November 28, 2017 - The Inter-Council Network of Provincial and Regional Council for International Cooperation (ICN) is pleased to announce that Global Affairs Canada has launched the 2017 Call for Preliminary Proposals – Development Impact Window – Canadian Small and Medium Organizations (SMOs) for Impact and Innovation. The launch follows substantial research and many years of national planning and discussions by the ICN on behalf of SMOs from coast to coast to coast.
The Development Impact Window is one of three components of a $100 million allocation toward a five-year pilot initiative supporting SMOs for international assistance. . This fund was announced by the Honorable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Cooperation and La Francophonie on May 9th, 2017, and is aligned with Canada’s new Feminist International Assistance Policy. The other two components are a Fund for Innovation and Transformation (FIT), and a capacity-building program, also for SMOs. We anticipate details of these components will be released soon.
“We are delighted that the Government of Canada has acknowledged the role of SMOs in global citizenship and international cooperation and is partnering with Canadian organizations,” stated Michael Simpson the executive director of the British Columbia Council for International Cooperation and host of the ICN. “Indeed, after many, many years of discussions this marks a turnaround in how Canada will work with Canadians in the future to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues”. ICN evidence-based research, most recently carried out in May 2016, indicated that SMOs raise significant resources for development cooperation and are critical to the success of Canada’s international reputation in global sustainability. The fund will tackle seventeen of the world’s most pressing issues with women and girls, as both beneficiaries and change agents, being the core theme.
The fund will have regular, predictable annual intakes over a period of four years. It will explore the efficacy and value in working with grassroots groups across Canada and if successful is expected to continue beyond the five year pilot. In response to feedback regarding onerous application processes of the past, the new funds include a streamlined two stage intake process that should reduce the level of effort required before completing a full proposal. .
After many years of effort the ICN is pleased to see policy discussions bear fruit with the announcement of these three funds. The announcement of the Development Impact Window, in particular, marks a critical turnaround in Canada’s development assistance cooperation that is welcomed by civil society groups.
More information on the launch of the fund can be found on the Global Affairs Canada web page.
For More Info:
Aurelie Yguel
Coordonnatrice nationale
Réseau de coordination des Conseils provinciaux et régionaux
(604) 260 0424 | (778) 991 3694