Global Affairs Canada’s funding processes for international assistance

Development

Any civil society organization (CSO may submit funding applications for an international development project through various mechanisms:

Broad-based mechanisms

1. Call
2. Unsolicited proposal

Note:

• If funding is provided, the funding agreement will be a grant or contribution. According to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s Policy on Transfer Payments and Directive on Transfer Payments, grants and contributions cannot provide a profit to the recipient.
• Applicants must consult the provided links to verify their eligibility (criteria, requirements, types of organizations eligible to apply).

Targeted mechanisms

3. Request for Proposal

When the Department needs to procure goods or services on behalf of an eligible beneficiary of official development assistance (for example, to implement a specific project design), it launches a competitive process by publishing a request for proposal (RFP) on Buy and Sell.gc.ca.

Applicants may submit a bid, following the instructions published in the RFP. There is both a technical evaluation and a financial evaluation of the bids submitted, and a contract is offered to the successful bidder. (Under the government’s Contracting Policy, profit is allowed in a contract.) If you have any questions about a specific contracting process, please be sure to follow the instructions for questions provided within the RFP.

4. Institutional Support (Long Term)

The Department provides institutional support to some multilateral organizations to support their operations. This funding is not intented for a  specific project, and it is provided in the form of a grant. (Note: Multilateral organizations are those organizations created by treaties between states. Canada holds a seat on the board of most of the multilateral organizations it funds.)

5. Institutional Support (Program-Based Approaches)

The Department can provide funding to a sovereign entity (another country’s government). Sometimes Canada’s international assistance is provided through the development agency of another donor country because they are managing the initiative directly or because doing so is the most efficient way of supporting a particular initiative.

In certain cases, the government of a developing country sets out a framework  through which donors can provide funding for a specific initiative, or a particular sector, or the overall operations of that government. The recipient government demonstrates capacity in public financial management and commits to achieving specific outcomes . In addition to achieving targeted development objectives, , this type of funding helps  strengthen the governance capacity of the recipient government. It enables improved management of public services while fostering greater recognition by citizens of the role and responsibilities assumed by their government in delivering these services. Sometimes a trust fund managed by a third party, such as the World Bank, is also used for this purpose.

6. Department-Initiated (Global Partners)

Circumstances sometimes indicate that the most effective approach to a particular development challenge is to work with a specific multilateral organization. In this case, the Department can invite an organization to submit a proposal. Pursuant to the agreements established with multilateral organizations, these organizations may use their own proposal templates and documentation when engaging with all donors.

A multilateral organization may also submit an unsolicited proposal through this process.

7. Department-Initiated (Civil Society Organization)

The Department can target a specific Civil Society Organization (CSO) with an invitation to submit a proposal for an initiative that aims to achieve specific high-level development results. Sometimes, that organization already has a successful initiative in place that the Department wishes to see extended to new areas. Sometimes there is only one CSO already working with a particular local organization, or in a specific sector in an isolated or insecure geographic region.  A crisis or other circumstances may require a rapid intervention. In such contexts, the fastest and most efficient way of delivering assistance is by targeting a specific CSO that is already on the ground and has proven its capacity to achieve the desired results.

The CSO targeted in a Department-Initiated process receives a formal letter of invitation, signed by the director of the relevant program . The provision of funding is never guaranteed until the Department  has accepted the proposal and signed a financial instrument with the organization. The invited CSO may choose to decline the invitation, but if it accepts, it is required  to design the initiative and submit a complete application package using the application form provided with the invitation. The submitted proposal is then assessed on its own merits.

8. Department-Initiated – Multiple Invitations (Civil Society Organizations)

Some initiatives require specific credentials and/or experience that few civil society organizations (CSOs) have. Based on pre-defined criteria, the Department can invite a small number of organizations to each submit a proposal for an initiative with the intent to fund one or more projects.

When the Department invites CSOs to apply, they receive a formal letter of invitation. The provision of  funding is never guaranteed until the Department has accepted  the proposal(s) and signed  a financial instrument with the organization(s). The invited CSOs may choose to decline or accept the invitation. If they accept, the CSOs must each design an initiative and submit a complete application package using the application form provided with the invitation. The submitted proposal is then assessed on its own merits.

The application process can be done in 1 step (where full proposals are requested upfront) or 2 steps (concept notes are first requested, and then  one or more CSOs are invited to submit a full proposal). The submitted  proposals are assessed both on their own merits and through a comparative analysis.

Humanitarian assistance

Humanitarian assistance follows a separate process. Please review these instructions on the guidelines page if you are interested in applying for funding for a humanitarian assistance initiative.

Security programming

Security programming follows a separate process. Please review the specifications for this type of programming if you are interested in applying for funding through a security program.