The ASEAN-UK Health Security Partnership (HSP) is a major new 5-year programme supporting ASEAN Member States and their partners to strengthen health security, build resilient health systems, and address the impacts of climate change on health across the region.

• Access funds for multi-country projects and country-specific initiatives.
• Peer Exchange Awards can support your short-term, cross-border knowledge sharing and collaboration.
• Access Technical Assistance to strengthen your work.

Who can apply?

Round 1 of HSP’s grant making has now closed. Eligibility is determined on a round-by-round basis. Previous funding rounds have invited applications from the following groups:

• Autonomous government institutions with operational, technical, or academic functions (not core ministry budgets)
• Civil society organisations, NGOs, INGOs, and academic institutions working with or supporting ASEAN Member States.

Please sign up for our mailing list below for information on future funding rounds.

In which health areas does ASEAN-UK HSP work?

HSP contributes to priorities determined in consultation with ASEAN Health Clusters 2, 3, and 4, and our funds meant to support grantees and member states to contribute to the ASEAN Post-2015 Health Development Agenda (2021-2025). 

Learn more about the ASEAN Health Priorities here. 

HSP’s Round 1 areas of focus included: 

• Prevention and control of communicable diseases, emerging infectious diseases, neglected tropical diseases, and zoonotic diseases
• Regional preparedness and response to public health emergencies
• Strengthening laboratory capacity
• Combatting antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
• Environmental health, health impact assessment and health impact of climate change
• Disaster health management
• Universal health coverage, including health financing, service delivery
• Pharmaceutical development
• Human resources for health
• Digital health and health information system
• Food safety

What can be funded under ASEAN-UK HSP?

HSP aims to ensure that the ASEAN health sector is better equipped to facilitate equitable action on regional health security objectives and reduce development gaps among member states.

We focus on contextually relevant approaches that have the potential to contribute to catalytic change to improve health systems resilience, strengthen national and regional preparedness and response to health emergencies, and support ASEAN member states to address the health impacts of climate change. 

HSP funded work supports national or regional efforts to adopt best practices and evidence, strengthen capabilities, and establish or bolster trusted relationships & One Health coordination mechanisms through one or more of the following Mechanisms of Change (MOC):

• Policy dialogue and governance
• Evidence generation and data production
• Systems and infrastructure strengthening
• Workforce and institutional capacity building
• Multi-sectoral convening and partnership building

View our Theory of Change.

Round 1 offered the following types of funding:

• Multi-country grants (24-36 months)
• Country grants (18-24 months)
• Peer exchange awards (up to 12 months)
• Direct awards (non-competed and up to 36 months)

Please check our programme factsheet in the Resource Section for detailed information. 

How can I apply for funding under ASEAN-UK HSP?

We will announce future funding rounds here and by email. Please register to our mailing list below to receive information about the upcoming funding round and receive an invitation to upcoming information sessions.

Government agencies may be eligible to apply for funding under the ASEAN-UK Health Security Partnership programme if they meet specific criteria for autonomous government entities. Most important: HSP cannot provide direct Government-to-Government bilateral financial aid. Therefore it is important for government entities to understand the requirements below:

Eligibility criteria
The programme recognises as eligible:

• Public entities established by law or government decree within ASEAN member states.
• Agencies with a clear mandate from national government to independently coordinate health security, public health, or multisectoral activities.
• Institutions empowered to manage their own budgets or revenues and directly receive, administer, and report on external funding.
• Bodies with explicit legal standing and statutory ability to carry out grant-funded actions aligned with programme priorities.

Examples of eligible applicants 
Eligible agencies include:

• National public health institutes
• National public laboratories
• Multisectoral coordination mechanisms or steering committees legally established within ASEAN member countries
• National centre for disease control
• National training facilities or public health universities 

How to confirm eligibility
To confirm eligibility:

• Check for establishment by law/government decree and independent fund management capability.
• Ensure legal authority to receive and utilise external grants for public health/multisectoral coordination.
• Look for descriptors such as “autonomous public entity” and “statutorily mandated to coordinate health security.”

What would make my agency ineligible?
An agency would be ineligible if:

ASEAN Centres and Networks should inquire about direct (non-competitive) funding from the HSP programme, aligned with the Health Priorities of AHC 2, 3, and 4. 

Please register to our mailing list here to receive updates and announcements about future funding rounds.

The HSP Peer Exchange Platform is a flexible platform to support exchanges between peers that contribute to safer, more prepared and resilience health systems in ASEAN countries. In Round 1, HSP Peer Exchange awards provided funding up to £75,000 for short term exchanges between ASEAN Member States, between ASEAN Member States and UK actors, or between between ASEAN Member States and global South actors. 

Eligible projects included:

• Structured knowledge exchange
• Dissemination of best practices
• Technology transfer
• Cross-border collaboration
• One Health collaboration
• Fellowship programme with hosted placements

And other approaches to exchange.

HSP also has a special interest in exchanges that are integrated into HSP’s grant-funded projects – ie, to support grant delivery through aspects of project design, needs assessment, delivery, and learning.

Learn how ASEAN government and academic organizations can prepare for HSP peer exchange awards here.