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

We are currently accepting concept notes

This call has a 2-stage application process. The submission of a concept note is the first stage of a two-stage application process. To be considered for funding:

use the Partners@International portal
follow all instructions carefully

Submit your application by or before 12 pm (noon) EST April 2, 2025.

The total amount of funding available under the health, education and women's and girls' rights and empowerment in Afghanistan call is up to CAD$35,000,000 over 4 years. Global Affairs Canada (GAC) anticipates supporting 4 to 8 projects of CAD$2,000,000 to CAD$10,000,000 each, or none. Funding cannot be provided based on a concept note.

You must submit your concept note through the Partners@International portal before the deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted. To avoid and ensure that technical difficulties do not prevent you from submitting your proposal on time, we strongly suggest that you submit your application at least 3 working days before the deadline of 12 pm (noon) EST April 2, 2025.If you apply in consortium with other organizations that would co-sign the funding agreement, make sure to register each organization in Partners@International and upload all required documents. See details under the “Organization eligibility” section below. Please allow approximately 10 business days for the portal registration process.

Objectives

The call will fund projects that support the delivery of basic needs services to Afghans, especially women and girls, in one or more of the following three programming areas:

Quality, accessible, gender-responsive health services for the most marginalized (including women and girls in all their diversity, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, older persons, and other marginalized groups).
Demand-driven skills training, particularly for women and girls in all their diversity, in areas such as literacy and numeracy, digital skills, life skills, business skills, and other relevant technical and vocational skill areas.
Inclusive services that protect and advance the rights and empowerment of all Afghans, with a focus on gender, ethnic and religious minorities, underserviced populations including those impacted by disability, and support to women-led groups.

Projects must demonstrate a practical approach to operating in the current Afghanistan context, ideally while applying creative and innovative ways of overcoming the challenges for Afghans to access the targeted services, especially women and girls in all their diversity. All initiatives supported through this call must ensure the inclusion of women in the delivery of the services and activities, and that women and girls are included as direct beneficiaries.

Within the scope of the three programming areas specified above, projects that align with the Women’s Voice and Leadership Program will be eligible for consideration under this call. For more information on the program, please see Appendix A. Projects that contribute to Canada’s 10-Year Commitment to Global Health and Rights are also eligible for consideration under this call.

Projects must avoid legitimizing the Taliban de facto authorities in any way. Canada will not support projects that invest in or strengthen the Taliban de facto authorities’ ability or capacity to implement systems and institutions that are not inclusive, do not respect human rights, and/or that do not align with widely accepted standards for the principled delivery of international assistance. While it is acceptable to coordinate activities with relevant de facto authorities to facilitate implementation, funding must not directly support de facto ministries or their institutions. This includes avoiding capacity building or technical assistance efforts that risk strengthening systems and advancing policies that do not respect human rights for all. Some capacity building activities would be considered acceptable at the service delivery level if they minimize this risk. For example, directly training teachers or healthcare workers so that they can deliver quality services to all Afghans in line with international standards, would be considered. In contrast, activities that build the capacity of the de facto authorities to implement Taliban policy and provide oversight to service delivery in the education and health sectors, would not be considered. It is up to the applicant to explain how any proposed support aligns to this principle, and to include this in their risk assessment.

Expected outcomes

Projects funded under this call must contribute to the following ultimate outcome:

Improved wellbeing of Afghans, especially women and girls in all their diversity, through increased access to basic needs services.

Applicants are expected to tailor the call’s ultimate outcome to align with their own intermediate outcomes based on their project design. Outcome statements should be grounded in the reality of the proposed activities and results, making them more specific in terms of the who, what, and where of your project.

What will change?
Who will experience the change? The intermediaries (duty bearers/responsibility holders) or beneficiaries (rights holders)? (at a minimum, disaggregated by sex); and
Where will the change take place?

Your ultimate and intermediate level outcome statements should appear in ALL CAPS in the Solution section of the concept note template. You may include up to three intermediate outcomes in your application, even if you are focusing on a single programming area. Refer to the Results-Based Management How-To Guide to ensure that your outcome statements adhere to GAC’s definition for intermediate and ultimate outcomes.

