UNFPA Launches Equalizer Challenge: New Funds for Women's Health Innovation

Open Opportunities Team
Insights , Technology
24 Apr, 2025
01 Min read

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has launched The Equalizer Challenge: Scaling Women’s Health Innovations, providing catalytic funding alongside a six-month development programme specifically for women-led healthcare enterprises.

This initiative creates potential opportunities for healthcare suppliers looking to engage with emerging innovations that could shape future procurement trends.

UNFPA's Equalizer Challenge targets women-led enterprises ready to scale beyond pilot stages, focusing on healthcare innovations that reach underserved communities. According to the press release, only 1% of global healthcare research and innovation funding addresses female-specific conditions beyond oncology, and just 0.2% of R&D funding focuses on sexual and reproductive health in developing countries. The programme features biweekly coaching, expert mentorship, and direct connections to global health and investment networks to help these enterprises achieve meaningful, scalable impact.

Healthcare Procurement Trends Create Opportunities for Women-Led Startups

Our Global Medical & Healthcare Supply Chain Analysis reveals significant insights relevant to healthcare startups. Recording and monitoring systems show a consistent trend toward shorter contract durations, declining from 24.8 months in 2022 to 16.1 months in 2024, suggesting a more dynamic procurement environment for healthcare technology solutions.

*Total Changes 2022-2024 by Category and Metric*
*Global Medical & Healthcare: Supply Chain Analysis 2025 by Open Opportunities*

Want to see 10,000+ worldwide healthcare tender and contract opportunities?

Book a call with our team to explore how your business can position itself within this evolving procurement landscape.

A Guide to Government Procurement for Cybersecurity Training and Workforce Upskilling

The global public sector is currently facing a critical cybersecurity skills shortage. With the UK cybersecurity market valued at approximately €14.28 billion and workforce upskilling requirem

The Space Economy Is Booming, and It's Creating Procurement Opportunities You Might Not Expect

The global space economy hit $613 billion in 2024 and is on course to pass the trillion-dollar mark within the next decade. That trajectory is reshaping not just how we think about space, but who g

Christmas deadlines 2025, fewer Christmas tenders but at what cost?

Ian Makgill
Insights
12 Dec, 2025

5 years ago I started publishing our "Christmas Grinch" series. Essentially all we did was name names and point fingers at the procurement villains wh

UK Cyber Security Investment: £100M for Contractors 2025

The UK announces a £100 million cybersecurity investment for national security institutions in the 2025 Spending Revie

Does your service have ALL the tender opportunities?

If you’re using local tender portals, you’re missing a crucial piece of the puzzle. You could be using an official government source (e.g. Find A Tender in the UK or Sam.gov in the

Cybersecurity Funding Canada 2025: Government Opportunities for Tech Companies

Canada's cybersecurity funding program offers $10.3 million for tech companies developing cybersecurity innovation.

How to Read Government Buying Signals 6 Months Before RFP Release

Government buyers across jurisdictions don't wake up one morning and decide to issue a tender. International procurement cycles follow predictable patterns, and the public procurement data exists to

New German Digital Ministry Consolidates 6 Divided Responsibilities

Germany's new Federal Ministry for Digital and State Modernisation (BMDS) [has launched](https://datainnovation.org/2025/06/germanys-new-digital-ministry-will-make-or-break-the-governments-ai-ambitio

Canada Launches $25M Digital Health Fund for SME Innovation

How to Access Canadian Healthcare Funds The Terry Fox Research Institute [launched](https://www.dhdp.ca/updates/news-item/terry-fox-research-institute-launches-25-million-digital-health-innovatio

AdvaMed's Policy Roadmap Unlocks Global Sales Potential

AdvaMed has released its "AI Policy Roadmap" to guide US lawmakers on regulating AI-enabled

Asia Pacific Drives 50%+ of Global Tech Spending Growth

The APAC tech market is where the money's flowing in 2025. The region will drive more than half of a 1.7ppt nominal growth acceleration in global US$-measured tech spending in 2025 based on [research

Colombia: The $2 Billion Of Tech Tenders You're Missing

The 2025 Colombian technology landscape represents Latin America's most promising tech hub, creating opportunities for strategic sales professionals. The sector now accounts for 3.0% of national GDP

Norway's Healthcare Investment 2025: Industry Opportunities

Record Healthcare Spending in Norway's 2025 Budget The Norwegian government has unveiled a significant healthcare investment package in its 2025 state budget, creating substantial opportunities f

Open Opportunities at The European Big Data Value Forum

At Open Opportunities, we're on a mission to improve the global procurement market, valued at an astounding £13 trillion annually. We're proud to collect, manage, and ana

New Saudi Arabian Opportunities Now on Open Opportunities

We're thrilled to announce a significant update to our Open Opportunities platform: the addition of 40,000 new opportunities per year from Saudi Arabia. This expansion gi

