Deadline: 22 July 2019
Apply for Fund for Innovation and Transformation (FIT) which is designed to support Canadian small and medium-sized organizations (SMOs) testing innovative solutions that advance gender equality in the Global South.
The program is open to civil society organizations, social enterprises, post-secondary institutions and the private sector.
The Fund for Innovation and Transformation (FIT) is a program of the Inter-Council Network of Provincial and Regional Councils (ICN) made possible through funding from Global Affairs Canada and administered by the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation (MCIC).
FIT will provide successful applicants with $150K-$250 K over a 6-15 month period to test their solutions in partnership with local organizations. The multi-year program aims to fund 50-70 initiatives overall.
In addition, the program seeks to foster collective learning and build the capacity of SMOs through the creation of knowledge-sharing spaces and practices. FIT’s goal is to cultivate a working environment in which SMOs are empowered to experiment, fail, adapt and try again.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be Canadian small and medium-sized organizations (SMOs) who want to test innovative solutions to specific development challenges in partnership with local organizations.
- Projects should have a focus on advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls in the Global South.
- Applicants may seek funding of between $150K to $250K to implement projects over a 6-15 month period (lower amounts may be considered, but not over $250K).
What is an SMO?
- FIT’s definition of an SMO is premised on two inclusive criteria:
- Consolidated revenue in the organization’s financial statements is equal to or less than $10 million (this limitation does not apply to educational institutions), and
- Organization does not have annual overseas expenditures exceeding $2 million in overseas development assistance (ODA) (i.e. projects administered with the promotion of the economic development and welfare of developing countries as their main objective).
- SMOs can be civil society organizations, education institutions, private sector or social enterprises.
- Organizations must legally be incorporated in Canada, and upon request, make available proof of legal status (e.g. a letter of incorporation), and a Canada Revenue Agency business number.
- Post-secondary institutions can be SMOs as long as their overseas expenditures in ODA do not exceed $2 million. They are not required to respect the $10 million revenue limit.
Other Criteria
- Applicants must be at the testing phase of their innovative solution. (General development projects do not qualify).
- Applicants must be willing to share/license intellectual property with the Government of Canada.
- Proposed projects must be implemented in a country that is eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA).
- Proposed projects must not involve any construction (e.g. building a new structure or rehabilitating an existing structure).
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online via given website.
For more information, please visit https://fit-fit.ca/