Organizations that receive funding under this call will be expected to work with GAC to ensure relevant results and indicator frameworks are put in place for efficient monitoring, evaluation, reporting and learning. Where appropriate, applicants should use the Feminist International Assistance Policy Indicators, and other globally recognized indicators for the type of service delivery on which their project is focused.

Gender Equality

Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy states that: “No less than 95 percent of Canada’s bilateral international development assistance initiatives will target or fully integrate gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.” Across all programming areas, priority will be given to proposals that meet the requirement of targeting or fully integrating gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment in their design.

The project concept note should either

fully integrate gender equality, with at least one intermediate outcome that focuses on gender equality and achieves observable changes in behaviour, practice, or performance that may contribute to gender equality; or
propose a targeted gender equality project, in which all intermediate outcomes will achieve observable changes in behaviour, practice, or performance that contribute to the advancement of gender equality and is designed specifically to address gender inequalities and would not otherwise be undertaken.

Environmental Sustainability

The project concept note should thoroughly consider and integrate environmental sustainability and climate resilience, including in planned project activities, outcomes and indicators, as relevant.

Human Rights Based Approach

The project concept note identifies who are the rights holders, responsibility holders and duty bearers in the context of the project, and is designed to strengthen their capacity to improve access to and fulfillment of human rights.

Organization eligibility

Carefully review the following eligibility screening requirements that GAC will apply to submitted application packages for this call. We will not pre-assess or comment on the eligibility of specific potential applicants. To be eligible, you must meet each requirement and, where stipulated, provide supporting documentation:

Your organization is legally incorporated, and you can provide proof of legal status (if your original documentation is in a language other than French or English, provide a scan of the original as well as a translation).
- If your organization is Canadian, you must provide proof that your organization is legally incorporated in Canada with a Canada Revenue Agency business number. Your organization must have an office, employees, and/or board of directors in Canada.
  - If your organization is an Indigenous organization in Canada, it must provide supporting documentation on its history, and governance, and/or ownership structure.
You are not a sovereign entity (a government of a country) or multilateral institution.
Your organization is registered in Partners@International.
You must provide separate financial statements for your organization’s two most recent fiscal years. Audited statements are preferred. If this is not possible, statements must be signed by a member of the board of directors or delegate, or by the owners. As financial statements usually provide comparative information from the previous year, these statements will be used to do a three-year trend analysis.
You must provide an Organization Attestation signed by your organization’s chief financial officer, financial director or president.
You must have demonstrated experience operating in conflict settings, with preference given to organizations and/or partnerships that have experience operating in the current Afghanistan context, as applicable to the project’s design.

If you are unable to respond to any of the above requirements, your organization is not eligible to apply under this call. Priority will be given to organizations that are Canadian, or to partnerships that involve Canadian organizations (not a requirement, desirable).

Partnerships and consortiums

In arrangements where only the applicant or lead applicant (one organization) will sign the funding agreement with GAC (should one be offered), the legal entity which is the applicant/lead applicant must meet all eligibility requirements by themselves and provide required documents and demonstrate organization experience applicable to only themselves.

In cases where applicants are applying in a consortium wherein both or all members of the consortium will be signatories to the funding agreement with GAC (should funding be offered), each member of the consortium must meet all of the organization eligibility requirements independently although the experience provided in section 7 of the proposal may be supplied by any signatory. Financial statements from the last two years must be submitted by each signatory. Each signatory must also submit a completed and signed Organization Attestation. Each signatory is jointly and severally responsible for meeting the obligations of the funding agreement with GAC (should one be offered).

In either case, non-signatory partners are not required to meet the eligibility requirements of this call.

Please note that your organization may only apply to this call twice as an applicant/signatory. If more than two applications are received identifying the same organization as a signatory, only the first two submitted concept notes (as identified by the date/timestamp in the Partners@International portal) will be assessed in this process.

