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Questions and Answers – 2021 call for concept notes – Development Impact Window – Canadian Small and Medium Organizations for Impact and Innovation

This web page includes questions from potential applicants and answers from ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ regarding the 2021 Call for Concepts – Development Impact Window - Canadian Small and Medium Organizations for Impact and Innovation. This web page is not a substitute for the guidance on the application process contained on the web page of this call, the portal and the application form.

Please note that ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ may re-draft questions from applicants in order to protect their identities, as well as to ensure that the questions and answers are broadly applicable to all applicants.

Please note that the deadline for submitting questions regarding this call for proposals is Wednesday, August 18, 2021 12 p.m. (noon) ET. Answers to questions received before this deadline will be posted below.

Application process and eligibility

Which 2 financial statements are you requesting? (September 3, 2021)

You are asked to provide 2 separate financial statements for the most recent fiscal years. For example, the most recent fiscal year may have ended in March 2021 or December 2020, depending on the fiscal year schedule of your organization. This would be considered 1 financial statement. Using the same example fiscal years, the second financial statement would be for the fiscal year ending in March 2020 or December 2019. Please remember that you are asked to provide 2 separate financial statements. Audited statements are preferred. If audited statements are not possible, statements must be signed by a member of the board of directors or delegate or by the owners.

Choosing among various project experiences to profile, how should we prioritize our example selection:
1. Experience with a project of similar budget and duration
2. Experience in the same part of the world in which the proposed project will take place
3. Experience with the same type of project (e.g. agricultural, education, micro-lending)
4. Experience with a project with strong gender results (September 3, 2021)

As mentioned on the call page, past project examples should demonstrate “significant and relevant technical experience, success in delivering results and ability (expertise and experience) to carry out a project of the proposed size and nature.” It is at the applicant’s discretion to determine which past project example best demonstrates these elements. The points listed on the call page should be highlighted if they apply to the past project example, but they are not requirements.

When providing a past project example, how far back are we able to go in choosing a project to profile? (September 3, 2021)

There is no specific timeline required. However, past project examples that are more recent will help demonstrate organizational ability to carry out the proposed project.

Is a handwritten signature required for the attestation form? (September 3, 2021)

Yes. The attestation must be printed, signed and uploaded to the portal with your application package.

What does the proposal number mean in the attestation form? (September 3, 2021)

A number will be automatically assigned to your application once you start to create a proposal in the Partners@International portal. This is the proposal number requested in the attestation form.

Is it valid to present the audit statements for fiscal years 2018 to 2019 and 2019 to 2020? (July 26, 2021)

As indicated on the call page, your organization must provide 2 separate financial statements for the 2 most recently completed fiscal years (for example, 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021). Audited statements are preferred. Otherwise, statements must be signed by a member of the board of directors or their delegate, or by the owner(s).

Our organization's annual overseas expenditures include projects that are not considered development assistance (for example, pastoral work, humanitarian assistance or institutional strengthening). Is it necessary to include projects that are not considered development assistance in total annual overseas expenditures? (July 26, 2021)

As indicated on the call page, your organization must not have annual overseas expenditures exceeding $2 million in development assistance (i.e. projects administered with the promotion of the economic development and welfare of developing countries as their main objective). This includes humanitarian assistance and, potentially, institutional strengthening, depending on whether the main objective of this work was the promotion of the economic development and welfare of developing countries.

For more information on the definition of Canadian "official development assistance", please refer to the section, Information for Applicants, on the webpage, The Official Development Assistance Accountability Act, including the Guidance Note links in that section.

Do scholarship programs count toward overseas expenditures? (July 26, 2021)

If a scholarship program was done as development assistance and the main objective of this work was the promotion of economic development and welfare of developing countries, it should count toward overseas expenditures.

For more information on the definition of Canadian "official development assistance", please refer to the section, Information for Applicants, on the webpage, The Official Development Assistance Accountability Act, including the Guidance Note links in that section.

Can an organization submit 2 concept notes for different projects under this call? (July 26, 2021)

No. You may only submit 1 concept note under this call as either the lead signatory or co-signatory. If your organization submits more than 1 application, either on its own or as a co-signatory, we will only consider the 1 with the earliest submission time stamp.

