The Fund for Innovation and Transformation (FIT) is a program of the Inter-Council Network of Provincial and Regional Councils made possible through funding from Global Affairs Canada and administered by the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation. FIT aims to support testing of a range of creative solutions to development challenges, and provide organizations with the opportunity to learn and grow as innovators.
FIT 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. FIT will provide successful applicants with $150K-$250K 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.
Criteria of a successful concept note include:
1. Applicants must be at the testing phase of their innovative solution (the idea has been identified, research and development has been completed and you have created a sample of your product/program ready to be tested). General development projects do not qualify
2. Applicants must be willing to share/license intellectual property with the Government of Canada
3. The project must have demonstrated input from a partner in the Global South and must be implemented in a country that is eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA). See OECD list of eligible countries
4. Proposed projects must not involve any construction (e.g. building a new structure or rehabilitating an existing structure) and there is no cost-share (in-kind) component required
5. Proposed projects can either offer brand new solutions to address needs, or adjust existing approaches in order to reach more communities. Examples of innovation may include new or improved technologies, programs, approaches, behavioural insights or ways of delivering products and services that benefit and empower women and girls. Innovative solutions must create inclusive opportunities for local communities from project conception to execution. For example, women and girls should play a role in project design, testing, learning and adoption of solutions.
Due Date: January 9, 2020 at 10 AM
Download the Concept Note Guidelines (Approximately 5 pages in length)
Please note that as UAlberta can only submit one proposal, UAlberta International is coordinating submission of proposals for this call.
If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please contact:
Vanessa Strickland
Short Course Coordinator, International Projects, University of Alberta International
Vanessa.Strickland@ualberta.ca
780-492-8403