Questions and answers – Call for concept notes – Health, education and women's and girls’ rights and empowerment in Afghanistan

This page includes questions and answers about the Call for concept notes - Health, education and women's and girls’ rights and empowerment in Afghanistan. The deadline for submitting questions for this call is March 19, 2025 at noon, EST.  We’ll post answers to questions received before this deadline as we receive them. We may rephrase questions so that they apply to all applicants and protect their identities. Consult this page often.

This page is not a substitute for the guidance contained on the Call for concept notes– Health, education and women's and girls’ rights and empowerment in Afghanistan Call page or on .

Questions and Answers

Application Process

• Does the signatory organization(s) have to be registered inside Afghanistan?

  The signatory organization is not required to be registered in Afghanistan and may propose a project involving a formal partnership with an organization registered in Afghanistan.

• Can an organization submit several concept notes under this call?

  Applicant organizations may only apply twice as a lead/signatory or co-signatory (please see "Partnerships and consortiums" section of the call page).

  Note that signatory organization(s) must meet all of the organization eligibility requirements. Non-signatory organizations are not required to meet the eligibility requirements of this call and may be involved in more than two concept notes.

• Is there a limit to how many organizations can be part of a consortium?

  No, there is no limit to the number of organizations that can be part of a consortium, whether as co-signatories or not.

  Please note that for a consortium, the applicant must designate an organization to lead the group, but each co-signatory must be registered and must upload all required documents to the Partners@International portal.

• Is it possible to contact a member of the 抖淫视频 team to discuss specifics related to the concept note?

  To ensure the transparency and fairness of this process, 抖淫视频 does not communicate individually with candidates. If you still have questions about this call after reading the general Questions and answers about applying for funding, please send them to correspondence.pid@international.gc.ca by 12 pm (noon) EST March 19, 2025.

• Where can we find information if we encounter technical difficulties while registering or trying to submit our concept note through the Partners@International portal?

  For any technical difficulties related to Partners@International, please email partenaires-partners@international.gc.ca.

• I am not able to open the concept note form that is linked to the call page. How can I access this document?

  If you are unable to view the concept note form please follow the instructions on the Help page.

  You will need to download the form to your computer, save it and then open it.

• Is it possible to get a Sample of the proposal form?

  The proposal template will be shared only with applicants who are invited to submit a proposal.

• Is it possible for an organization to have more than one of its projects selected for funding under this call?

  Yes.

  Please note, however, that your organization can only participate in this call twice as an applicant or signatory.

• What is the maximum length of a concept note?

  The content of the completed concept note should not exceed 6 pages in English and 7 pages in French.

  The total number of pages will be calculated by the form itself once it has been validated. For further details, please refer to the form instructions available on the call page.

• What is the word count for each section in the concept note template?

  Please note that there is no word count limit for each of the sections of the concept note form; the page count is overall and validated by the form.

• Are the projects in this call eligible for a humanitarian exemption under section 83.03 of the Criminal Code?

  Projects funded under this call will not be eligible for humanitarian exemption.

  As indicated on the call page, if a selected project requires authorization, 抖淫视频 will lead the authorization process.

  Please refer to the “Authorizations subject to section 83.03 of the Criminal Code” section of the call page.

• Can GAC provide any further information on the process, requirements and timelines for securing an authorization from Public Safety?

  GAC is not able to comment on the process, requirements and timelines for securing a section 83.03 authorization from Public Safety. Please refer to their website for further information: .

• Would projects selected under this call be able to start implementation prior to securing an 83.03 authorization from Public Safety?

  The implications of the 83.03 authorization process with Public Safety will have to be assessed on a project by project basis.

• For projects selected for funding under this call, if the implementing organization is not subject to Canada's Criminal Code, or chooses to accept the risk of contravening section 83.03 of the Criminal Code, is it still necessary to secure an authorization from Public Safety?

  Projects selected for funding under this call will be subject to an authorization by Public Safety Canada if they take place inside Afghanistan. For any projects selected through this call and for which an authorization will be required, GAC will lead on the application process for an authorization.

• When can applicants expect to receive results of the call?

  Applications to this call will first undergo an eligibility check to verify that the application meets all organization eligibility requirements and required project parameters listed on the call page. Next, we will check that the application demonstrates the required project experience. Applicants that do not meet the eligibility criteria and the required project experience will not proceed further in the assessment process and will be notified at that time. Applicants that meet eligibility criteria and required project experience will proceed to the merit assessment. Following our completion of merit assessment and the selection of projects, we will notify all applicants of their results. We cannot provide any specific timelines as to when this information will be shared with applicants.

• What is the difference between “lead signatory,” “co-signatories,” and “non-signatory”?

  Signatory refers to the organization that signs the financial instrument. If there is more than one signatory identified in a concept note, then all organizations are co-signatories. Each concept note must identify one lead signatory (“Signatory number 1” in the concept note form). In addition to submitting the concept note on behalf of all signatories, the lead signatory would be responsible for receiving payment on behalf of all co-signatories and would be the subject of a financial viability analysis at the full proposal stage. In cases where there are concerns about financial viability of the lead, analysis may be done on co-signatories. Non-signatory organizations may partner or collaborate with the signatory or co-signatories in the achievement of project activities. Only signatories (lead signatory and co-signatories) need to meet the eligibility criteria.

Project Information

• Is it possible to use sub-contracting arrangements to implement planned project activities?

  It is at the discretion of the signatory organization(s) to propose the implementation approaches best suited to their project.

  It is essential to properly assess potential risks and put in place adequate controls. Implementation approaches should take into consideration Guidance on Eligible Costs for Development Initiatives. Please also consult the “Partnerships and consortiums” section of the call page.

• What responsibilities do organizations have with regard to the safety of their personnel if their project is selected for implementation under this call?

  For further details organization can consult the section 21 from Contribution Agreement – General Terms and Conditions.

• Do concept notes have to explicitly target GE3 gender equality coding to be selected for this call?

  No.

  To find out more about how to integrate gender equality into your project, please refer to the gender equality section of the call page, as well as the Toolkit for Gender Equality in Projects.