EV Charging in Europe: A Booming Market for Business

According to a recent report by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, ["Charging ahead: accelerating the roll-out of EU electric vehicle charging infrastructure"](https://www.acea.auto/

New Provider Selection Regime: A Guide for Healthcare Bid Managers

The Provider Selection Regime (PSR) introduces five distinct routes for procuring healthcare services in England. While the Compe

New US Federal AI Rules: A Guide for Government Suppliers

[The new Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memorandum](https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/M-24-10-Advancing-Governance-Innovation-and-Risk-Management-for-Agency-Use-of-Artifici

IChemE Blue Book: The Advantages of EPCM Contracting

Last year, the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) published the Blue Book, which marks a significant mileston

Getting the Most from Mobile CRM

The research by Rodriguez and Boyer emphasises first having well-defined sales processes before implementing mobile Customer Relationsh

New NHS Framework Accreditation: What Suppliers Need to Know

The NHS has announced a new framework accreditation process starting April 2024 that will

The Power of Key Account Management in Sales

Key account management (KAM) has become a fundamental part of sales strategy for many B2B companies. But what makes this approach so effective? Let's explore three key benefits of KAM for driving sal

How to Motivate Your Sales Team for Peak Performance

What drives your sales team to go above and beyond their quotas each month? As a sales manager, you know motivation is critical, but pinpointing the magic formula can be tricky. [Teresa Santos Ferre

The Impact of Value-Driven Marketing for Sales Leaders

Value-driven marketing focuses on creating meaningful value for customers beyond just selling products. Dr Atul Kumar and his academic team described this approach in their paper ["The impact of valu

Leveraging AI to Enhance Sales Funnels

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the business sales process. A recent study by Paschen, Wilson, and Ferreira (2020)

How EU Green Subsidies Are Changing the Game for Bid Managers

The European Union has significantly increased its support for green initiatives and state aid, exemplified by flagship programs [EU Green Deal and REPowerEU](https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-an

How to Decide Between Human and Automated Sales Agents

Companies increasingly use automated sales agents (ASAs), such as chatbots, to complement or replace human sales agents (HSAs), however, research finds that customer responses to ASAs versus HSAs cha

Turning Government Data into Strategic Tech Opportunities

By analysing historical data on public sector spending and contracts awarded, tech companies can identify specific technology categories receiving investment. Tracking spending fluctuations over time

Tips for Navigating Government Procurement: Global Consulting

Consultancies can unlock tremendous value by tapping into the wealth of worldwide government procurement data. This article explores key tips for effectively accessing and analysing government procur

Data-Driven Decision-Making: Leveraging Analytics for Effective Government Export Strategies.

Open Opportunities Team
Business , Insights , Software , Technology
28 Dec, 2023

In the realm of government exports, the adoption of data-driven decision-making processes has become an indispensable component for fostering strategic advantage and informed choices. This article ex

Evaluating the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Digital Exports for Government Suppliers.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of global trade, government suppliers are turning to cutting-edge technologies to enhance efficiency and competitiveness. Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerges as a p

Digital Transformation in Government Procurement: A Comprehensive Guide.

Traditional procurement processes are evolving, and embracing digital technologies has become imperative for government entities worldwide. This article serves as a comprehensive guide to navigating

Digital Export Strategies for Government Suppliers.

In global trade, digital export strategies have become indispensable for government suppliers seeking to expand their reach and enhance competitiveness. This article delves into the key consideration

The £73 Million Uniform Wave: Why 383 Expiring Contracts Represent Your Next Big Opportunity

If you are holding a contract won in 2022, look at your calendar. Across the UK and the European Union, 383 workwear and PPE contracts are set to expire in the next 12 months. This represents a mas

How SMEs Can Find and Win Public Sector Contracts Under the UK's New Procurement Act

Ian Makgill
Guides
03 Mar, 2026

The Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025, replacing four separate sets of EU-derived regulations with a single, unified framework. The government says it will open up nearly &po

What Happens to American Suppliers If Europe Starts Closing Doors?

The EU's Anti-Coercion Instrument gives Brussels a powerful new tool: the ability to exclude companies from unfriendly nations from public procurement across all member states. While designed with

New Sources for Austria & Germany

Ian Makgill
Release notes
13 Jan, 2026

We've been working hard on the DACH region. In November we added twenty new Austrian sources including sources for the Tirol, Vienna and Salzburg. Just befor

UK Defence Innovation Fund: £400m for Military Tech Suppliers

The UK has formally launched UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) with £400 million ringfenced wit

Completing Our Two-Year Knowledge Transfer Partnership with London Metropolitan University

As we mark the completion of our two-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership with London Metropolitan University today, we're taking time to reflect on what has been a rewarding journey of academic-indus

Asian Governments Spent Big in June: Here's What Exporters Need to Know

The numbers are staggering. We've analysed the June tenders in Asian government spending to give exporters and sales teams the intelligence they need to win more contracts. This data reveals exa