Questions and answers – Request for expressions of interest to design and manage the partnership for gender equality

Allowable Costs and Funding Allocation

• What are the expectations with respect to balancing the funding allocation between investment, grant-making, fund-raising costs, and general expenditures?

  The distribution between investment, grant-making, fund-raising costs and general expenditures has not been specified in the Request for Expressions of Interest. At this stage in the process, we are looking for an innovative, coherent and convincing vision and plan that meets all objectives of the initiative.

• Is there an ideal geographic allocation for the investments and for the grants?

  There is no ideal geographic allocation. Please note that the funding provided must meet the requirements of Official Development Assistance (ODA) as stated in the Request for Expressions of Interest.

• Are there additional funds available for the management of the project, and for the cost of fundraising and its various components?

  There are no additional funds available for the management of the project or the cost of fundraising. Management, fund-raising and other fees would be considered an eligible expenditure.

• What is the percentage of overhead and/or management fees allowed for this initiative?

  The amount of overhead and management fees has not been specified in the Request for Expressions of Interest. Overhead and management fees will be subject to negotiation based on, among other elements, reasonableness and value for money.

• Should responses incorporate a repayable portion of the Government of Canada’s contribution?

  At this time, there is no expectation that return on the Government of Canada’s contribution would reflow back to the Crown. Returns on investment will remain with the initiative to be used for grant-making and further investment.

• Could the funding provided under this initiative be augmented by another source of Government of Canada funding, for example, from GAC’s $1.5B innovative financing program?

  The Government is in the process of determining how the funding from the innovative financing initiative will be operationalized. Any funding from the $1.5 billion would have to meet the criteria once finalized.

• Will funding be provided upfront in a lump sum?

  Applicants may choose to define their cash flow requirements in relation to the overall structure and reference this in their Expression of Interest. Whether funding will be provided as a lump sum or otherwise will be determined based on the design requirements and fiduciary capacity.

Eligibility

• Are UN organizations eligible to be part of a consortium of organizations that submit an expression of interest?

  Yes, in this process only, UN organizations can be part of a consortium of partner organizations.

• Could the selected organization or consortium eventually be considered in conflict of interest in relation to other Global Affairs Canada processes relating to fund investment or international development programming?

  No, there would be no conflict of interest should an organization apply to other Global Affairs Canada international development assistance funding opportunities including those related to investment funding.

Grant-making experience

• Is it imperative that one of the organizations is currently a grant-maker, or is it sufficient if some members of these organizations have previous extensive experience in grant-making?

  At least one organization must demonstrate three years of experience in grant-making. This refers to experience channelling resources to grassroots women’s, girls and trans organizations and can take the form of funding, expertise, connections and structural support to women’s organizations.

International development programming experience

• Is there a requirement that the applicant organization have a minimum budget of $20 million per year for ODA-eligible program expenditures?

  We are seeking organizations that can demonstrate expenditures on international development assistance programs or initiatives in ODA-eligible countries. The minimum value of these expenditures should be $20 million per year for each of three years.

• Is the requirement for international development programming experience for one organization with experience managing expenditures of $20 million, or can the consortium partners have $20 million in experience in total?

  At least one organization must be able to demonstrate three years of experience managing international development assistance programs or initiatives with annual expenditures of $20 million or more. Cumulative experience of three partners totaling $20 million in expenditures will not meet this requirement.

Partners and consortiums

• Does the consortium need to be based in Canada?

  It is a requirement that at future stages of this process, the entity's principal office must be located in Canada. A Canadian organization must be able to take possession of Government of Canada funds and meet the financial capacity requirements.

• Is a Canadian partner required to apply for this fund?

  Yes, at least one organization of a consortium must be incorporated in Canada.

• Can individual professional experts join the consortium in advisory capacities or is it restricted to organizations at this stage?

  Consortia may include partnerships between and among Canadian and international organizations from civil society, the private sector and the philanthropic community. The entity or one of the organizations (if a consortium) must be able to demonstrate that they bring the required expertise to the partnership.

