The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives – Philippines (2024)

The Embassy of Canada in the Philippinesis 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 in developing countries, 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 relevant Canadian embassy or high commission. 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.

The average CFLI contribution is $30,000 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.

Thematic priorities

All projects must have a strong advocacy component and align with at least one of the following CFLI thematic priorities:

• Environment and climate action, potential areas include: climate change adaptation and mitigation, coastal biodiversity protection, environmental conservation, and supporting sustainable practices of indigenous peoples.
• Inclusive governance, including LGBTQ2 rights, democracy, human rights, and media freedom.
• Gender equality, with a focus on supporting women’s political participation and combatting gender-based violence.
• Peace & security, including upholding the rule of law at sea, and engaging women and youth in peacebuilding; and
• Human dignity with a focus oncombatting child sexual abuse and exploitation.

How to apply

Stage 1: Concept notes

• Submit a concept note outlining the project purpose, main activities, an advocacy plan, expected outcome, potential risks to the project and mitigation plans.
• Email manil.cfli@international.gc.ca to receive the Concept Note form. The deadline for submission is March 15, 2024, at 23:59 (GMT+8). 
  • Applications submitted after this deadline will not be considered.
  • Proposals should be submitted electronically to the following email: manil.cfli@international.gc.ca

Stage 2: Application form

• Shortlisted Applicants will have two weeks to complete an application form with detailed budget.
• 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.
• All projects are normally expected to be completed between the date of signature of the Contribution Agreement and February 28, 2025. However, projects concluding on February 28, 2026, may also be considered, depending on the project objectives and the complexity of activities.

General Information

• Proposals must be completed in English or French.
• Applications will be assessed for approval on their merits by a selection committee.
• Due to the large number of applicants, only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
• 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.
• Project applications are kept on file at missions in accordance with Global Affairs Canada’s information management policies.

The Embassy’s CFLI Committee will select projects for approval based on an assessment of the following merit criteria. Proposals must be:

1. Relevant: The application should clearly describe how the proposed project activities are aligned identified CFLI thematic priorities, and how it will contribute to relevant advocacy and policymaking.
2. Effective: The application should clearly and precisely define the problem to be solved and how the project activities will help to address that problem. 
3. Realistic: The budget should be coherent and demonstrate clearly that the funds being requested will be used efficiently.
4. Sustainable: The products, services, benefits and/or impacts generated by the project should last beyond the period being financed by the CFLI.

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, and
• Municipal, regional or national government institutions or agencies of the recipient country working on local projects.

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.

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:

• 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