Skills development and Technical and vocational education and training fund, call for proposals: Questions and answers

This page includes questions and answers about the Call for proposals - Skills development and Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) fund. The deadline for submitting questions for this call is February 19, 2025, at noon, Eastern Time. We'll post answers to questions received before this deadline as we receive them. We may rephrase questions so that they apply to all applicants and protect their identities.

This page is not a substitute for the guidance contained on the Call for proposals: Skills development and Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) fund or on Partners@International.

Consult this page often.

Questions and Answers

Application Process

• Our organization is not a Canadian organization. Are we eligible to apply?

  Only Canadian organizations are eligible to apply to this call for proposals.
  For further details, please refer to the "Organization eligibility" section of the call page.

• Can we attach letters of engagement from donors and/or partners to demonstrate additional financial and in-kind support? 

  No. This is not a requirement under this call and it will not be taken into consideration in the assessment.

  Please also refer to section 6.8 “Other sources of funding” of application form,  

• How many proposals will be funded under this call for proposals? 

  As indicated on the call page, Global Affairs Canada may fund one proposal, or none, up to the maximum funding available.

• How should the organization’s financial statements be presented?

  As indicated on the call page, organizations must provide separate financial statements for the two most recent fiscal years. Audited statements are preferred.

  Organizations are responsible for organizing their financial statements according to their own structure.

• What is the maximum number of pages for the completed application form?

  As indicated in the application form, “Completed application forms must not exceed 30 pages in English and 38 pages in French. The page counter at the top of the application form counts characters to calculate the page count of the content you enter in the form. If you enter content exceeding the maximum page count, you will not be able to validate the form to submit it.” This does not include annexes such as additional attestations, forms, budget table or evaluations.

• How should we fill out the application form to ensure we meet the evaluation criteria?

  The completed application form should outline the fund’s expected structure, orientation and types of projects to be supported. All information provided will be assessed using the full assessment criteria listed on the following webpage: How we assess your proposal.

  Refer to the “Project parameters” section of the call page for the required elements of  your project (Fund management), and  those of projects supported by the Fund (sub-grants awarded).

• How does Global Affairs Canada assess innovation?

  Global Affairs Canada assesses innovation based on three criteria: 1) implementation; 2) achieving better results or greater impact; and 3) being new or improved.  Further instructions are available in the Tip sheet 5.1 - Reporting on innovation in international assistance.

• How can we add annual rates of increase for more than two countries in the General Information on Project section of the Salary tab in the budget template?

  Applicants can include additional lines in the budget template for more than 2 countries by right-clicking on “insert” on the left side of column A.

  If technical issues prevent adding annual rates of increase for additional countries, applicants will not be penalized. The budget template may be adjusted if the proposal is selected for funding.

  Applicants should ensure all requested salary information is included in the budget template (Annual base salary, Benefits, Number of years, Subtotal, Level of effort, Estimated cost, contribution from Global Affairs Canada and Organization’s contribution). This information can be entered manually in the template if easier.

• Where can I find information if I'm having difficulties viewing the PDF application form?

  If you've downloaded the PDF application form and it doesn't open properly, please proceed as indicated on the hyperlink here : Global Affairs Canada: Help for alternative formats.

• Will government institutions be eligible to receive sub-grants?

  No. Government institutions are not eligible to receive sub-grants.

• Is it possible to have an extension for the proposal submission?

  No. Late submissions will not be accepted.

• Are for-profit corporations, multilateral institutions, local organizations and universities eligible to apply under this call, either as a signatory or non-signatory organization?

  Mandatory eligibility criteria are indicated on the “Organization eligibility” section of the call page.

• What are the eligibility requirements for organizations applying in a consortium?

  Mandatory requirements for partnerships and consortiums are indicated on the “Partnerships and Consortiums” section of the call page.

• Are the terms “application” and “proposal” the same?

  Yes. In the context of this Call both terms are used interchangeably and for the same purpose.

• Is a non-signatory partner eligible to receive sub-grants?

  Organization(s) managing the fund are not eligible for sub-grants. Sub-grantees must be selected through an open, competitive, fair and transparent process. There must be no conflict of interest between fund managers and recipients. The sub-grantees must be at an arm’s length relationship with the fund manager.

