Conference Fund

Description
Eligibility
Assessment Criteria
Funding Terms and Conditions
Application Process
Additional Information and Links
Contact Us
Application Form
Post-Conference Reporting Form

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Description

The Conference Fund supports participation by eligible delegates at conferences that address topics of particular interest to the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Conferences must directly support one or more of CIDA's program priorities (governance, health, basic education, private-sector development, and environmental sustainability, with gender equality as a cross-cutting theme), and seek to influence sustainable development in developing countries and/or countries in transition. In response to Agency requirements, the Conference Fund may favour conferences that address areas where CIDA is strengthening its programming. Conferences may be held in Canada or abroad.

The Conference Fund will support up to 33% of total conference costs, to a maximum of $200,000, towards the participation of eligible delegates.

Please note that complete applications must be received no later than16 weeks before the conference begins.

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Eligibility

Applicant Eligibility
Event Eligibility
Delegate Eligibility
Eligible Expenses

Applicant Eligibility

Only organizations may apply for funding. Applicant organizations must be:

• legally constituted Canadian, foreign, or international organizations (including government departments) in the public, voluntary, or private sectors;
• financially viable; and
• an organizer or one of the organizing partners of the proposed conference.

Note: The Conference Fund will consider requests for assistance for conferences that involve more than one organization. However, the Secretariat can only enter into a contribution agreement with a single legal entity. Conferences that involve more than one organization must identify a lead applicant responsible for submitting the proposal and for signing any future agreement.

The following organizations are not eligible for funding:

• multilateral organizations, such as those of the United Nations and World Bank, that already receive core funding from the Canadian government; and
• organizations already receiving funding from CIDA for a program that is directly related to the subject of the conference.

Event Eligibility

Events that are not eligible include:

• conferences already directly funded through other CIDA sources;
• conferences that primarily address subjects or issues that are related, or specific, to only one country eligible for CIDA assistance;
• recurring conferences (i.e those that are part of a series-annual, 2nd etc.-or repetitive in nature) where the Conference Fund has funded a previous conference in the series during the past 5 years;
• annual general assemblies/meetings or constituent assemblies;
• events that are commercial in nature (such as trade fairs);
• cultural events (such as concerts, theatrical activities/performances, and sporting events);
• academic courses/training leading to university or college credits; and
• general training or instructional programs;
• conferences already rejected by the Conference Fund during the last 12 months.

Delegate Eligibility

The Conference Fund provides support for organizations to invite delegates to conferences. Delegates may not apply to the fund directly: conference organizers must apply on their behalf. Proposed delegates must be citizens of countries and territories where Canada provides development assistance (consult the Statistical Report on Official Development Assistance: Fiscal Year 2005-2006 - Table D-4).

Eligible Expenses

• travel (most economical means up to full-fare economy airfare to and from the conference);
• visas (actual cost plus - when authorized in advance - travel or accommodation costs incurred to obtain a visa);
• moderately priced accommodation (only covering room and taxes);
• meals (where not included in registration fees) and incidentals; and
• registration fees (when clearly identified in the budget included with the proposal for the conference).

The following expenses are NOT eligible:

• any and all administrative or service costs for the participation of delegates (such as medical insurance, translation services, photocopies, travel agent fees, and travel or accommodation costs incurred to obtain a visa); and
• any and all other expenses associated with the conference (such as meeting room rentals, logistical costs, production of conference publications, the cost of undertaking evaluations, etc.).

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Assessment Criteria

Requests for funding will be assessed against a list of criteria, including the:

• organization's capacity to undertake and manage the proposed conference;
• organization's ability to contribute, in cash and/or in kind, to the conference, and to obtain contributions from other donors;
• extent to which the conference will
• advance capacity building in developing countries and countries in transition;
• support one or more of CIDA's programming priorities;
• address gender-related issues; and
• contribute to sharing and transferring knowledge on sustainable development;
• contribute to CIDA's poverty reduction mandate.
• relevance of the proposed delegates to the subject of the conference;
• relevance of the conference theme and program to developing-country participants; and
• gender balance in selecting proposed delegates to be funded.

