The Embassy of Canada in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras 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:
Inclusive governance: diversity, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, emphasizing the rights of Indigenous peoples, persons of African Descent, LGBTIQ2+ communities, migrants/refugees, journalists and human rights defenders.
Environment and climate action: focusing on adaptation and mitigation as well as water management.
Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls: emphasizing women’s economic rights, entrepreneurship, and combatting gender-based violence.
Funding Information
The average CFLI contribution is between CAD $35,000 – 45,000 (Canadian dollars).
All projects must be completed between the date of signature of the Contribution Agreement (estimated to be around July 2024) and 28 February 2025.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible recipients must be legally registered in the country in which the project will be implemented, and 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, and that are legally registered in the country where the project is to be implemented,
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, and that are legally registered in the country where the project is to be implemented.
The majority of CFLI funding is 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.
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.
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
Language
Proposals must be completed in Spanish, English or French.