If an organization is undergoing an amalgamation with another organization, does it need to submit financial statements for the 2 most recently completed fiscal years for both of the organizations that are amalgamating? (July 26, 2021)

Yes.

Are the criteria listed under the section of the call page, "Organizational ability relevant to the initiative", used for eligibility screening? (July 26, 2021)

No. This information is used for the merit assessment of your proposal, and not for eligibility screening. As indicated on the call page, concept notes that meet the organization eligibility requirements will proceed to assessment based on merit criteria listed under "How we assess your concept note", including the section "Organizational ability relevant to the initiative".

Is it an eligibility requirement to have experience managing a project that is 75% of the value of the proposed project? (July 26, 2021)

No, this is not an eligibility requirement; rather, it is guidance intended to give you more insight into how to design your project and how ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ applies criteria at the merit assessment stage. It is important that you are designing a project for which you have adequate experience to implement.

Can the relevant project experience example be from a project implemented by a non-signatory partner, such as a local partner? (July 26, 2021)

No. The project experience example must be provided by the signatory or a co-signatory.

For organizations that have not been operational for the past few years, is there an alternative to financial statements? (July 15, 2021)

No. Organizations must provide 2 separate financial statements for the 2 most recently completed fiscal years.

Can a small or medium organization which has existed for less than 2 years submit a concept note? (July 15, 2021)

No.

If our organization submits a concept note in partnership with another organization, is it acceptable for only the other organization to submit financial statements? (July 15, 2021)

No. If your organization is submitting a concept note in partnership with another organization, each of which would co-sign the funding agreement with ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ, then each organization (each co-signatory) must provide 2 separate financial statements for the 2 most recently completed fiscal years.

Are donations in kind included when calculating annual overseas expenditures in development assistance to establish small or medium organization status? (July 15, 2021)

No. Donations in kind should not be considered when an organization is calculating its annual overseas expenditures in development assistance.

Is it permitted for a non-profit organization to partner with a for-profit organization under this call? (July 15, 2021)

Yes. For-profit organizations are eligible as long as they meet the organization eligibility requirements. However, proposed projects are not permitted to generate a profit for the applicants or for any other implementing organization involved in the project.

If a concept note is submitted in partnership with other small or medium organizations, which organization needs to register in the Partners@International portal? (July 15, 2021)

The lead signatory and all co-signatories must be registered in the Partners@International portal. Co-signatories must submit all required organization documents under their portal profile (in other words, a letter of incorporation or proof of an organization’s legal status, and 2 separate financial statements, but not the attestation form). All proposal documents (in other words, the complete and validated concept note and all signed organization attestation forms from the lead signatory and all co-signatories) must be submitted by the lead signatory only.

Is the $10-million revenue cap a hard cap? Are organizations that exceed that threshold ineligible to apply? (July 15, 2021)

In order to be eligible for this call, an SMO cannot have consolidated revenue of more than $10 million for the last completed (most recent) fiscal year. Organizations that exceed this threshold are not eligible to apply for this call.

If an applicant has annual overseas expenditures exceeding $2 million in development assistance in the most recent fiscal year, but is spending less in the current fiscal year or anticipates spending less when the proposed project becomes operational, are they still eligible to apply? (July 15, 2021)

For the purposes of deciding whether an organization meets the definition of an SMO, the calculation of consolidated revenues and overseas expenditures is based on the most recent completed fiscal year.

Can non-signatories be non-Canadian organizations? (July 15, 2021)

Yes. Non-signatories can be non-Canadian organizations.

Should an educational institution determine if it is eligible under this call by calculating the overseas expenses in development assistance of the faculty, department or institute writing the concept note or by calculating the expenses of the university as a whole? (July 15, 2021)

If the faculty, department or institute applying has an autonomous budget within the university, then the financial statements of the autonomous faculty, department or institute should be used to determine eligibility. If the university’s budget is centralized, the small and medium organization (SMO) attestation must be done at that level, and the university’s financial statements must be used to determine eligibility. The person signing the SMO attestation must be responsible for the budget of either the faculty, department or institute that is submitting the application or the university as a whole.

Can an organization that was approved for funding under the 2017 or 2019 Call for Canadian Small and Medium Organizations participate as a non-signatory for the 2021 call for concept notes? (July 15, 2021)

Yes. However, any signatories to a funding agreement with ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ must meet all eligibility criteria. As a result, an organization would not be permitted to be a lead signatory or a co-signatory for the 2021 call if that organization was approved for funding under the 2017 or 2019 calls.

