Canada Fund for Local Initiatives – Jamaica (2024)

Deadline: 24-May-2024

The High Commission of Canada (HCC) in Jamaica is pleased to launch its annual call for proposals for the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).

The CFLI is a program designed to support small-scale, high-impact projects in developing countries, which align with Global Affairs Canada’s (GAC) thematic priority areas for engagement. The program is directed at projects conceived and designed predominantly by local partners. Projects are selected and approved by the relevant Canadian embassy or high commission. The CFLI also serves to support positive bilateral relations between Canada and recipient countries and their civil societies, by deepening contacts and supporting local endeavours.

Local organisations such as civil society groups, non-governmental and community-based organisations continue to play a key role in advancing Jamaica’s growth. As the country moves towards achieving Vision 2030 outcomes, local groups are well placed to identify solutions to current and emerging development challenges being experienced by the country. Through CFLI, the HCC will continue to work with governmental and non-governmental organisations to tackle social and economic issues and support local development.

The HCC is leveraging CFLI to support Jamaican organizations that provide services to communities and individuals most at risk. In that regard, the HCC launches the 2024-25 Canada Fund Call for Proposals and invites suitably qualified organisations to submit project proposals.

They encourage you to think creatively in your project design noting that projects with a comprehensive development response will be prioritized. Projects must prioritise the engagement of women and girls and offer solutions that provide practical actions for the empowerment of women and girls. Organisations must consider how their initiatives will address socioeconomic hardships, inequalities and vulnerabilities at the individual, family, community and national levels, for women, girls and other vulnerable groups.

Thematic Priorities

• All local projects must align with at least one of the following CFLI thematic priorities:
  • Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls:
    • Initiatives that provide opportunities for greater social and economic independence of women, and that tackle barriers to achieving gender equality.
    • Initiatives aimed at reducing sexual and gender-based violence (SGVB) and that strengthen the capacity of local actors to implement prevention and response strategies; initiatives that engage men and boys and that promote advocacy against SGBV.
  • Peace and security: a focus on crime prevention; initiatives that organise workshops, training sessions and seminars that teach conflict resolution and mediation skills; community policing and safety programs that involve collaboration to address crime and violence; youth-focused projects that help reduce the risk of youth involvement in crime and violence.
  • Human rights, including diversity, LGBTQI+ and people with disabilities: initiatives that organise workshops, seminars or events that educate about inclusion and diversity; initiatives that provide resources and support to marginalised groups such as offering legal aid, counselling services and advocacy training.
  • Environment and climate change focusing on adaptation and mitigation: initiatives that engage women and girls as active leaders and participants in actions to address climate change; support to women-led groups to help them engage on climate change and environmental issues, including sustainable natural resource management.
  • Strong focus will be placed on innovative projects that address current or emerging local issues related to the thematic areas. Projects may also focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and promote technological advancement of women and girls.

Funding Information

• The average CFLI contribution for local projects is $10,000 to $25,000 Canadian Dollars.

Gender-Based Analysis

• In 2017, Canada adopted its Feminist International Assistance Policy to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls as the most effective way to reduce poverty and build a more inclusive, peaceful and prosperous world. In alignment with this policy, the CFLI project application process requires a gender-based analysis (GBA). The purpose of this is to enhance the gender equality outcomes of the CFLI program.
• A GBA will require applicants to:
  • consider how women, girls, men, and boys are affected differently by the problem their project is aiming to address and what mitigation strategies can be employed to meet the unique needs of these populations, while ensuring, at the same time, that the project does not cause harm.
  • consult women and/or girls in the development of their project proposal.
  • ensure that the views of those women and/or girls inform the project’s design.
• Note that consultations can include, but are not limited to, speaking to women and girls from the local community, women and other individuals who work for civil society organizations that have worked in the local community and female and male decision and change makers who have knowledge of the local community.
• Inadequate completion of a GBA may affect the consideration of your proposal.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible recipients include:
  • Local non-governmental, community and not-for-profit organizations,
  • Local academic institutions working on local projects,
  • International non-governmental organizations working on local development activities,
  • Intergovernmental, multilateral and regional institutions, organizations and agencies working on local development activities,
  • Municipal, regional or national government institutions or agencies of the recipient country working on local projects, and
  • Canadian non-governmental and not-for-profit organizations that are working on local development activities.
• The majority of CFLI funding is to be directed toward local civil society organizations (including non-governmental organizations) and other institutions working at the local level. Other entities, such as international, intergovernmental, multilateral and regional organizations, may be eligible for funding, provided they are working with local partners and on local projects that are consistent with the objectives of the CFLI. Similarly, municipal, regional and national government institutions may receive funding, provided that their projects are essentially local in nature. The CFLI is always looking to fund innovative projects that deliver measurable results.

Ineligible

• The following costs are not eligible for CFLI funding:
  • nuclear technologies and facilities,
  • assistance to military or paramilitary organizations,
  • gifts,
  • luxury goods,
  • direct fiscal support to a government,
  • seed funding and/or microfinance,
  • core funding or recurrent costs of an organization
  • expenses incurred prior to the signing of the contribution agreement, or after it expires

For more information, visit Government of Canada.