Indo-Pacific Regional Connectivity Envelope - Call for proposals

The deadline for submitting your application is 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern Time, October 17, 2024. 

The Indo-Pacific Regional Connectivity Envelope (RCE) is a one-stage application process. Eligible organizations will submit a completed proposal that describes their proposed project and its alignment to Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS).

The total amount of funding available under the RCE Calls for proposals is $11.7 million over 4 years. The RCE will have multiple calls for proposals over the program’s duration. We may fund any number of proposals, or none, up to the total funding available.

You must submit your proposal through the Partners@International portal before the deadline. Your organization needs to register in the portal to submit a proposal. It may take 10 or more business days to complete the registration, so early registration is recommended. Please read the portal instructions and we recommend that you plan to submit your application by October 14, 2024. This will make sure that technical difficulties don’t prevent you from submitting your proposal by the final deadline of October 17, 2024. We won’t accept late submissions.

On this page:

• Background
• Objective
• Organization eligibility
• Project parameters
• Logic model
• Eligible expenditures
• Available resources
• How to apply
• Accessing and using PDF forms
• Questions on using the Partners@International portal
• Questions specific to this call

Background 

The Regional Connectivity Envelope is one of the new programs created under the Indo-Pacific Engagement Initiative (IPEI). The IPEI, funded under Strategic Objective #3 (‘Investing in and connecting people') of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, will support and enable Canadians to build new networks in the Indo-Pacific, strengthen Canada’s voice on priority issues and create partnerships on behalf of Canada. 

The RCE is designed to connect Canadian researchers, institutions (including academic institutions, research centres, think tanks, cultural organizations and associations, non-profit chambers of commerce or business associations, advocacy groups, notably those representing Indigenous Peoples (Inuit, Métis and First Nations), women, youth and LGBTQ2+ communities) and organizations with regional stakeholders, rightsholders and counterparts. It also aims to enhance Canada’s profile in the region, accelerate Canada’s ability to develop or gain access to influential networks and form strategic partnerships.

Contributions provided under the IPEI will support and contribute to achieving the following objectives:

• Implementing Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and strengthening Canada’s people-to-people ties with the region. This is identified under the key area “Advancing Canadian interests through deepened global engagement” of Global Affairs Canada 2023-24 Departmental Plan.
• Deepening Canada’s partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, as mentioned in the 2021 Speech from the Throne, the 2021 letters of mandates of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, the Minister of International Development and the Minister of National Defence.

Objective 

The RCE will support Canadian non-governmental stakeholders and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis organizations engaging in the Indo-Pacific region. The main focus of this enhanced engagement will consist of participation in and/or facilitation of events taking place in the region or in Canada.

You must choose an eligible project activity category, and if your organization will be facilitating or participating in the event.

Eligible project activity categories: 

• Knowledge Sharing:
  • Conferences
  • Workshops
  • Round Table Discussions
  • Panels
• Training
• Research
• Indo-Pacific Cultural Events
• Indigenous Events and Reconciliation

Organization eligibility

Review the following eligibility screening requirements that will be used on submitted application packages for this particular call. We won’t pre-check 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 in Canada and can provide a Canada Revenue Agency business number, or:
• Your organization is an Indigenous organization (Inuit, Métis and First Nations organization) in Canada. Your organization must provide supporting documentation about its history, governance structure, and/or ownership, and:
• You’re not a sovereign entity (government) for-profit organization, a multilateral institution, or an individual .

If you’re unable to respond to any of the above requirements, your organization isn’t eligible to apply under this call. 

Project parameters 

Review the parameters of this call and judge whether your project idea will fit. We won’t 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 under this call: 

• You’re requesting Global Affairs Canada funding of at least $20,000 and no more than $250,000 
• Your proposed project is in line with one or more of the Strategic Objectives of the Indo-Pacific Strategy 
• Your application identifies an Indo-Pacific regional organization^{Footnote 1} , who is based in the region, and how they will meaningfully support the project’s implementation
• Your proposed project won’t last more than 3 years
• The geographic focus of your project is in the Indo-Pacific (as defined by the Indo-Pacific Strategy^{Footnote 2} ) or in Canada
• If the total project value exceeds $40,000, your organization will provide at least 15% of the total eligible direct project costs
• Your application package documents are complete and presented in either English or French 

If your proposed project does not conform to the above statements, it won’t be assessed because it can’t be considered for funding. 

Logic model

Under this call, your proposed project must contribute to achieving the following ultimate outcome: Enhanced realization of joint Canadian and Indo-Pacific stakeholder interests in key developments related to security, trade, people to people ties, climate, and Canadian engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. 

