The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives – Democratic Republic of Congo  (2025)

The Embassy of Canada to the Democratic Republic of Congo is pleased to launch its annual 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 which align with Global Affairs Canada’s thematic priority areas for engagement. The program is directed at projects conceived and designed predominantly by local partners. Projects are selected and approved by the Canadian Embassy. The CFLI also serves to support positive bilateral relations between Canada and recipient countries and their civil societies, by deepening contacts and supporting local endeavours.

How to apply

The average CFLI contribution is $30 000 to $40 000 Canadian Dollars. 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.

The Embassy of Canada to the Democratic Republic of Congo has a two-step process for selecting CFLI funding recipients:

• Step 1: A concept note must first be submitted by all interested organizations.
  • To obtain a concept note form please send an email to knsha.fcil@international.gc.ca and carefully follow the instructions set out in the automatic reply you will receive. For any question regarding the application process please use the same email address.
  • All projects must be completed between the date the contribution agreement is signed and February 28, 2026.
  • The submission deadline is May 25, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. (GMT). Applications submitted after this deadline will not be considered.
• Step 2: Potential partners whose concept notes are pre-screened (based on an assessment of eligibility and merit criteria) will be invited to submit a full proposal.

Organizations eligible to apply for CFLI funding

Eligible recipients include:

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

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. 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, in the current case the following:

• Peace and security, with an emphasis on conflict prevention, peacebuilding and the promotion of living together and national cohesion in the DRC.

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 objective 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, and
• 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:

• accounting costs,
• administrative and overhead costs related to the project (overhead should not exceed 15% of total CFLI contribution),
• advocacy and lobbying related costs,
• capital and/or operating expenditures related to the lease and/or purchase and/or building of infrastructure,
• 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,
• environmental assessment costs,
• 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,
• lease or rental of vehicles,
• legal costs,
• medical costs,
• 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,
• vehicle and equipment operation, installation and/or maintenance,
• 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.