• What are the eligible countries under this call?

  Please refer to the “Project parameters” section of the call page for information on geographic scope.

• How can we access the application form?

  You can access the application form by clicking on the link “application form”  under the “How to submit your application package” section of the call page.

  If you have downloaded the PDF application form and it does not open properly, please proceed as indicated here : Global Affairs Canada: Help for alternative formats.

Project Information

• How can we obtain more information on this call for proposals?

  All information available on this call for proposals is posted on the call page. Answers to questions received by February 19, 2025 will be posted on the dedicated page for questions and answers.

• How should applicants complete the Country/Sector Table in the Application form?

  The Country/Sector table should include general information such as the continent(s)/region(s) targeted.

  If specific information is already known to the applicant, it should also be added (e.g. estimated amounts, percentages, a list of countries, etc.).

• Does experience in managing a grant-awarding fund must have been acquired with third-party (donor) funds, or could it have been acquired with the organization's own funds?

  There are no requirements under this call for proposals regarding the source of funds for acquiring experience in managing a grant-making fund.

• Is there a fixed date for the fund’s launch?

  No. The fund’s launch date can be affected by various factors including the volume of proposals the Department must assess and the time needed to negotiate the financial instrument.

• Can an applicant, member of a federation, present experience examples of other members?

  No. The applicant organization must provide only its own experience examples.

• Can we modify the ultimate and/or the intermediate outcome statements?

  Yes. The wording of the ultimate and intermediate outcome statements may be adjusted to reflect the reality of your project design, making them more specific in terms of the who, what and where of your project.

  Applicants must ensure that outcome statements respect Global Affairs Canada’s definitions and call parameters.

  Please refer to Result-based management for international assistance programming: A how-to guide.

• Can sub-grantees be pre-identified at the proposal stage?

  No. Sub-grantees must be selected through an open, competitive, fair and transparent process to be detailed in the Project Implementation Plan.

• What selection mechanisms should we use to select sub-grantees?

  The choice of selection mechanism(s) is at the applicants’ discretion. Selection mechanism(s) must be open, competitive, fair, transparent and based on good procurement policies and procedures. They must be detailed in the Project Implementation Plan.

• Will the fund manager be allowed to implement activities other than awarding the sub-grants?

  It may be possible for the fund manager to implement other types of activities related to the fund management. Refer to the “Project parameters” section of the call page for the required elements of your project (Fund management), and those of projects supported by the Fund (sub-grants awarded).  

  Please note that the fund manager will not be eligible to receive sub-grants.

• Are organizations that are members of an association eligible to receive sub-grants if the association is managing the fund?

  Members of an association may be eligible to receive sub-grants. Sub-grantees must be selected through an open, fair and transparent process. There must be no conflict of interest and the sub-grantees must be at an arm’s length relationship with the fund manager.

Financial Information

• What proportion of the budget can be used to manage the fund?

  The budget allocation to manage the fund is at the applicants’ discretion. 
  Direct project costs must be reasonable, based on cost-efficiency and must present good value for money.
  
  Please consult the Overhead Compensation Policy for Non-Repayable Contribution Agreements with Canadian Organizations under the International Development Assistance Program and the Guidance on Eligible Costs for Development Initiatives to ensure compliance.

• Can the fund manager require subgrantees to leverage other sources of funding?

  The organization (s) signing the funding agreement is entirely responsible and accountable for achieving the project's results. To this end, the signatory organization may establish the conditions it deems necessary to achieve these results, in line with the objectives of the call for proposals.

• What will be the expected value of the projects supported by the fund?

  The value of projects supported by the fund is at the applicants’ discretion.

• Could the funding mechanisms to provide sub-grants to Canadian, international and local organizations include outcome-based funding? 

  Yes, outcome-based funding mechanisms can be used.

• How can we enter information for more than two countries In the budget template? 

  By saving your budget template on your server you will be able to add lines in the document. 
  
  For project implemented in more than two countries, applicants can indicate the country name in brackets after the position (e.g. Gender Specialist (Bangladesh). 
   
  Inflation rates under the “Detailed budget” tab are not linked to budget lines (nor in the formulas). At this stage, this information is provided for information only. Inflation rates for additional countries can be added in brackets. 

• Does the “Budget by activity” exclude the overhead compensation?