Required project parameters

Carefully review the parameters of this call and judge whether your project idea will fit. We will not respond to questions about the eligibility of your project idea. You must be able to answer “yes” to all of the following statements in order for your application to be considered for funding under this call:

Value: Total value of your proposed project is between CAD$2,000,000 to CAD$10,000,000.
Duration: Your proposed project will last up to four years.
Geographic scope: Projects implemented inside Afghanistan, as well as remote, regional, or diaspora-focused activities will be considered as long as there is a clear development outcome for the people of Afghanistan.
Cost sharing: Your organization will provide at least 5% of the total eligible direct project costs over the life of the project in cash and/or in-kind, in accordance with GAC’s Policy on Cost-Sharing for Grant and Non-Repayable Contribution Agreements. Your organization must certify that it will meet this requirement in the Organization Attestation form, which must be signed and included with your application.
Not-for-profit project: Your proposed project would not generate a profit for your or any other implementing organization.
Language: Your application package documents are complete and presented in either English or French.
Limited construction activities: Any construction activities should be clearly justified as necessary for the delivery of the specified services and be limited to the refurbishment or retrofitting of existing community structures. No construction or improvements to facilities controlled by the Taliban de facto authorities will be permitted.
Eligible for an Authorization under Criminal Code section 83.03, if applicable: Projects selected for funding under this call will be subject to an authorization by Public Safety Canada if they take place inside Afghanistan. (see next section for further details on this point).

If your proposed project does not conform to the above statements, it will not be assessed because it cannot be considered for funding under this call.

Authorizations subject to criminal code 83.03

In June 2023, the passage of Bill C-41 amended the Criminal Code to create a process to facilitate the delivery of needed activities in terrorist-controlled areas via authorizations granted by the Minister of Public Safety to shield such activities from criminal liability.

Bill C-41 also created a statutory exception for humanitarian assistance in subsection 83.03(4) of the Criminal Code which does not require an application process and which functions separately from the Authorization Regime as a defense in court.

The purpose of the Authorization Regime is to ensure that the broad terrorist-financing offence in what is now subsection 83.03(2) (formerly 83.03(b) of the Criminal Code) does not unintentionally impede international assistance and other needed activities. While an important tool to combat terrorist financing, prior to the passage of Bill C-41, section 83.03 did not contain any flexibility to offer an exception in cases where a needed activity would incur an incidental but unavoidable benefit to a terrorist group. The Authorization Regime provides new flexibility for organizations to obtain a shield from criminal liability for specified activities in areas controlled by a terrorist group, including in Afghanistan.

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.

Applicants are encouraged to review the requirements of the Authorization Regime and ensure that proposed concepts are within the scope of the legislation (e.g. in support of health services, education services, programs to support livelihoods, and promotion and protection of human rights).

Authorization regime and humanitarian exception for activities in terrorist group controlled areas - Section 83.03 Criminal Code.

Additional guidance

Engagement with the de facto authorities: Reaching Afghans, especially women and girls in all their diversity, with inclusive and quality basic needs services has become increasingly challenging since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021. Canada’s development assistance program for Afghanistan is focused on reaching women and girls, and to this end seeks to overcome these challenges, particularly in the areas of health, education and women’s and girls’ rights and empowerment. Canada does not recognize the Taliban de facto authorities as the government of Afghanistan, and any projects supported by Canada’s development assistance program should in no way infer recognition of the Taliban de facto authorities or normalize their blatant disregard for the human rights of all Afghans. The Government of Canada recognizes that implementing partners operating inside Afghanistan are required to interact with the de facto authorities to secure the approvals and assurances needed to operate safely and effectively in-country. However, such interactions should at all times avoid legitimization and must never involve the provision of financial or technical support directly to the de facto authorities. Implementing organizations must also ensure that the Taliban de facto authorities do not have any undue influence in the design and delivery of project activities. Project risk management strategies should include these considerations and demonstrate an effective approach to mitigating these risks while successfully implementing project activities in the current context.

Leveraging: Specific consideration will be given to proposals that leverage other sources of funding above and beyond cost sharing. If your project will leverage funding and resources through other development initiatives to enhance or amplify its impact, please include details on the types of leveraging strategies that are foreseen.

How we assess your concept note

Concept notes submitted under this call will first undergo an eligibility check to verify that they meet all organization eligibility requirements and required project parameters identified on this call page.

