Addressing the root causes of irregular migration through economic empowerment in Honduras

This Call has a 2-stage application process.

To be considered for funding:

• use Partners@International
  • follow all instructions carefully
• submit your application by 12:00 p.m. (noon) EST April 24, 2024

This Call is up to $17.5 million over 5 years. We may fund up to 3 proposals or none, up to the maximum funding available.
This Call supports the North American Leaders' Summit Action Plan. In it, Canada pledged (along with the United States and Mexico) to:

• advance trilateral cooperation on the development of practical measures to improve coordination
• address the root causes of irregular migration.

As part of this pledge, this Call complements the Sembrando Oportunidades bilateral development framework. It is a product of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Mexican Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AMEXCID). The framework, coordinates development resources and expertise. This supports citizens of northern Central America in building prosperous futures in their home communities. This Call would complement existing Sembrando Oportunidades programming. That programme focuses on increasing the economic prosperity of smallholder farmers and youth workforce development. The decision to migrate is often complex. A lack of economic opportunities is often one of the primary drivers of migration in Honduras.

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 “Organization eligibility”.

We will not accept any late submissions. We urge you to submit your application at least 3 working days before the deadline. This way unforeseen obstacles shouldn't stop you from applying.

Objectives

The Call aims to support the efforts of organizations registered in Canada and Indigenous organizations in Canada to:

• address the root causes of irregular migration by creating resilient, sustainable and inclusive economic opportunities for women and youth, particularly in marginalized and vulnerable communities in Honduras
• advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in support of resilient, sustainable and inclusive economic growth
• support the creation of stable and enabling environments for women and youth to access decent jobs, create enterprises (MSMEs), access to resources (financing, land, technologies, certifications), increase productivity, income, and representation in governing bodies
• provide the necessary skills, education and tools to women and youth to be competitive in local markets and accessing foreign markets

Proposed projects must at minimum meet the criteria for a project that fully integrates gender equality (minimum GE2 – fully integrated). This means that the project has at least one intermediate outcome that will achieve observable changes in behaviour, practice, or performance that will contribute to gender equality.

Expected ultimate outcomes

Under this call, your proposed project must contribute to the achievement of this ultimate outcome:

• Improved economic well-being of women and youth at risk of and/or already affected by irregular migration living in marginalized and vulnerable communities in Honduras.

Your proposed project must also contribute to at least one of the following intermediate outcomes, but no more than three:

• Improved access to sustainable economic opportunities for the poorest and most marginalized, including women, men, youth and marginalized and vulnerable communities in Honduras.
• Improved integration of gender equality and evidence-based practices into policies to reduce irregular migration of women, men, youth and marginalized and vulnerable communities in Honduras.
• Improved services that respond to specific economic barriers and needs of women and youth at risk of and/or affected by irregular migration living in marginalized and vulnerable communities in Honduras (needs may include, but not limited to, transportation, scholarships, seed capital, daycare, access to health and education services).
• Increased participation of women and youth at risk of and/or affected by irregular migration living in marginalized and vulnerable communities in Honduras in higher-earning economic activities.
• Improved economic/work-environment for diverse women and youth at risk of and/or affected by irregular migration living in marginalized and vulnerable communities in Honduras.

Your ultimate and intermediate level outcome statements should appear in ALL CAPS in the Solution section of the concept note template. Concepts must specify expected ultimate and intermediate project outcomes, that align with the Call’s expected intermediate and ultimate outcomes.

The project’s ultimate and intermediate expected outcome statements must be supported by evidence documented in the analysis of the proposed project’s context and reality. The statements must specify:

• What will change?
• Who will experience the change? The intermediaries or beneficiaries? (at a minimum, disaggregated by sex); and
• Where will the change take place?

To help ensure concepts and outcome statements respect Global Affairs Canada (GAC) standards, please refer to the following references:

• Results-Based Management for International Assistance Programming at Global Affairs Canada: A How-To Guide 
• RBM Tip Sheet 2.1 Results Chain and Definitions
• RBM Tip Sheet 2.2 Syntax Structure of Outcome, Output and Activity Statements.
• Feminist International Assistance Gender Equality Toolkit for Projects

Outcome statements must be tailored to the proposed project objectives. Do not use generic outcome statements as-is, without adapting them to the reality of the proposed projects.

Environmental Sustainability: Indicate clearly how the project integrates environmental sustainability and climate resilience in planned project activities, budget and outcomes.

