Innovative Financing to Support Infectious Disease Research & Development (R&D;): Mapping Models and the Ecosystem for South (SA) and Southeast Asia (SEA)

There are recurring failures across the infectious disease R&D ecosystem, specifically late-stage R&D and commercialisation. Addressing these challenges requires both increased funding and innovative financing mechanisms and partnerships.

A comprehensive landscaping exercise will map out existing opportunities, gaps, and barriers to leveraging funding from impact investors, identifying effective funding models to boost new investment, thereby enhancing access to critical products in SA and SEA.

Goal 1: Better understanding of financing gaps, and opportunities that lead to innovative financing models: Landscaping of existing or emerging models, including those successfully deployed in other applicable areas, will be conducted.

A typology of funding models for various stages of the R&D process for different types of infectious diseases will be built.

The project will examine the role that innovative financing can play and identify models that are scalable, equitable, and profitable.

A whitepaper will present the key models identified, summarising these into a typology relevant to R&D, and suggest next steps.

Goal 2: Convening social investors to mobilise collaborations: Findings of the whitepaper will be leveraged to convene funders in the AVPN network to test their appetite for mobilising capital toward individual financing instruments, as well as to garner commitments.