% cost reduction vs current lowest prices; pharmaceutical quality; stable, allergen-free, culturally inclusive | Up to US$500,000 per ingredient | Up to 18 months |
| B | Low-cost prenatal supplement (MMS + 500 mg Calcium) | Less than US$2 per 180-day regimen; consumer informed; 6-month accelerated stability in Zone IVb | Up to US$200,000 | Up to 12 months |
| C | Advanced prenatal supplement (MMSplus) | Consumer informed; 6-month accelerated stability in Zone IVb | Up to US$400,000 | Up to 12 months |
Application budgets should be commensurate with the scope of work proposed. Indirect costs should be included in the budget and should not exceed 10-15% of the total award (subject to the Gates Foundation's indirect cost policy).
Eligibility
This initiative is open globally to nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies, international organizations, government agencies, and academic institutions. We invite innovators from nutrition, biotechnology, food technology, pharmaceuticals, and beyond to apply. Only individuals who are applying through a legally recognized corporate entity are eligible.
What We Are Looking For
Successful proposals will demonstrate bold thinking, technical rigor, and a pathway to scale. Specifically, we are seeking proposals that:
- Present transformative cost-reduction strategies, not incremental improvements, with a clear pathway to achieve ≥50% cost reduction.
- Provide specific steps and/or end-to-end solutions, including credible cost modeling at scale (e.g., 3 million regimens per year).
- Demonstrate technical feasibility with the ability to generate meaningful data within 12–18 months.
- Clearly outline team capabilities and expertise, with strong preference for collaborations involving LMIC partners.
- Include a justified budget, which will be reviewed for alignment with scope and deliverables.
- Consider and enable manufacturing in LMICs, ensuring cultural and dietary inclusivity (vegetarian, halal, kosher).
- Are informed by consumer research, addressing acceptability, usability, and adherence.
We encourage applicants to identify and build collaborations with organizations that bring complementary expertise. Where appropriate, the Foundation may facilitate connections among applicants working on related challenges.
We will not fund proposals that:
- Rely solely on price negotiation or procurement tactics (e.g., bulk purchasing).
- Offer only stepwise, incremental improvements with minimal cost impact.
- Focus on delivery models (e.g., distribution, supply chain tools, or market shaping) without product innovation.
- Address nutrients or products outside the defined scope.