Organization eligibility

Concept notes must show that the proposed implementing organization meets all these eligibility screening requirements:

• 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.
• Provide separate financial statements for your organization’s two most recent fiscal years. Audited statements are preferred. If this is not possible, statements can 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 3-year trend analysis.
• As a signatory, you may submit only one application available through this Call. You may also participate as a non-signatory partner on other applicants’ concept notes/proposals.
• If your organization submits more than one (1) application under this Call, either on your own or as a co-signatory to a funding agreement, we will only consider the application with the earliest submission time stamp.
• You must provide an Organization Attestation (PDF, 100 KB, 3 pages) signed by your organization’s chief financial officer, financial director or president. 
• You must demonstrate in section 3 “Organization Capacity” of your concept note that your organization has recent (within the last 8 years) experience in delivering international assistance projects in one or more action areas highlighted in Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (with preference given to one or more of the following action areas:
  • Action area 1 – Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls;
  • Action area 2 – Human Dignity;
  • Action area 3 – Growth that Works for Everyone; and/or
  • Action area 4 – Environment and Climate Action

Past project examples used must include a minimum of three years of programming in the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) region (with preference given to recent experience in Honduras). The past project examples used must be valued at $5M or more, with a duration of five years or more.

If your organization is submitting a concept note with other organizations, each organization co-signing the funding agreement must meet these eligibility requirements and provide documents that show their eligibility.

Applicants unable to fulfill the above requirements are not eligible to apply under this Call.

Project eligibility

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 the following statements for your application to be considered for funding under this call:

• Value: You are requesting Global Affairs Canada funding of at least $5M and no more than $9M.
• Duration: Your proposed project will last at least 5 years but no more than 7 years.
• Geographic scope: The geographic focus of your project is in Honduras.
• Local partners: The proposed project clearly identifies one or more local organizations as a local partner (this could include a civil society organization, private sector organization and/or an Indigenous organization).
• Not-for-profit project: Your proposed project would not generate a profit for your or any other implementing organization.
• 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 (PDF, 100 KB, 3 pages), which must be signed and included with your application.
• Language: Your application package documents are complete and presented in either English or French.

Additional guidance

GAC seeks to fund a diversified portfolio of projects. Preference may be given to applications that address the following:

• Localization and participatory approach: The project concept note demonstrates that the project is supporting locally-led development (localization) by: providing evidence that the project responds to local needs; being jointly developed with at least 1 local partner; reinforcing the capacity of local partner(s), and; ensuring that local partner(s) will be involved in co-managing the project over its life cycle, including the design and implementation stages; 
• Demonstrate clear strategies for sustainability and local ownership, such as by applying a feminist Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) approach within projects and ensuring that knowledge generated through MEL activities are gender-sensitive, owned and used by beneficiaries and implementing partners in support of their social change agendas. 

Partnerships and Consortiums

In arrangements where only the applicant or lead applicant (one organization) will sign the funding agreement with Global Affairs Canada (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 Global Affairs Canada (should funding be offered), each member of the consortium must meet all of the organization eligibility requirements independently although the experience provided in section 3 of the concept note may be supplied by any signatory. Financial statements from the last two years but providing information which will allow for an analysis covering the last three years, must be submitted for 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 Global Affairs Canada (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 once as an applicant/signatory. If more than one application is received identifying the same organization as a signatory, only the first submitted (as identified by the date/timestamp in the Partners@International) will be assessed in this process.

How we assess your application

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, or 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.

Early notification of compliance pilot project: Organizations that submit their application by Wednesday 12:00 p.m. (noon) EST April 17, 2024 will be informed of the results shortly after submitting their application regarding their compliance with the minimum requirements of the call (eligibility).

Finally, applications that meet all of the above 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 objectives of the Call that you are applying to.
• Explain how your proposed project aligns with GAC’s, and related Call, programming and policy priorities, including Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, in particular the Growth that Works for Everyone Action Area, as well as the host country’s international and national commitments (i.e. Sustainable Development Goals and other relevant priorities).
• Briefly demonstrate understanding of the cross-cutting issues related to gender equality, human rights and environmental sustainability that pertain to your proposed project. This may include the following:
• Human Rights: Briefly identify rights-holders, including the groups living in most vulnerable and marginalized conditions, responsibility holders and duty bearers, challenges and capacity gaps to achieve the access and fulfillment of human rights.
• Gender Equality: Briefly 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.
• Environment:  In keeping with Canadian and Honduran laws and policy objectives to build a sustainable and green future, consider development challenges that require climate and environment action, and how these could be supported through your project.
• In the spirit of localization and the participatory approach, note any prior formal or informal consultations and discussions with rights holders, duty bearers and responsibility holders, including women’s rights organizations and/or Indigenous rights organizations, or other ways that you are ensuring your proposed project will be based on local needs and priorities.
• Describe your development challenge using fact-based evidence (i.e. cite your sources).
2. Solution
   Briefly describe how your proposed solution presents a logical and realistic way to sustainably address the development challenge(s) identified. 
• Identify your project specific 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 Outcome: [insert outcomes].
• Identify the targeted intermediaries and beneficiaries of the project and estimate how many, if possible. Sometimes beneficiaries also act as intermediaries. If this is the case, point this out.
• Briefly explain how your solution will address the gender equality, human rights and environmental, including climate, considerations that you identified in the development challenge section.
• Human Rights: Briefly explain how the project is designed to address the challenges and strengthen the capacity gaps of rights-holders, including the groups living in most vulnerable and marginalized conditions, responsibility holders and duty bearers, to achieve the access and fulfillment of human rights.
• Gender Equality: Briefly explain how the project is designed to address gender equality barriers and the overall approach planned by the organization to achieve gender equality outcomes.
• Environment: In consideration of Canada and Honduras’s commitment to climate and environmental action (e.g. building climate resilience, halting and reversing biodiversity loss, preserving ocean health, and moving toward net-zero emissions), briefly explain how the challenges identified could be supported in the proposed initiative.
• In the spirit of localization and the participatory approach, please briefly explain local consultations, discussions with local stakeholders, including women’s rights organizations and/or Indigenous rights organizations, already undertaken to support the solution proposed in your project and/or why you believe it will solve the development challenge sustainably.
• Identify the local partner/s and its/their role(s).
• Identify the risks associated, trade-offs, and potential unintended consequences with your proposed project that could have the greatest impact on the achievement of development results.
• If relevant, briefly highlight any innovative elements in your proposed project and how they align with Canada’s approach to innovation in international assistance including the eight paths to effectiveness, which reflect and underpin the G7 Whistler Principles in practice.