If an international organization has a Canadian office and a non-Canadian office, but grants typically flow through the non-Canadian office, can we apply for this call through the international office? (July 15, 2021)

No. Proposed signatories must be registered in the Partners@International portal and must meet all of the organization eligibility requirements to be considered under this call, which includes being legally incorporated in Canada. Applications that do not meet all organization eligibility requirements and required project parameters will not proceed to merit assessment.

What are ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ’s expectations for the Local Partner(s) - Information Form at the concept note stage? (July 15, 2021)

Completing the Local Partner(s) - Information Form is optional at the concept note stage. If the information is available, you are encouraged to submit it, as it can give a more complete picture of your proposed project. Organizations invited to submit a full proposal will be required to complete the local partner form at the full proposal stage. Local partner forms will be assessed at the full proposal stage.

What will be assessed at the concept note stage versus the proposal stage? (July 15, 2021)

¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ is using a 2-stage process for this call. The concept note stage is intended to gather general information on proposed projects and applicants. The full proposal stage is used to get more detailed and complete information about the proposed project and the applicant, including local partners and how the project design reflects input from local consultations. Please consult the guidance text in the concept note form when preparing your concept note. As well, the How we assess your concept note section of the call page was designed to indicate what elements are assessed at the concept note stage and what elements are assessed at both stages.

Can we submit the required application forms using other software (for example, Microsoft Excel)? (July 15, 2021)

No. If you use other software, the application will be considered ineligible.

Can we add or remove signatories at the full proposal stage or after project approval? (July 15, 2021)

No. Signatories must remain consistent across the different application stages.

Are all Canadian universities eligible to apply to this call? (July 15, 2021)

Yes. They can apply if they meet the eligibility requirements of this call.

Can applicants submit an application to both Fund for Innovation and Transformation call for concept notes and this call for concept notes? (July 15, 2021)

Yes. Both calls are distinct, and you can submit a concept note to both calls. Please visit the website of the for more information.

Are we required to submit a budget with our concept note? (July 15, 2021)

No. A project budget will only be asked for and evaluated at the second step of this process. In other words, you will only be required to submit a budget if you are invited to submit a full proposal. Organizations that are invited to submit a full proposal will be asked at that time to provide a budget table with cost details. While exact costing is not expected at the time of application (as budgets often require adjustments over time), it is expected that the first version of the detailed budget provided to ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ will provide solid financial information, and that if the project is approved, there will be only limited adjustments made to that budget.

Do local partners or local service providers that will be involved in the project need to meet the eligibility criteria? (July 15, 2021)

No. Only the lead signatory and co-signatories need to meet the eligibility criteria.

Is there an average number of intermediate outcomes you expect to see in the concept note? (July 15, 2021)

The recommended minimum number of intermediate outcomes is two, and the maximum is three. For more information, please consult the Results-based management for international assistance programming: A how-to guide.

If an organization has already registered in the portal in the past, do they need to re-register for this call? (July 15, 2021)

No. An organization does not need to re-register for this call. However, the organization should ensure that all of their information and contacts are accurate and up to date.

Can we attach photos to the proposal? (July 15, 2021)

No. ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ will only consider information contained in the documents that are required for this call.

Are organizations required to submit additional information with their concept notes (such as letters of support from local partners or country annexes)? (July 15, 2021)

No. Only the documents requested on the call page in the “How to submit your application package” section will be accepted at this stage of the process.

In the event that an employee of the organization is acting in the role of chief financial officer, financial director or president, can they still sign the attestation form? (July 15, 2021)

Yes.

Can an organization be a signatory partner in one application and a collaborating organization (non-signatory) in another? (July 15, 2021)

Yes. The eligibility criteria limits one application per organization as the lead signatory or a co-signatory.

Do all co-signatories need to be legally incorporated in Canada? (July 15, 2021)

Yes. Each co-signatory must meet all of the organization eligibility requirements for this call.