• Does the government envisage receiving more than one proposal from an organization or consortium?

  Organizations may be included on more than one consortium’s application. A consortium as a whole should not submit more than one proposal.

• What are the limitations, if any, on for-profit entities?

  While for-profit entities are eligible to be a partner within a consortium, please note that any revenues generated from the Government’s contribution as a result of the implementation of the investment strategy are expected to be reflowed back into the initiative. Please see the definition of official development assistance referred to in the Request for Expressions of Interest.

• Is there a preference for local organizations to be named as partners or can they be partners within the investment and grant-making activities?

  The organization or consortium is expected to have the capacity to fulfil all of the functions envisaged for the initiative. The role of each partner is the decision of the consortium.

• Will the government "mix and match" organizations from different proposals into a consortium?

  The government intends to select one meritorious proposal at the end of the complete process. The Government does not intend to mix and match organizations from different proposals into a consortium. Global Affairs Canada encourages organizations to consider consortium arrangements in which the collective expertise of partners is brought together to meet the initiative’s goals.

• Is there an opportunity to connect with other potential consortia partners?

  During the Information Session, organizations were encouraged to reach out to each other, and a list of registered participants was distributed. While the Department will not hold additional events relating to the Request for Expressions of Interest, Global Affairs Canada encourages organizations to consider consortium arrangements in which the collective expertise of partners is brought together to meet the initiative’s goals.

• Can the consortium include non-Canadian organizations in addition to Canadian organizations.

  Yes, the consortium proposal can include non-Canadian organizations. However at least one organization of a consortium must be incorporated in Canada and be able to take possession of Government of Canada funds as defined in the Request for Expressions of Interest.

• Can we add more members to the consortium during Phase 2?

  Yes, consortia may add new partners in their response to the Invitation for Proposals, should they be invited to take part in Phase 2.

• Does the investment fund manager need to be incorporated in Canada?

  The investment fund manager does not have to be incorporated in Canada.

Mobilizing financial contributions

• With respect to Section 2.1 (Mobilizing Financial Contributions): can you clarify if you require both past experience and current strategies, or does Section 2.1 focus entirely on past experience?

  Section 2.1 requires that organizations demonstrate experience attracting and raising funds. Strategies—either current or past—that have already attracted and raised funds should be included here, along with the results achieved.

• Can you clarify what is meant in Section 2.1 with the following reference: “the ratio of funds raised for every $1 of initial funding committed”? Does this mean the ratio of funds raised for every $1 of initial funding committed by Global Affairs Canada?

  “Every $1 of initial funding committed” refers to the initial funding committed to an organization by an external party, which does not have to be Global Affairs Canada. The organization should demonstrate how they have used the initial funding to leverage additional financial resources.

Process

• Can there be an extension to the deadline?

  The Expression of Interest was posted on December 18 and will close on January 31 at noon ET. No extension is planned.

• When will the information session be held?

  The Information Session on the Expression of Interest will be held on Wednesday, January 16. Information about the session has been posted on the Partnership to fund gender equality page.

• What type of agreement or mechanism will be used to engage the successful applicant?

  Funding will not be established on the basis of this Request for Expressions of Interest. The type of financial instrument to be signed will be determined following an evaluation of the full proposal.

• It is our understanding that Global Affairs Canada’s policies do not permit it to fund activities which involve a repayable component (repayable investments, revolving fund, etc.). Has this policy changed to allow more flexibility with regards to the range of mechanisms possible under this initiative?

  The international development program of Global Affairs Canada may fund activities that involve a repayable component. Applicants will be required to include details of the proposed funding approaches should they be invited to submit a full proposal. For the purpose of this Request for Expressions of Interest, Applicants may include these details in the vision and plan.

• Does the government intend to fund multiple consortia or will there be a single award at the end of this process?

  The government intends to select one meritorious proposal.

• Is there a minimum contribution and when will the definitive amount be made public?

