Who can apply for ISIF funding?
Project proposals from Asia Pacific-based public or private sector
organizations, university, or research and development institutions and
non-government organizations will be considered. Individuals are not eligible for grants. Applications must be aligned with ISIF program
objectives,
eligibility criteria, and
administrative guidelines.
How do we submit a project proposal?
Proposals must be submitted through the
online application form using the template provided. Please read carefully the
application guide which will provide information on each step of the process. A list of
tips for a succesful submission is also available.
How do we structure our project proposal?
A proposal submitted to ISIF should provide concrete and detailed information about the proposed project so that it can be properly assessed by the Selection Committee. Use the
grant proposals structure which has been defined by the ISIF Secretariat, so you can prepare all the necessary documentation.
Can we submit a proposal in collaboration with another organization(s)?
Yes. Proposals can be submitted by 2 or more organizations collaborating to conduct the project activities. The majority of the project activities should be conducted in the Asia Pacific region, to the benefit of the region. Only the leading organization will sign the contract and will be entitled to administer the allocated funds. When preparing the proposal, please include information about the partnership in different areas of the proposal, such as:
- Organization profile: focus on the organization submitting the proposal, listing the partnership members and clarifying why your organization will lead the partnership.
- Motivation: the motivation from the organizations involved should be briefly described, as this will be key to understand how they will be working together.
- Methodology: Include here a detailed description on how the partnership is going to work; how the roles and responsibilities for the project implementation will be distributed; how the decisions will be taken, etc. As the organizations are working on different countries, is important to clarify how this will be addressed in terms of beneficiaries needs.
There is no restriction about the nationality or place of residency of any team members.
What is the maximum amount of funds that we can apply for?
The maximum budget to be funded by ISIF is AUD $ 40,000. Project proposals exceeding that amount must specify where the additional funds will be obtained. The Steering Committee and/or the Grants Evaluation Committee can request applicants to modify their budgets to fund nominated specific activities. The Steering Committee may decide to partially fund a proposal.
What is the maximum term to be funded?
The project proposal work plan must not exceed 12 months.
What is the deadline to submit a proposal?
All proposals must be submitted in their entirety before 31 July 2009. No additional information can be filed after that date.
What countries are considered by ISIF as part of the Asia Pacific region?
Please review the list of
countries that are considered by ISIF as part of the Asia Pacific region. Proposals from countries not listed there will not be reviewed. There is not limitation about the nationality of the team members submitting the proposal.
How the proposals will be selected?
A Steering Committee composed of one voting representative from each
one of the program partners make the final decisions about all aspects
of the ISIF program. The Steering Committee works online and also have
face-to-face meetings during the course of the scheduled activities.
The proposals will be selected based on their compliance with all ISIF
objectives and the criteria mentioned above.
The process will be as following:
- The
ISIF secretariat will screen all applications received. The ISIF
Secretariat will only reject proposals if: 1) they are out of ISIF
objectives and selection criteria; 2) they are going to be undertaken
in countries out of the AP region.
- All approved applications will be then be reviewed online by the Grants Selection Committee.The Grants Selection Committee will have one meeting to discuss the proposals and produce a shortlist of candidates.
- Shortlisted applicants will receive questions of clarification from the Grants Selection Committee. Shortlisted applicants will have at least 10 working days to provide the information requested and submit their finalize proposal for the final approval.
- The
Selection Committee will make their final recommendations to the
Steering Committee, who will be in charge of the final decision.
- A
notification will be issued to all shortlisted applicants. A formal
announcement will be made on this website after the workshop.
When will we know if our proposal was selected?
- If your organisation does not receive a request for comments by December 10, 2009 it means your proposal was not shortlisted.
- If your organisation is shortlisted you will be notified of the steps that will proceed. The ISIF secretariat will assist you during the final negotiation.
- If your proposal was shortlisted but you don't incorporate the feedback proposed nor provide additional information requested, your proposal will not be considered for funding.If you don't agree with the recommendations provided, you can provide details that support your decision.
- Being shortlisted is not a guarantee that your proposal will be funded.
- The final decision remains in the Steering Committee.
- The selected applicants will be notified by email and a public announcement on this website will be posted including the names of the selected grant proposals and it's basic profile information.
Can we get an assessment about why our proposal was not selected?
Yes. It might take a while, but the Secretariat is willing to review the Grants Evaluation Committee comments and provide you with a summary that allows your organisation to improve future applications. The decisions of the Steering Committee are final.
What type of contract/agreement do we have to sign to receive the funding?
A contract will be signed between the selected organisation and ISIF Secretariat, APNIC. The contract will be issued according to Australian regulations. You can download a
template for your review. If your organisation has questions about the contract and its implications, please contact the secretariat at
info@isif.asia.
How long it will take to receive the funding?
ISIF Secretariat is committed to making the first project disbursement no later than March 2010. In order to make that possible, it is very important that your organisation provides the information requested by the Secretariat to comply with APNIC administrative procedures. Please read the
terms and conditions for the release of grant funds.
What kind of reporting is expected?
The Grant Agreement requires your organisation to provide two technical and two financial reports written using templates provided by the ISIF Secretariat. The ISIF Secretariat will provide assistance to clarify how to use the templates.
The first set of reports (technical and financial) must be submitted up to six months after activities begin. The final reports must be submitted no longer than 30 days after the project activities have finished.
The technical reports must be descriptive and detailed, providing information that can be used for promotion and follow-up. If possible, reports should include pictures, graphics, audio and/or video to document the activities. These additional materials will be used to development ISIF promotional materials. To enable the Secretariat to credit the authors, full details must be provided.
Each project will have a section on this website to provide news and information about developments and challenges. Profiles of team members will also be published.
The Secretariat will support a networking strategy among all the grantees based on common interests and regional representation.
Please read the
licenses and copyright policy of ISIF.
Is there any meetings that selected applicants should be prepare to participate on?
A Proposal's Development Workshop was planned for February 2010 but has been canceled. The ISIF Secretariat will notify applicants and grantees about any meeting planned and will provide detailed logistic information with enough anticipation to guarantee participation.
Is there any electronic mechanisms that grantees will be requested to participate?
Yes. A mailing list has been created to promote information sharing and social networking among the grantee groups. A private website, using a WiKi platform, offers a blog space for each grantee to share information about the project’s development and team experiences. Login names and passwords will be provided by the ISIF secretariat. The Secretariat will offer online support. A basic set of principles for the fair use of the blog space will be provided with the contract.
Which is ISIF's ownership and copyright policies?
Ownership of the project idea and materials will remain with the grantee. Results and outcomes will be published in the public domain. Please read the
licenses and copyright policy of ISIF.
I've just heard from ISIF and the call for proposals is already closed. When is the next call for proposals?
This is the second round of funding provided by ISIF, supporting projects to be implemented in 2010/2011.
ISIF Partners will decide during the first semester of 2010 if the fund activities will be extended for a third round of funding.
A formal announcement will be made with enough time to prepare proposals accordingly.