Can recipients of the 2019 Small and Medium Organization (SMO) call be sub-grantees for the current 2021 SMO call alongside another Canadian SMO? (August 23, 2021)

Please refer to the definitions of sub-agreement, sub-project and ultimate recipient at Contribution Agreement - General Terms and Conditions for more information. As indicated on the call page, an organization would not be permitted to be a lead signatory or a co-signatory for the 2021 call if that organization was approved for funding under the 2017 or 2019 calls.

For recently amalgamated organizations, can we use our current Partners@International profile and update it with the new name and information or do we need to create a new profile? (August 23, 2021)

If a newly amalgamated organization has a new Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business number, then a new organization registration must be submitted to the Partners@International portal. Please complete the registration process as soon as possible if you intend to submit a concept note for this call.

If a newly amalgamated organization is continuing to use an existing CRA business number for an organization already registered in the portal, then the organization’s existing profile can continue to be used. Be sure to update the organization profile with current information, such as documents legally changing the organization name, governance documents and policies, as appropriate.

Is the total value of funding requested from ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ (minimum $500,000 and maximum $2 million) referring to each year of the project or the entire project period? (August 23, 2021)

The total value of funding requested from ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ must be at least $500,000 and not more than $2 million for the full duration of the project. This is the cumulative amount for all signatories for each project.

Are donations in kind included when calculating the following eligibility criteria: “the consolidated revenue in your organization’s financial statements is equal to or less than $10 million”? (August 23, 2021)

No. Donations in kind should not be considered when an organization is calculating its consolidated revenue.

On page 2 of the concept note form, under “Project Information,” there is a “Sector(s)” section. What information is required in this section? (August 23, 2021)

You may use tertiary level to identify the sector(s) involved in your proposed project. Or you may be less specific at the concept note stage and indicate themes—for example, health, agriculture or education.

For more information on project and sector coding, please refer to ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ’s Coding tables.

If an organization has existed for over 2 years, but has only 1 year of programming experience, is the organization eligible to apply for this call? (August 23, 2021)

It is important that you design a project you have adequate experience to implement. As indicated on the call page, if you are invited to submit a full proposal, you will be asked to demonstrate adequate (minimum 3 years) experience related to specific elements of the project.

Can I submit my concept note form using Microsoft Word instead of Adobe PDF? (August 23, 2021)

No. You must submit the completed PDF form, 2021 Call for Concept Notes: Development Impact Window—Canadian Small and Medium Organizations for Impact and Innovation, with “validated” showing on the first page. If you submit any documents in any other file format, your application will be considered ineligible.

Project information

Can the applicant hire subcontractor(s) for the project? (September 3, 2021)

Yes. Please refer to section 10 of ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ’s Contribution Agreement - General Terms and Conditions.

Can an organization with no revenue in the 2 most recently completed fiscal years be subcontracted by a signatory? (September 3, 2021)

Only proposed signatories are required to submit financial statements. Selected organizations are responsible for managing subcontractors in accordance with their financial agreements and section 10 of ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ’s Contribution Agreement - General Terms and Conditions.

How long should the duration of the proposed project be? (September 3, 2021)

As indicated on the call page, your proposed project must last at least 3 years but no more than 5 years.

Can the relevant past project experience be provided either by project partners (such as independent local or Canadian contractors) who will be working on the project or by individuals (staff or consultants) who will be working on the project? (July 15, 2021)

No. The project experience example must be provided by the lead signatory or co-signatory.

Is the total value of funding requested from ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ (minimum $500,000 and maximum $2 million) for each signatory, or is it a cumulative amount for all signatories for each proposal or agreement? (July 15, 2021)

The total value of funding requested from ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ must be at least $500,000 and not more than $2 million. This is the cumulative amount for all signatories for each proposal or agreement. ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ will sign only one financial agreement for each project selected for funding. Under a financial agreement for which there is more than one signatory, signatories are responsible for determining the amount that will be managed by each organization.

What are the expectations about partnering with other Canadian small and medium organizations (SMOs) for this call? Is this mandatory or encouraged? (July 15, 2021)

Partnering with other Canadian SMOs is encouraged. As indicated on the call page, preference may be given to SMOs that submit an application in partnership with other Canadian SMOs (for example, co-signatories) to facilitate greater cooperation in the SMO community and engage more SMOs through this call. This element will be applied to concept notes that pass the merit assessment, in the context of the comparative assessment and with all other elements being equal.