  Applicants may describe their cash flow needs in relation to the overall structure in their response to the Expression of Interest. Cash flow will be determined based on the design requirements and fiduciary capacity.

• Does Global Affairs Canada plan further initiatives to fund grassroots women’s organizations?

  Advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls continues to be a top priority for Global Affairs Canada.

• When you are evaluating proposals, how will the categories of impact and sustainability be evaluated?

  The assessment protocol for the full proposals will be developed at a later stage.

• Is the lead organization within a consortium given greater weighting in the assessment than the other organizations?

  The assessment methodology for the full proposals will be developed at a later stage. At the Expressions of Interest stage of the process, Global Affairs Canada is interested in the overall proposal and collective experience within the response.

• What is phase 2 of this process?

  Please see the section entitled "Next Stage in the Selection Process" at Request for Expressions of interest to design and manage the partnership for gender equality.

• What is the role of the External Advisory Committee?

  The role of the External Advisory Committee has been described on the Partnership for Gender Equality.

• When does the Government anticipate advising the successful respondent?

  The Government anticipates advising the successful respondent prior to the announcement at Women Deliver 2019.

• What is the length of time between the award of the agreement and the point at which grant-making must begin?

  This will depend on the manner in which the initiative is set up. At this stage in the process, we are looking for an innovative vision and plan that meets all objectives of the initiative.

• Can you outline more specific details about the process and timing of Phase 2?

  Please refer to the Request for Expressions of Interest webpage for information about the planned process.

Proposed vision and plan

• Could the consortium focus on a specific developing country as a pilot?

  The selected entity is expected to have the capacity to fulfil all of the functions envisaged for the Partnership for Gender Equality. The applicant can propose options as to how these functions can be set up.

• What is the general profile of the type of organization that will receive a grant?

  Organizations that will receive grants will be those that provide expertise, connections and structural support to strengthen women’s organizations and movements that advance women's right, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in developing countries. We invite you to review the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development report entitled Donor support to southern women’s rights organizations which defines women’s rights organizations.

• Does the Government have an idea as to the value of the grants?

  At this stage in the process, the value of the grants has not been determined.

• What is the duration of the programming?

  The initiative should be self-sustaining over time.

• Will the initiative be required to address the government’s environment and climate goals in addition to gender?

  The goals of the initiative are related to the Government’s Gender Equality priorities. Global Affairs Canada expects that this initiative will adhere to the Government’s environmental assessment policies and that environmental and climate change considerations will be assessed and taken into consideration when programming is developed.

• What procedures should be in place to measure impact?

  Guidelines will be provided at a later stage in the process. The applicant will be responsible for measuring and reporting on results.

• Will this initiative target specific sectors or issues?

  The purpose of this initiative is to create a predictable and sustainable source of funding for women’s organizations and movements that advance women’s rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.  Respondents may identify a subset of priorities or focus depending on the instrument that will be used.  Please read the What We Heard Report for further information and insight.

• What role does the Government of Canada expect to play in the governance structure of the organization?

  Global Affairs Canada envisages an ongoing relationship with the initiative, respecting that the objective of this initiative is to provide an opportunity for collective leadership from the private sector, philanthropic communities and others. The specifics of the role will be defined at a later stage in the proposal depending on the final structure of the organization. This could, for example, take the form of an observer role on the governance board, but not a decision-making role in investments.

• Has the legal structure of the entity been identified?

  It will be up to the organization(s) submitting the response to the invitation for proposal to demonstrate the appropriateness of the proposed legal structure of the initiative.

• What mechanisms are in place to balance interests of partnerships that have the capacity to submit and grassroots organizations that they are able to reach?

  Partners should articulate a vision and plan that will achieve all objectives of the initiative. In the second stage of this process, the reach capacity will be evaluated.

• Can the grant recipients be located in a country not listed as one of the countries of focus of Canada’s international development assistance?

  Please review the "Guidance on ODA" referred to within the Expression of Interest.