The deadline for submission of final proposals to the consortium channel is 8 July 2022.
So far, More than 20 Member Associations have expressed an interest in leading a consortium.
At a recent meeting they were able to ask questions about the process. Some Members also posted questions via email.
Here is a list of the frequently asked questions.
Q: How do we define a ‘region’ in the context of the grant?
A: The term region refers to IPPF region: Africa, Americas and Caribbean, Arab World, ESEAO, European Network, South Asia.
Q: Will the consortium need to implement in more than two regions, or just have members from more than two regions?
A: The assumption is that implementation covers more than two regions.
Q: Do we have two implement all of the Key Impact Areas?
A: Yes. As a whole, the consortium has to cover all four areas. A consortium member can, however, choose to focus on one or more.
Q: Can we apply in any of the IPPF languages?
A: Yes, applications will be professionally translated
Q: Who should form the Consortium? Is it the lead or the Secretariat?
A: It is the responsibility of the lead to build the consortium, and to facilitate the development of the concept note. Where requested, the Secretariat can help to reach out to other regions and MAs.
Q: Is there a limit on the number of consortia that can apply?
A: There is no limit, but only one grant will be awarded in 2021. At the moment 10 leads have an expressed an interest.
Q: If we receive the full application form does that mean that you are considered eligible to lead the consortium?
A: No. In order to be eligible you have to fulfil the criteria. This means that you have to be an MA, your last two audits must be unqualified and you must work on youth. If you do not fulfil these criteria, you should not submit your application as it will be disqualified.
Q: Can an MA join more than one consortium?
A: There are no restrictions on how many consortia an MA can join. However, they would have to declare and navigate the conflict of interest. Other partners might not to be comfortable with their inclusion.
Q: Can you lead a consortium and also join other consortia?
A: This is not recommended. It is likely that your consortium partners and the reviewing teams would not take your leadership seriously, if you do not yourself believe in it.
Q: Are you eligible for the consortium channel If you already receive funding under Stream 2?
A: There are no set limits to how many channels an MA can access under stream 2.
Q: As the lead, are there any limitations to what expenses you may cover in the budget?
A: You can only include 10% overheads. The rest must be salaries and activity costs directly attributable to the programme and its outcomes.
Q: How flexible is the funding: across the two years, across regions involved, in terms of type of activities?
A: The limitations are specified in the call for concepts. Beyond these, the funding is flexible.
Q: Can local youth activities be considered indirect costs?
A: The proposal indicates an overheads section. Overheads cannot exceed 10%. Local youth activities should be done and costed under activities as direct costs.
Q: Do consortium partners need to know each other / have collaborated before?
A: No. One of the objectives for the Consortium Channel is to pull the federation together to deliver on our shared mission. You do not need to have collaborated directly to join together in a consortium.
Q: In the application template, you have indicated six co-applicants. Is this to be understood as a limit of six co-applicants or may we add more boxes?
A: There is no upper limit. Please add additional partners on a separate sheet, and refer to this in the relevant section.
Q: Can the consortium lead also have a technical or implementing role?
A: Yes, they can. They should however be sure to budget for their management role, which requires a lot of effort.
Q: In terms of the youth groups, do you expect these to be directly involved in the consortium or to ‘merely’ benefit from the work of the consortium?
A: They should be directly involved.