The High Commission of Canada in Ghana 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 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.
Thematic priorities
All projects must align with at least 1 of the following CFLI thematic priorities:
Peace and Security, with a focus on addressing either food security, maritime security, or the participation of youth, faith-based organizations, or traditional leadership structures in promoting sustainable peace.
Inclusive governance, including democracy, human rights and the rule of law, with a focus on promoting inclusive participation in democratic processes particularly for women, youth and persons with disabilities.
Funding Information
The average CFLI contribution is $25,000 to $45,000 Canadian Dollars.
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.
In alignment with this policy, the CFLI project application process now requires a gender-based analysis (GBA). The purpose of this change 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, 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.
Ineligibility Criteria
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