Next, eligible concept notes will be assessed to ensure that applicant organizations demonstrate the required project experience. Concept notes that do not meet all organization eligibility requirements, demonstrate required project parameters or project experience, will not be further assessed. You will be notified if your organization is found to be ineligible or if it does not meet the project experience requirements.

Applications that meet these requirements will be assessed, based on how well their concept note addresses the following 3 core components:

Development challenge
Solution
Organization capacity

1. Development challenge

Briefly describe the development challenge your proposed project will address, in relation to the programming areas of the call to which you are applying.

Explain how your proposed project aligns with GAC’s and this call’s programming and policy priorities, (including Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy), as well as the current context for supporting basic needs services in Afghanistan.
Demonstrate an understanding of the issues related to gender equality (e.g. gender equality gaps, inequalities and barriers), human rights and environmental sustainability that pertain to your proposed project.

Gender Equality: Identify the gender equality gaps, inequalities, barriers and power dynamics relevant to this project and how these affect women, men, boys, girls and other people living in marginalized and vulnerable conditions. A Gender Based Analysis (GBA+) will be required at the full proposal stage for organizations whose concept notes have been short-listed.
Human Rights: Identify the rights-holders, including the groups living in most vulnerable and marginalized conditions, responsibility holders and duty bearers, challenges and capacity gaps to improve access to and fulfillment of human rights.
Environment: Consider how the identified development challenge requires an approach that integrates climate and environment action.

Note any prior formal or informal discussions with local stakeholders and beneficiaries (rights holders), including women’s rights organizations, and how local needs and priorities have helped your organization to define the specified development challenge and shape project design.
Note any specific parameters, restrictions, or opportunities set by the de facto authorities in Afghanistan with respect to the delivery of services covered under your proposed project.
Describe your development challenge using fact-based evidence (i.e. cite your sources).

2. Solution

Briefly describe your proposed solution and how it presents a logical, evidence-based and realistic way to sustainably address the development challenge(s) identified.

Describe your proposed interventions and provide an evidence based to support your rationale for their selection.
Identify the ultimate outcome and intermediate outcomes that address the problem identified, and which align with the call objectives, and GAC’s international assistance programming approach to results-based management. Clearly label them with the following formatting: Ultimate Outcome: [insert outcome] and Intermediate Outcomes: [insert outcomes].
Identify intermediaries and beneficiaries (rights holders) and estimate how many, if possible.
Explain how your solution will address the gender equality, human rights and environmental considerations that you identified in the development challenge section.
Describe how your solution and the design of specific activities is informed by consultations and discussions with potential partners or local stakeholders and beneficiaries.
Clearly describe the risks associated with and potential unintended consequences of your proposed project, that could have the greatest impact on the achievement of development results. This should include a realistic assessment of how the de facto authorities in Afghanistan could interfere with project implementation, and how that risk will be mitigated.
If relevant, highlight any innovative elements in your proposed project and how they align with Canada’s approach to innovation in international assistance.

Reminder: Applicants are expected to tailor the call’s ultimate outcome and to develop their own intermediate outcomes based on their project design. See the following for additional guidance: Results-based Management; Results-based Management for International Assistance Programming: A how-to guide; and RBM Tip Sheet 2.1.

3. Organizational capacity

Briefly describe why you believe your organization has the capacity to implement the proposed project successfully.

Indicate experience managing one or more projects that achieved expected outcomes in the same country, in a comparable context, and/or sector. The example should be evidence-based (i.e., cite your data sources).
Indicate experience managing one or more projects that achieved expected outcomes of a similar value and with comparable financial complexities as the proposed project.
As relevant to your concept note, indicate your organization’s capacity to deliver gender equality results and provide gender expertise to the proposed activities.
Reminder to refer to the Organization Eligibility section above for details on additional mandatory experience.

We may:

Review your organization’s history of consistently delivering reports on time, that are deemed complete and acceptable for other projects funded by GAC, where applicable.
Check your organization’s record of fiduciary risk.

Invited applicants will have approximately eight weeks to submit a full proposal after they receive an invitation letter from GAC.

