Transition-to-Scale Funding Program

Deadline: 25-Sep-24

Submissions are now open for the Transition-to-Scale Funding Program.

At Transition to Scale (TTS), Being will support promising innovations that have achieved proof-of-concept or demonstrated initial positive results of the innovation and have significant potential to achieve sustainable impact at scale or as it reaches more people.

Being seeks bold ideas that improve the mental health and wellbeing of the most underserved 10- to 24-year-olds in priority countries.

There are different possible objectives for TTS funding based on the stage of development of the innovation:

• Generate evidence of impact needed for scale-up, and/or address gaps in existing evidence (e.g. through validation studies)
• Advance planning for scale and sustainability (develop or validate a viable plan, business model, etc.)
• Build organizational capacity needed to scale
• Grow and strengthen strategic partnerships, including diversified funding sources needed for scale, and/or smart partners towards a sustainable end game
• Begin scaling in new or expanded geographies, and/or with new partners

Focus Areas

• Being seeks TTS innovations that:
  • Focus on the prevention and promotion aspects of youth mental health
  • Are age and stage appropriate, given the wide age range of the target population (i.e. 10 – 24 years)
  • Aim to support and amplify the voices of young people
  • Deliver mental health supports through youth-friendly, health and non-health mechanisms
  • Meet people where they are by integrating mental health and/or wellbeing interventions into existing education or social care systems

Themes

• TTS innovations should seek to integrate one or more of the following cross-cutting themes:
  • Tackle the outcomes of damaging gender norms and consider the mental health needs of people with diverse sexual and gender identities;
  • Consider the distinct mental health needs arising from intersecting experiences of discrimination and marginalization across various identities (such as socio-economic status, religion, etc.);
  • Acknowledge the influence of power differentials on young people’s mental health and consider the limited agency and autonomy faced by young people;
  • Address stigma and discrimination related to mental illness with a specific focus on stigma experienced by young people; and/or
  • Creatively leverage technology that is highly used and trusted by young people, while considering rigorous monitoring and evaluation and tracking of priority outcomes.

Funding Information

• The goal is to support innovators to Transition to Scale through the ‘missing middle’ with funding offered between $300,000 CAD and $1,500,000 CAD over 12–48 months.

TTS Priority Health Outcomes

• Improvements in mental health and wellbeing for young people may look different across contexts and may have a variety of approaches to measurement. Successful applications will clearly define at least one relevant priority health outcome that the innovation will set out to achieve, with clear plans to track progress using appropriate measurement tools.
• Here are some examples of priority health and wellbeing outcomes that innovations may set out to achieve. This is not a comprehensive list of health and wellbeing outcomes that can be achieved through prevention and promotion initiatives. They welcome applications with other relevant health and wellbeing outcomes.
  • Improved wellbeing
  • Improved life satisfaction
  • Improved emotional regulation
  • Improved connectedness
  • Improved social capital
  • Improved self esteem
  • Improved coping
  • Improved self-efficacy
  • Improved resilience
  • Effects on knowledge (ex. Mental health literacy)
  • Effects on attitudes (ex. Reductions on stigmatizing attitudes)

Eligibility Criteria

• The eligibility criteria are listed below:
  • Eligible applicants include legally recognized organizations (e.g. social enterprises, nonprofit, for-profit, limited liability companies, research/academic institutions) that:
    • Are formed and legally incorporated
    • Can successfully perform activities in their technical area
    • Can receive and administer funding
  • Projects must be implemented in one of the 11 countries eligible for TTS funding (Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, Romania, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Vietnam. They are not accepting TTS applications for projects in Senegal at this time).
  • There can only be one (1) Project Lead for each project and they must be affiliated with the applying organization. The Project Lead should be the person with the highest level of responsibility working directly on the project and will be the point of contact for Grand Challenges Canada.
  • A Project Lead can only be listed on one (1) application. Single institutions can submit multiple applications but each needs a different Project Lead.
  • The Review Committee will only consider applications that include all required information and answers to all questions.
  • Applicants must obtain any legal and/or regulatory approvals, consents or reviews required to accept foreign grant funds and/or conduct the project activities, before concluding a funding agreement. For example, project activities in India may require prior registration with the Ministry of Home Affairs under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act 2010 (FCRA). As such, successful applicants would have to provide either FCRA registration or written certification. Failure to comply with FCRA requirements may result in financial and/or criminal penalties against your organization. Get advice to determine if FCRA applies. Other examples of jurisdictions that require approvals are Vietnam. Applicants are responsible for understanding and complying with these regulations and laws before receiving funding from Grand Challenges Canada.
  • Grand Challenges Canada may, at any time and at the sole discretion, change the eligibility criteria for applicants, Project Leads and/or eligible countries, as long as it doesn’t substantially undermine the review process.
• Please note: 
  • Grand Challenges Canada must approve any change in Project Lead, applicant organization or country of implementation from the originally submitted application.
  • While it’s not required, they do encourage applicants from outside of the priority country of implementation to collaborate meaningfully with innovators from the priority country of implementation.
  • Project Leads must get their affiliated institution’s sign-off before submitting any application.

Ineligible

• The following are ineligible:
  • Individuals
  • Sole proprietorships
  • Unincorporated trusts and partnerships
  • Government organizations
  • United Nations country offices

For more information, visit Being.