The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives – Canada and the United Nations in New York (2023)

The Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations in New York is pleased to launch its call for proposals for the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).

Program description

The CFLI is a program designed to support small-scale, high-impact projects in developing countries, which align with Canada’s thematic priorities, including inclusive governance, peace and security, and gender equality. The program is directed at projects conceived and designed predominantly by local partners in countries eligible for Official Development Assistance. Projects will be selected and approved by the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations in New York. The CFLI serves to foster partnerships between Canada and recipient countries and their civil societies, by supporting local endeavours and creating connections with the United Nations.

The average CFLI contribution is $30,000 to $90,000 Canadian Dollars (CAD$100,000 is the maximum allocation amount for a project eligible under CFLI). Consult the currency converter for local currency equivalents. Please note that all contributions are made in Canadian dollars and then converted to the local currency.

How to apply

• All projects must be completed between the date of signature of the Contribution Agreement and 28 February 2024.
• The deadline for submission is 16 June 2023 at 23:59 (GMT-5). Applications submitted after this deadline will not be considered. Proposals should be submitted electronically to: cfli-fcil.prmny@international.gc.ca
• Only those proposals using the designated application form and including the required budget document will be considered.
• For more information on the types of activities and costs that are eligible for CFLI funding, please refer to the list of CFLI approved activities and costs.
• Proposals must be completed in English or French.
• Project proposals must explicitly answer all questions in the CFLI project application form, including the required gender-based analysis. The proposed project budget should summarize the proposed activities and associated costs.
• Applications will be assessed for approval on their merits by a selection committee.
• Due to the large number of applicants, only the successful candidates will be contacted.
• The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) project application for funding form (.pdf, 249.15 KB) is not compatible with web browsers. You must save the PDF on your computer in order to complete it.
  • Instructions can be found on this page: Help: Forms in PDF format (eForms)
• Project applications are kept on file at missions in accordance with Global Affairs Canada’s information management policies.

Organizations eligible to apply for CFLI funding

Eligible recipients include:

• Local non-governmental, community and not-for-profit organizations in ODA-eligible countries,
• Local academic institutions working on local projects in ODA-eligible countries,
• International non-governmental organizations working on local development activities in ODA-eligible countries,
• Intergovernmental, multilateral and regional institutions, organizations and agencies working on local development activities in ODA-eligible countries,
• Municipal, regional or national government institutions or agencies of the recipient country working on local projects in ODA-eligible countries, and
• Canadian non-governmental and not-for-profit organizations that are working on local development activities in ODA-eligible countries.

The majority of CFLI funding is to be directed toward local civil society organizations (including non-governmental organizations) and other institutions working at the local level in ODA-eligible countries. Other entities, such as international, intergovernmental, multilateral and regional organizations may be eligible for funding, provided they are working with local partners and on local projects that are consistent with the objectives of the CFLI. Similarly, municipal, regional and national government institutions may receive funding, provided that their projects are essentially local in nature. The CFLI is always looking to fund innovative projects that deliver measurable results.

Thematic priorities

All projects must align with at least 1 of the following CFLI thematic priorities:

• Inclusive governance, including diversity and 2SLGBTQI+, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
• Peace and security, with a focus on conflict prevention and building peace.
• Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

Gender-based analysis

In 2017, Canada adopted its Feminist International Assistance Policy to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls as the most effective way to reduce poverty and build a more inclusive, peaceful and prosperous world. In alignment with this policy, the CFLI project application process now requires a gender-based analysis (GBA). The purpose of this change is to enhance the gender equality outcomes of the CFLI program.

A GBA will require applicants to:

• consider how women, girls, men, and boys are affected differently by the problem their project is aiming to address, ensuring, at the same time, that the project does not cause harm
• consult women and/or girls in the development of their project proposal
• ensure that the views of those women and/or girls inform the project’s design

Note that consultations can include, but are not limited to, speaking to women and girls from the local community, women and other individuals who work for civil society organizations that have worked in the local community and female and male decision and change makers who have knowledge of the local community.

Inadequate completion of a GBA may affect the consideration of your proposal.

Eligible costs

The following project costs are eligible for CFLI funding:

• administrative and overhead costs related to the project (overhead should not exceed 15% of total CFLI contribution)
• advocacy and lobbying related costs
• civic education costs
• conference and event expenditures
• costs of services received by recipients
• domestic travel expenses, using lowest fares possible but not exceeding full fare economy class
• facilities charges,
• equipment rental, and/or purchase (only when the purchase is required to meet project objectives, reflects good value for money, and the recipient has a strong care-and-maintenance plan in place for equipment sustainability),
• hospitality costs, excluding alcoholic beverages
• installation, maintenance, shipping and/or transportation costs, including fuel,
• computers and communication devices
• miscellaneous expenses integral to the project
• outreach, communication and information dissemination costs
• publishing costs
• radio and television broadcast fees
• research-related costs
• salary costs, including stipends, relating to the project,
• security costs
• training and capacity building expenditures
• translation and interpretation fees
• website development and related costs

The following costs are not eligible for CFLI funding:

• nuclear technologies and facilities,
• assistance to military or paramilitary organizations,
• gifts,
• luxury goods,
• direct fiscal support to a government,
• seed funding and/or microfinance,
• core funding or recurrent costs of an organization
• expenses incurred prior to the signing of the contribution agreement, or after it expires