Summary
The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), in cooperation with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention (DSTDP), is seeking to award one-time funding for up to 15 state or local public health laboratories (PHLs) for the purpose of developing capacity for molecular detection of
Treponema pallidum either as a standalone test or as part of a multiplex genital ulcer disease panel. Funding will be awarded via a contract with APHL.
Eligibility
All state or local US public health laboratories are eligible to apply for the one-time funding.
Anticipated RFP Schedule
January 12, 2026 RFP Issued
January 26, 2026
Informational Teleconference
February 2, 2026 Required Letter of Intent Due to APHL (see below)
February 27, 2026 RFP Responses Due
Multiple Dates Follow-Up Interviews and Updated Proposals Due (if needed)
May 1, 2026 Estimated Contract Start Date
APHL will communicate any modification to this anticipated schedule on APHL's procurement website (www.aphl.org/rfp) and via an email blast to public health laboratories.
Response Submittal
Confirmation of Intent to Respond
To allow for appropriate review process planning, a letter of intent is required for consideration. APHL requires that prospective applicants submit a brief email statement indicating an intent to submit a proposal to
Sarah.Buss@aphl.org with a copy to
infectious.diseases@aphl.org. APHL must receive this email by no later than
11:59pm EDT on the date listed in the Anticipated RFP Schedule above.
Final Response
APHL must receive complete responses by
11:59 pm EDT on the date listed in the Anticipated RFP Schedule above. Please see Proposal-Required Submissions section for items that must be included in the completed proposal. Applicants may send proposals via email to
Sarah.buss@aphl.org with a copy to
infectious.diseases@aphl.org.
APHL will send an email acknowledging the receipt of your application; if you do not receive an acknowledgement within two business days, please email the RFP point of contact above to confirm receipt.
RFP Materials
The
Official RFP Document will provide detailed information. APHL will post all RFP-related documents, current schedule information, and answers to submitted questions and clarifications on APHL's procurement site,
www.aphl.org/rfp.
Questions and Answers
Can the multiplex for T. pallidum be with other STI targets but not HSV 1/2?
A: It can, however for the purpose of this award such an assay would be prioritized along with single-plex assays.
Is this going to be a collaborative effort with other labs on developing and sharing validation samples?
A: We have not planned to do that. However, we would be happy to facilitate calls and communications between awardees to encourage sharing of specimens. If you do any work on this front in advance of proposal submission it should be noted in the submission.
Can you go over the breakdown of the funding distribution per lab?
A: That will depend on the proposals received and funded. We have $150,000 to devote to this project and will give up to 15 awards. We anticipate awards coming in between $10,000-40,000, so of course the number and amount of awards we can fund depends on what proposals are received and how the reviewers score each proposal. We would encourage you to submit a budget that asks for what you need in order to get the work done.
Are we able to make a panel for any targets we want? On the panel we create are there any targets that are REALLY wanted?
A: We were not prescriptive in terms of what these panels target because we want you to include what makes sense for your laboratory. That said, to be prioritized as a multiplex panel, the assay must target T. pallidum and HSV 1/2. VZV and mpox are other pathogens mentioned in the RFP, but additional targets (LGV, H. ducreyi, etc.) may also be appropriate.
So, you will want the budget to go till April 30? Will APHL cover overhead costs?
A: Assuming a 1 year contract that begins on May 1, 2026, the budget should go through April 30, 2027. APHL does not typically cover overhead costs for these one-time awards as the goal is to develop a sustainable testing capacity.
Could the panel be a commercial assay and LDT used in-tandem? For example, we have a Panter Fusion; we could bring on Hologic’s HSV assay and develop an LDT for T. pallidum and always run the two assays together.
A:Yes, you can use any combination of commercially available test kit or ASR or laboratory developed assays.