A limited number of applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal based on the concept note. The timeline given for submission of full proposals will be approximately eight weeks.

Available resources

Before applicants begin their application, GAC encourages them to review the many online resources that may be helpful.

• Canada’s Policy for Civil Society Partnerships
• Results-based management (international.gc.ca)
• Glossary of results-based management terms (international.gc.ca)
• Feminist International Assistance Gender Equality - Toolkit for Projects
• Advancing human rights
• Sustainable Development Goals and Disability
• Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• Intersectionality: Resource Guide and Toolkit
• Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy
• Canada Labour Code (justice.gc.ca)
• Contribution Agreement – General Terms and Conditions
• Environmental Integration Process - Development Programming (see EIP Screening Tool, Tip Sheets on Strategic Environmental Assessment)
• Canadian Impact Assessment Act
• Conditionally Repayable Contributions (CRCs)
• Funding guidance
• Getting involved in international development
• Guidance on Eligible Costs for Development Initiatives
• How to apply for funding through a Call
• Partners@International Frequently Asked Questions
• Policy on Cost-Sharing for Grant and Non-Repayable Contribution Agreements
• Questions and answers about applying for funding
• Sustainable Development Goals
• Tip sheet 5.1 - Reporting on innovation in international assistance

How to submit your application package

In order for your concept note to be considered in this Call, you must submit your complete application package in the Partners@International portal before 12 p.m. (noon) EST, April 24, 2024. Applications will not be accepted after that time.

Your application package must include all of the following documents:

• Completed concept note form (PDF, 338 KB, 5 pages), with validated label showing on first page;
• Separate financial statements for the two most recent fiscal years from each signatory. 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 GAC, 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, and
• As explained in How to apply for funding through a Call, submitting a concept note or proposal through a Call does not guarantee funding. Funding decisions will be made on the merit assessment of your application.

Accessing and using PDF forms

Use only Adobe Reader/Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Edge 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 concept note form, see GAC’s Help for alternative formats for guidance. Once downloaded, open the form directly in Adobe Reader only. Other software installed on your computer may try (and fail) to open the form using your default settings.

Questions on using Partners@International

Read and follow the instructions carefully on using the portal Partners@International (linked on the right side menu). Do not open multiple windows in the portal as technical problems may occur.

If your organization is not already registered in the portal, you must do so in advance in order to submit a concept note. Do not try to register in the portal or upload documents at the last minute as this may have an impact on your ability to meet the deadline for submitting a concept note.

It may take 10 or more business days to verify the information provided in the registration request. If you encounter technical difficulties while registering or trying to submit a concept note, send an email to partners-partenaires@international.gc.ca. During the last 2 weeks before a Call closes, it can take up to 3 business days to reply to your enquiry. Technical support for Partners@International is available between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. EST, Monday to Friday.

Questions specific to this call

If you have any questions about this Call after reading the questions and answers about applying for funding, please email them to correspondance.pid@international.gc.ca by Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) EST. GAC will not respond to enquiries received after this date, nor will it respond to questions about an organization’s particular circumstances or project ideas. Applicants who submit questions will not receive responses by email. All answers will be posted instead on the Questions and Answers page of this call so that all applicants have access to the same information simultaneously.

Steps for this call 

1. Call for Concept notes (Completed)
   • Open for submission of concept notes
   • Early submissions pilot deadline (12:00 p.m. (noon) EST, April 17, 2024)
   • Application deadline (12:00 p.m. (noon) EST, April 24, 2024)
2. Concept note assessment (In progress)
   • Organizational and project eligibility assessment
   • Merit assessment 
3. Full proposals (Not started)
   • Invitation to submit full proposals 
   • Full proposal assessment
4. Funding decision (Not started)
   • Funding decision and notification of applicants