The assessment is carried out by:

• relevant technical experts at CIDA; and
• officials at Canada's overseas missions, CIDA's regional offices in Canada, and other Canadian departments as required.

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Funding Terms and Conditions

Funding for conferences is provided according to the following:

• The maximum amount that will be recommended is 33% of the total conference costs, to a maximum of $200,000. The total conference costs must include the projected costs related to the participation by representatives of developing countries and countries in transition.
• The minimum amount for an application is $10,000.
• Financial assistance is normally provided through a contribution agreement. The agreement is governed by terms and conditions in a legally binding document that must be signed by the applicant and CIDA before payments can be made. CIDA's contribution can only be used to pay for expenses incurred after both parties have signed the agreement.
• The applicant must provide CIDA with a post-conference narrative and financial report.
• The Secretariat makes payments on a reimbursement basis, following the receipt and approval of a post-conference narrative and financial report. Applicants are therefore required to manage cash flow accordingly. However, on an exceptional basis, the Secretariat may consider requests for advance payments against planned eligible expenses. Applicants must indicate the value of these expenses and when they will be incurred.
• The Secretariat reserves the right to determine the amount and schedule of its payments.

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Application Process

Proposals can be sent at any time during the year, but a complete application form with supporting documents must be received at least 16 weeks before the start date of a conference. A proposal should be no more than 15 pages long, excluding the required appendices. It should provide CIDA with a concise, but thorough, description of your conference. Incomplete applications will not be considered for funding.

Along with the completed Conference Fund Application form, each proposal package must include:

• the Right of Set-Off Declaration (appendix 2) form1;
• the Anti-Corruption Declaration form1;
• a copy of the applicant organization's certificate of incorporation and by-laws2; and
• audited financial statements from the applicant organization's past two fiscal periods, the latest having been completed within the last 18 months2.

Organizations are encouraged to provide copies of their annual reports, newsletters, brochures, or any other publications that profile the organization, if available.

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Additional Information and Links

For conferences held in Canada, conference participants are responsible for obtaining any necessary visas. When extending invitations, conference organizers should allow sufficient time for participants to obtain their visas. They should also provide written letters of invitation to support the visa application. The Conference Fund has no role in decisions on whether or not visas are issued.

Here are some links to relevant background information:

• Global Issues
• Statistical Report on Official Development Assistance: Fiscal Year 2005-2006
• Equality Between Women and Men
• Environmental Handbook for Community Development Initiatives
• Results-Based Management
• Travel Directive (Treasury Board)
• Special Travel Authorities for Persons on Contract
• Contribution Agreement: General Terms and Conditions

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For More Information

Conference Fund
Engagement and Training Section
Engaging Canadians Directorate
Canadian Partnership Branch
Canadian International Development Agency
200 Promenade du Portage, Gatineau (Quebec)
Canada K1A 0G4

Fax: (819) 953-6357

Conference organizers based in the Atlantic, Prairies or Pacific regions of Canada may also wish to contact the nearest CIDA regional office.

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Notes

1 - Canadian and foreign government departments and agencies are exempt from this requirement.

2 - Canadian and foreign government departments and agencies, and publicly funded colleges, universities and CEGEPs are exempt from this requirement. For other organizations, if these documents have been submitted to CIDA in the last year and there are no changes to the documentation, it is not necessary to resubmit them. Please indicate the fund to which documents have been sent (for example, the Stand-Alone Public Engagement Fund) and the approximate date they were submitted.

Back to Application Process

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Forms

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Statistical Report on Official Development Assistance: Fiscal Year 2005-2006 (PDF - 803 KB, 73 pages)

Application Form

RTF (160 KB, 8 pages)
PDF (81 KB, 9 pages)

Post-Conference Reporting Form

RTF (13 KB, 1 page)
PDF (37KB, 2 pages)