Your proposed project must also contribute to one intermediate outcome and one immediate outcome, based on the project’s activity category: 

Intermediate outcomes

Knowledge sharing

• 1100: Increased meaningful engagement of Canadian organizations with their Indo-Pacific counterparts in conferences, workshops, round table discussions, and panels, in and/or on the Indo-Pacific region

Training

• 1200: Increased meaningful engagement of Indo-Pacific civil society organizations (CSOs) in Canada and Canadian CSOs in the Indo-Pacific region

Research

• 1300: Increased collaboration between Canadian academics and researchers with their Indo-Pacific colleagues

Indo-Pacific cultural events

• 1400: Strengthened cultural interconnectedness between Canadians and their Indo-Pacific counterparts

Indigenous events and reconciliation

• 1500: Increased interconnectedness of Indigenous Peoples within the Indo-Pacific region and Canada

Immediate outcomes

Knowledge sharing

• 1110: Increased access for Canadian organizations to participate in events which promote knowledge sharing with their counterparts in the Indo-Pacific region
• 1120: Increased capacity of Canadian organizations to facilitate knowledge sharing events with their counterparts in the Indo-Pacific region

Training

• 1210: Increased capacity of Canadian and Indo-Pacific CSOs to effectively operate within the Indo-Pacific region and Canada
• 1220: Increased ability for Canadian and Indo-Pacific CSOs to facilitate training sessions with/for their counterparts in the Indo-Pacific region and Canada

Research

• 1310: Increased capacity of non-GoC researchers to be able to conduct research in/on the Indo-Pacific region
• 1320: Increased capacity for Canadian researchers to facilitate events with/for their counterparts in the Indo-Pacific region and Canada

Indo-Pacific cultural events

• 1410: Increased access for CSOs, to participate in events which promote partnerships with their counterparts in the Indo-Pacific region and Canada
• 1420: Increased capacity of Canadian CSOs to facilitate cultural events with their counterparts in the Indo-Pacific region and Canada

Indigenous events and reconciliation

• 1510: Increased capacity for Indigenous Peoples to hold events within the Indo-Pacific region and Canada
• 1520: Increased access for Indigenous Peoples to participate in cultural events in the Indo-Pacific region and Canada

In your proposal, you must describe how your project will contribute to one of these outcomes. As well as how you’ll monitor and evaluate progress, instead of providing project-based logic models.

You’ll need to identify project-specific expected outputs and activities required to achieve these outcomes on the Activities Form. Applicants must identify indicators to evaluate achieving the immediate and intermediate outcomes. 

Please refer to Results-Based Management: A how to guide to learn how results-based management is used in this initiative. This guide will also help you to develop outputs, activities and indicators for your project. 

Eligible expenditures

Preliminary budgets must adhere to expenditures eligible under the RCE. Eligible expenditures include reasonable expenses necessary to support eligible activities, such as: 

• Registration and participation fees; 
• AV equipment and IT services; 
• Venues and hospitality (excluding alcoholic beverages); 
• Promotional publications and training material (printing, translation, and distribution); 
• Travel costs, including round-trip airfare (the most direct and economical route), meals, incidentals, visa and related costs, travel insurance, health insurance; 
• Research materials and equipment, laptops, and specialized research instruments; 
• Event registration costs (excluding extended training courses); 
• Event organization costs, such as: 
  • Facility costs for workshops, seminars, etc. (for example hospitality (excluded alcoholic beverages), conference room rentals); 
  • Materials and supplies (for example event handouts and name tags); 
  • Travel costs for event participants and organizers (as described above) and all other actual necessary, reasonable and justifiable out-of-pocket travel-related expenses arising from organizing and/or participating in the event activities; 
  • Personnel costs (costs directly related to the personnel engaged to conduct the event activities, including training sessions, conference and workshop facilitation).

Available resources

A number of resources are available online to help you develop your application package. We 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 will result in your application package not being considered for funding. 

• Indo-Pacific Regional Connectivity Envelope - Questions and Assessment Criteria
• Indo-Pacific Regional Connectivity Envelope - Questions and answers
• Results Based Management: A how to guide
• Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy 
• How to apply for funding through a call 
• Funding resources 
• Questions and answers about applying for funding 
• Partners@International Frequently Asked Questions 

How to apply

Important: If you intend to apply to this call for proposals, you must email RCE-ECR@international.gc.ca by October 11, 2024, to request the application package which will include the application form, collaboration attestation, activities form and budget template for this call.

To be considered in this call, all these documents, along with all the documents outlined below must be completed and uploaded to the Partners@International portal before 12 pm (noon) Eastern Time on October 17, 2024.

Your application package must include all of the following documents: 

• Indo-Pacific Regional Connectivity Envelope application form completed (maximum of 10 pages in English or 12 pages in French);
• Financial statements for the last two fiscal years, signed (audited statements are preferred), signed by at least 1 member of the board of directors, 1 board delegate, or the owner(s);
• A completed preliminary budget;
• RCE Project Attestation of Collaboration;
• RCE Activities Form;
• Anti-Corruption Declaration (PDF, 159 KB);
• Declaration regarding outstanding debts due to His Majesty (PDF, 52.3 KB);
• Letter of incorporation or proof of organization’s legal status.

Accessing and using PDF forms 

Use only Adobe Reader/Adobe Acrobat to work on the standardized PDFs to submit 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 ineligible. 

If you’re having difficulty downloading the 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. Don’t open multiple windows within the portal as this may cause technical problems. 

Don’t try to register or submit at the last minute. 

It may take up to 10 business days to register your organization. If you have technical difficulties while registering or trying to submit a proposal, send an email to: RCE-ECR@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 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 Indo-Pacific Regional Connectivity Envelope Questions and Answers and the Questions and answers about applying for funding web page, please send them to RCE-ECR@international.gc.ca by Monday, October 7, 2024, at 12:00p.m. (noon) Eastern Time. We won’t respond to questions received after this deadline, or to questions on specific organizational circumstances or specific project proposals. Applicants won’t receive emails with responses. Answers will only appear on the Indo-Pacific Regional Connectivity Envelope Questions and answers page to ensure that all applicants have access to the same information at the same time.