Can project ideas and concept notes be primarily focused on public engagement activities in Canada? (July 15, 2021)

No. The primary purpose of proposed projects must be benefitting people in developing countries. Canadian public engagement activities should be a minor element of your project. They should complement main project activities (for example, engaging the public on the work that you are doing through your project) and be within your organization’s capacity to implement.

Are construction activities allowed for this call? (July 15, 2021)

Yes. Please note that if you are planning to undertake construction, infrastructure or water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities, you will be asked to demonstrate adequate and recent experience in implementing the same type of activities. More information relating to this requirement will be available at the full proposal stage, but please keep this in mind as you design your project and ensure that you are proposing activities for which you can demonstrate experience. If you do not have experience in the above areas, please do not submit a project with these elements, as we will screen you out.

Financial information

Does a non-profit organization need to provide financial statements? (September 3, 2021)

As indicated on the call page, each signatory must provide 2 separate financial statements for the 2 most recently completed fiscal years. This includes non-profit organizations.

Is there a requirement that financial statements indicate a minimum revenue amount? If so, what is that minimum? (September 3, 2021)

There is no requirement with regard to a minimum revenue amount. Please refer to the definition of a small or medium organization (SMO) on the call page.

In the definition of a small or medium organization, what constitutes “overseas expenditures”? Does this refer to all expenditures for administering the project in a developing country, including those incurred in Canada (or in another non-official development assistance country), such as salaries, subcontractor fees or supplies? (July 15, 2021)

No. For this call, the $2-million limit applies only to all “annual overseas expenditures” incurred abroad in development assistance projects.

Does the required in-kind contribution have to come from our organization, or can it come from our partners as well? (July 15, 2021)

Please refer to the Policy on Cost-sharing for Grant and Non-repayable Contribution Agreements, which defines all eligible sources.

What is the minimum and maximum amount of money our organization can put toward Canadian public engagement? (July 15, 2021)

There is no minimum or maximum budget amount that should be dedicated to public engagement. Projects should still be primarily focused on achieving development results in developing countries, and Canadian public engagement should be secondary and complementary to those efforts (for example, approximately 5% of the project budget). It is important that you are designing a project for which you have adequate experience to implement.

Are there guidelines for what are considered eligible direct project expenses? For example, are salaries for incremental project employees or time allocated from an existing employee of the organization an eligible project expense? (July 15, 2021)

Please see the Guidance on Eligible Costs for Development Initiatives for more information on eligible cost elements such as remuneration (salaries) and reimbursable costs. To be eligible for reimbursement, project costs must be reasonable and must be directly and clearly related to the project.

If an organization is planning a $2-million project, is the 12% overhead included in the $2 million, or is it on top of the $2 million? (July 15, 2021)

The $2 million includes the 12% overhead. Please refer to Section 5 (Policy Requirements) of the Overhead Compensation Policy for both inclusions and exclusions.

Can the total value of the proposed project be over $2 million once the cost share portion is added? (July 15, 2021)

Yes. The $500,000-to-$2,000,000-limit refers to the funding that you are requesting from ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ.

What qualifies as an ‘in-kind’ contribution from the organization? (July 15, 2021)

Please refer to the Policy on Cost-Sharing for Grant and Non-Repayable Contribution Agreements.

General

Does receiving successful funding from the 2021 SMO call affect the chances of being selected for other similar or other larger projects with ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ (GAC)? (July 26, 2021)

Receiving funding from the 2021 SMO call may or may not affect the chances of being selected for other GAC projects; this will depend on the other projects' application requirements and project parameters.

Can Canadian small and medium organizations (SMOs) partner together under this call? (July 15, 2021)

Yes, Canadian SMOs can partner with other Canadian SMOs under this call as long as they meet the organization eligibility requirements.

What is considered “development assistance”? (July 15, 2021)

Please refer to section 4.1 of the .

Will this call for concepts notes provide funding for innovation testing or scale-up? (July 15, 2021)

No. However, the Fund for Innovation and Transformation (FIT) will invest in the testing of new or improved innovative solutions to global development challenges aligned with Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy. Please visit the website for more information.

Can ¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ provide any advice or technical assistance to organizations on the development of concept notes? (July 15, 2021)

¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ will not comment on the eligibility or merit of concept notes. We strongly encourage you to consult the “Available Resources” section of the call page for guidance.

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