COVID-19 VACCINE VOLUME ALLOCATION III

The project will provide funding (monetisation of grants by donor countries) to GAVI to support its COVID-19 immunisation campaigns and related activities, notably in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The project contributes to fund the procurement of vaccine candidates for countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Within its funding structure and project scope, GAVI undertakes to make available a certain number of vaccine doses to the eligible LMICs countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America for a total cost equivalent to the amount of EIB loan.

The project mainly concerns investments that are expected to be carried out in existing facilities of the COVAX pipeline companies, or other manufacturing centres already authorised for the same purpose. The compliance with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive 2011/92/EU as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU and the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC as amended) will be verified during the appraisal.

The Promoter, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in 2000, is an international organisation that brings together donor governments, developing countries, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, civil society, and the private sector. Gavi was created to improve access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world's poorest countries. It has become an independent international institution, the first organisation to receive such recognition under the new Swiss Host State Act. Under this EIB project, Gavi will rely on United Nations Children's Fund "UNICEF" and the Pan American Health Organization "PAHO" to conduct the procurement under the project. UNICEF is a United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. PAHO is the specialised health agency of the Inter-American System and also serves as Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The procurement policies and procedures of UNICEF and PAHO follow the same key principles as the EIB Guide to Procurement, which can be summarised as economy, efficiency, non-discrimination and international competition. Moreover, the governance and control structures in place in such multilateral agencies are expected to be robust and in line with best international practice, not requiring EIB's step-by-step monitoring as is the case with public promoters Outside the EU. In conclusion, the Promoter will not be subject to the Guide to Procurement and may follow UNICEF and PAHO's respective procurement policies and procedures under the project.