Available resources

There are a number of resources available online to help you develop your application package. We strongly encourage you to read all of the following tools and guidance before beginning your application process. Failure to meet the mandatory requirements, minimum standards and deadlines detailed therein will result in your application package not being considered for funding.

How to submit your application package

To be considered under this call, you must submit your complete application package to Partners@International portal by 12 pm (noon) EST April 2, 2025. Your application package must include all the following documents:

Completed concept note form (PDF, 339 KB, 5 pages) with validated label showing on first page;
Separate financial statements for the two most recent fiscal years, signed, from each signatory (audited statements are preferred). See “Organization eligibility” section above for more information;
Completed Organization Attestation (PDF, 100 KB, 3 pages) form (separate forms for each organization that would sign the funding agreement with Global Affaires Canada, if applicable);
Letter of Incorporation or proof of legal status;
Applicable to Indigenous organizations only: supporting documentation regarding the history, governance structure, and/or ownership of the Indigenous organization.

Submitting your concept note is just the first step in the application process. After we review your concept note, we may invite you to submit a full proposal package. Funding decisions will be made on the merit assessment of your application.

Accessing and using PDF forms

Use only Adobe Reader/Adobe Acrobat to work on the standardized PDFs to be submitted with your application package. If you use other software, the data you enter may not appear once submitted to the department, and the application will be considered ineligible.

If you are having difficulty downloading the preliminary proposal form, it is generally due to the type of software you have (or do not have) on your computer. Please read and follow the help instructions. If you have all the correct software installed, download the form to your desktop and open it directly in Adobe Reader; otherwise, other software installed on your computer may try (and fail) to open the form using your default settings.

Questions on using the Partners@International portal

Please read and follow all the instructions for using the Partners@International portal (linked on the right side menu). Do not open multiple windows within the portal as this may cause technical problems.

Do not try to register or submit at the last minute.

It may take up to 10 business days to register your organization. If you encounter technical difficulties while registering or trying to submit a proposal, send an email to:partners-partenaires@international.gc.ca. Please note: during the last two weeks before a call closes, the service standard for replying to your enquiry is three (3) business days. Technical support for the portal is only available 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST, Monday to Friday.

Questions specific to this call

If you still have questions about this call after reading the general Questions and answers about applying for funding, please send them to correspondance.pid@international.gc.ca by 12 pm (noon) EST March 19, 2025. We will not respond to questions received after this deadline, or questions on specific organizational circumstances or specific project proposals. Applicants will not receive emails with responses. Answers only appear on the health, education and women's and girls’ rights and empowerment in Afghanistan questions and answers page to ensure that all applicants have access to the same information at the same time.

Appendix A: Design parameters for Renewed Women’s Voice and Leadership Projects

The below standard design parameters are shared with all partners submitting Renewed Women’s Voice and Leadership concept notes and proposals. Given the context in Afghanistan, renewed WVL concept notes should be tailored to accommodate for what is feasible and safe in Afghanistan, keeping in mind the following minimum requirements specific to the renewed WVL program:

Multi-year core funding is a central aspect of the project. This funding modality is specifically for organizations that focus on women and girls, and support their rights and priorities as identified by them.
Inclusion of at least one intermediate outcome and common indicators at the outcome and output levels as relevant and applicable within the project context, in alignment with common RWVL outcomes/indicators outlined below.

Alignment with a feminist approach in the design and implementation of the project.

Standard design parameters for Canada’s Renewed Women’s Voice and Leadership Program

The Women’s Voice and Leadership (WVL) program was launched in 2017 as a flagship initiative of Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) to support local women’s rights organizations (WROs), lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex plus (LBTQI+) groups and feminist movements working for women’s rights and gender equality. Since then, the WVL program has provided critical funding and capacity strengthening support for a wide diversity of local women’s organizations and movements around the world. In April 2023, Canada announced the renewal and expansion of the WVL program, including enhanced support for WROs, LBTQI+ organizations and women human rights defenders (WHRDs) working in crisis- and conflict-affected settings.