  Yes, the “Budget by activity” excludes the overhead compensation. 

• Does the financial support leveraged as part of the third Intermediate Outcome have to flow through the signatory organization(s)?

  The organization and management of financial support from other donors and partners are left to the signatory organization(s), provided they adhere to the Call’s parameters.

• How is the cost-sharing amount calculated?

  As indicated on the call page, the (co)signatory organization(s) must contribute at least 5% of the total eligible project costs, either in cash or in-kind, in accordance with Policy on Cost-Sharing for Grant and Non-Repayable Contribution Agreements.

  The total eligible project costs also include the sub-grants component.

• When awarding the sub-grants under a Call, is it mandatory to make the funds available to all Official Development Assistance-eligible countries?

  No. Applicants can target specific countries. There is no minimum or maximum threshold.

  As indicated on the call page, sub-grants managed by the fund manager will be implemented in Official Development Assistance-eligible countries with a primary focus on sub-Saharan Africa, including in crisis and conflict-affected settings.

• Can the additional financial and in-kind support mobilized from diverse partners be used after the project closure?

  No, any additional financial and/or in-kind support must be spent within the project deadlines.

  However, Global Affairs Canada recognizes that it is possible for the impacts of your project to continue beyond the life of the financial instrument.

• Can the funds from Global Affairs Canada’s contribution be used to generate revenue that can be reinvested into the project?

  There is a cap of $100,000 on Global Affairs Canada contribution that can be used for any revenue generating activities or to make financial investments (e.g., making loans or providing financial guarantees).

  Please note that the signatory organization(s) may need to receive prior approval to do so.

• Is it possible to require a cost share from sub-grantee (Canadian, international and local) organizations?

  It may be possible to require a cost share from recipient organizations based on certain parameters. However, it must be discussed with Global Affairs Canada at the time of signing the financial instrument. 

  Please note that compliance with the cost-sharing requirement under a funding agreement with Global Affairs Canada remains the sole responsibility of the signatory(ies).

• What are the costs eligible for the application of the overhead compensation rate?

  All direct project costs are eligible for the application of the overhead compensation rate.

  Under this call for proposals, direct project costs include the sub-grants component.  

• Can the funds leveraged come from existing projects or ongoing funding?

  No. The objective of the leveraging component is to attract new funds to support skills development, including TVET, to improve access to decent work.

• How should the expected funds to be leveraged be presented in the application package?

  Strategies and expected funds to be leveraged should be presented in section 6.8 (Other sources of funding) of the application form. This section should include:

  • Strategies for raising additional funds, separate from the minimum cost sharing required;
  • Amount already raised and expected to be raised in the future; and
  • A description of the nature of the leveraging, including the entities that have provided or are expected to provide additional funds.
• Are the funds of the sub-grants component considered as flow through funds?

  No. Under this call for proposals, funds allocated to the sub-grants component are direct project costs and are not considered as flow through funds.

• Is there a limit on subcontracting costs?

  Total subcontracting costs must not exceed 20% of the total value of Global Affairs Canada contribution.

• Can the budget include contingency costs?

  No. All costs must be reasonable, directly and clearly related to the project.

• Are all the project costs expected to be detailed as part of the application package?

  Yes. The budget should reflect the estimated costs to deliver the project.

• How are funds granted by the applicant to Canadian, international and local organizations considered?

  The fund manager will sign sub-agreements with Canadian, international, and local organizations for project implementation and ensure accountability for these sub-grants.  

  All grants awarded must comply with the requirements and terms and conditions of the financial instrument.

• Are costs associated with the monitoring and evaluation of sub-grantees eligible?

  Yes. Costs associated with monitoring and evaluation of sub-grants are eligible.

• Are costs associated with capacity strengthening of sub-grantees eligible?

  Yes. Costs associated with capacity strengthening of sub-grantees could be eligible if compliant with the call parameters.

• In the detailed budget, under which costs category should sub-grants be presented?

  Sub-grants should be presented in the section “1.6.7 Other Costs” from detailed budget template.

• Is “Increased partnership, including financial support for the fund” referring to securing additional resources beyond the $49.5 million available?

  Yes. The objective of the leveraging component is to attract new funds to support skills development, including TVET, to improve access to decent work.