The renewed WVL program is informed by consultations with the WVL community, as reflected in the Renewed Women’s Voice and Leadership Program: What we heard report and the WVL Formative Evaluation. It is grounded in four key feminist programming principles - gender transformative, intersectional, locally led and flexible - and continues to support WROs and LBTQI+ groups through:  

Multi-year core funding, including support for core administrative functions, to support and sustainably resource the ongoing and new programs of WROs/LBTQI+ groups, including service provision, awareness raising and advocacy, feminist research, policy dialogue and consultation.  
Fast, responsive funding for discrete activities and short projects in response to unforeseen challenges, opportunities or urgent events.  
Organizational capacity strengthening in areas prioritized by WROs/LBTQI+ groups. 
Movement strengthening to foster the collective voice and power of WROs/LBTQI+ groups at sub-national, national, regional and international levels. It supports networks, alliances, platforms and convening events to collectively strategize, share learning and mobilize for social, political and legal change (allocation of resources to this area is important).

Under the renewed WVL program, Canada is looking to take a more intentional approach to reaching structurally excluded groups, including (but not limited to) LBTQI+ groups, women and girls with disabilities, and smaller, more informal organizations. This requires specific resources and strategies. Moreover, in line with the WVL program’s emphasis on feminist locally led development, projects implemented by WROs/LBTQI+ groups from the Global South, or in direct partnership with WROs/LBTQI+ groups from the Global South (i.e. local sub-implementing partner(s)), are highly encouraged. Finally, with anti-gender and anti-rights movements growing in strength globally, GAC encourages the inclusion of collective care and well-being in WVL projects to counter the stress, trauma and burn-out experienced by WROs, LBTQI+ groups and WHRDs. 

GAC suggests that renewed WVL initiatives have the following intermediate outcomes and common indicators: 

1100 Enhanced organizational sustainability of local WROs/LBTQI+ groups to deliver their gender equality mandates.  

Number of supported WROs/LBTQI+ groups reporting increased capacity across one or more dimensions of the WRO Sustainability Framework, disaggregated by type of organization. Note that GAC will provide this framework and guidance on disaggregation.

1200 Strengthened programming and advocacy of WROs/LBTQI+ groups and WHRDs to advance gender equality and empower women and girls. 

Number of supported WROs/LBTQI+ organizations and WHRDs reporting/sharing that they are better able to deliver on their gender transformative mandates, disaggregated by type of organization/WHRD.

1300 Increased effectiveness of sub-national, national, regional and global women’s rights platforms, networks and alliances to affect policy, legal and social change. 

Number of policies, laws, frameworks or strategies blocked, adopted or improved to promote women’s and LBTQI+ rights, voice, leadership and agency.

Common indicators at the output level: 

Number of supported WROs/LBTQI+ groups and networks advancing women’s rights and gender equality that receive support for programming and/or institutional strengthening, disaggregated by type of organization. 
Of these, number of WROs/LBTQI+ groups and networks advancing women’s rights and gender equality that receive direct funding, disaggregated by type of organization.   
Of these, number of WRO/LBTQI+ groups who have received more than one round of multi-year core funding, disaggregated by type of organization.   
Value of investments ($) to support local WROs/LBTQI+ groups and networks advancing women’s rights and gender equality, disaggregated by type of organization.   
Of these, value of funds ($) directly provided to local WROs/LBTQI+ groups and networks, disaggregated by type of org/network. Note that GAC will provide methodology for calculating direct funding. 
(If applicable): Number of individual WHRDs who have received direct funding, disaggregated as relevant in project context.
Of these, value of funds ($) directly provided to individual WHRDs, disaggregated as relevant in project context.

In line with WVL’s overarching objective, it is expected that the maximum amount of project funding flows directly to local WROs, LBTQI+ groups and WHRDs (i.e. cash) to support their efforts and priorities as they define them, striving to get as close to 50% as possible.

Steps for this call

Call for Concept notes (In progress)

Open for submission of concept notes
Deadline for submitting questions (12 pm (noon) EST, March 19, 2025)
Application deadline (12 pm (noon) EST, April 02, 2025)

Concept note assessment (Not started)

Organizational and project eligibility assessment
Merit assessment

Full proposals (Not started)

Invitation to submit full proposals
Full proposal assessment

Funding decision (Not started)

Funding decision and notification of applicants

Date modified:: 2025-02-27

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