INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MULTI-YEAR GRANT APPLICATION GUIDANCE External Relations Division Government Office, Bucks Road Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 3PN January 2015 1
Background & General Information This Guidance document is intended to be used in conjunction with the application form for Multi-Year Grant funding. Please navigate to the application form on the webpage below: http://www.gov.im/about-the-government/offices/cabinet-office/international-developmentcommittee/funding/multi-year-grant-application-checklist/ The purpose of Multi-Year Grant scheme is to provide financial support to long term committed projects lasting for three years conducted by Manx and UK registered charities, which aim to address the root causes of poverty in the developing world. For the 2015-2018 round of Multi-Year Grant funding the International Development Committee has prioritised funding for the following countries: Lesotho; Liberia; Gambia; Sierra Leone; and Timor-Leste. Projects may be funded for up to 100% of eligible costs, awarding grants from a minimum of 50,000 per year to the maximum of 100,000 a year, totalling a maximum grant of 300,000 for the full three year duration of funded projects. 10% of the final year payment will be withheld until a satisfactory end of project report has been received. Please note that if your application is successful then your Charity will not be eligible to apply for Small Grants in 2015. Eligible Applications Charities MUST be registered on the Isle of Man and/or the United Kingdom in order to be eligible for this grant. Charities MAY ONLY SUBMIT ONE application per funding round. The Charity must have the legal authority necessary to operate in the country in which the project is based. Applicants should have undertaken a risk assessment of the project for which the funding applied for relates. The relevant information should be submitted to the Committee using the template outlined in Appendix 1. Activities proposed for funding must have a timescale of implementation for each of the three years of the project duration. All projects for which funding is sought must seek to address at least one of the Millennium Development Goals. For the 2015-2018 round of Multi-Year Grants the Isle of Man International Development Committee will be prioritising funding for projects in countries ranked as low under the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) in particular the following countries: Lesotho; Liberia; Gambia; Sierra Leone; and Timor-Leste. Projects focused in India are not eligible for funding. 2
Please note, in order for the Secretariat to identify any queries prior to assessment by the Committee, it is advised that applications be submitted prior to the stipulated deadline. Completing the Application form All applications must be submitted to the International Development Committee email (idc@gov.im). Section 1 Charity Information This section requests information specific to the Charity applying for funding. i. Isle of Man/UK Registration To be eligible for Multi-Year Grant funding, Charities must be registered in the Isle of Man or the UK. Should you wish to find out more about registering on the Isle of Man please contact the Isle of Man General Registry or visit their website, details below: www.gov.im/registries/courts/charities Email: Charities@gov.im Telephone: (01624) 685979 or 687318 Please note the Committee s Secretariat is unable to advise on the registration process. Alternatively, should you wish to know more about registering a Charity in the UK please visit the website below for the UK Charity Register guidance: https://www.gov.uk/how-to-register-your-charity-cc21b Please note the Committee s Secretariat is unable to advise on the UK Charity registration process. ii. Charity Registration Number Please provide the Charity s registration number, issued by the Isle of Man General Registry or the UK Charity Commission. iii. Registered Address Please provide the Charity s registered address. iv. Chairman, Directors, Trustees In the interests of accountability the names of the Board of Directors and Trustees must be provided. 3
Section 2 Contact Details Details of a key point of contact must be provided. These details will be used for any correspondence relating to the application. If the application is successful, the named individual will be the main contact for the project, and is responsible for ensuring that the end of year project reports are submitted accordingly (See section 8). This contact will also be deemed responsible for replying to any queries the Committee or the Secretariat, may have throughout the duration of the project. The main contact is also responsible for updating the Committee Secretariat with contact details and any changes to their role that may impact on them carrying out the accountabilities of being the main contact. Section 3 Organisation Background & Experience This section requests information relating to any previous experience held by the applicant organisation relating to similar scale projects. i. Charity Mission Statement Please provide the Charity s Mission Statement. ii. Has the Charity delivered other similar projects in the past? Similar projects are deemed to be those of a comparable scale, either in terms of the budget or timeframe. Provide details of the most recent similar scale project carried out by the Charity, this should include: - Overall project budget - Project timeframe - A brief description of the aims of the project - A brief description of the main project activities - Total number of beneficiaries Please note that the information requested should be presented as concisely as possible, preferably in bullet points. Should you wish to inform the Committee of any additional experience please attach this as additional information (see Section 7). iii. Has this Charity received a Multi-Year Grant from the Isle of Man in the past If your Charity has received Multi-Year Grant funding from the Isle of Man in the past could you please provide a short description of the project funded and the amount received as part of this grant. If possible please provide your project reference number as allocated by the International Development Committee Secretariat. 4
Section 4 Project Information This section requests information relating directly to the specific project to which the application refers. i. Project Name Please provide the name of the project; it should indicate the overall aim of the application. ii. Requested donation For Multi-Year Grant Funding, charities may apply for grants from 50,000 to 100,000 per year for three years. This means that a Charity may apply for a minimum total requested amount of 150,000 for the duration of the three year project and a maximum of 300,000 for the duration of the three year project. A full budget must be provided to evidence how the requested funds will be utilised, this will also be required in the final project report to allow the Committee s Secretariat to release the 10% funds of the final year funding amount. The 10% is withheld until the committee receives a successful end of project report. For further information of the budget requirements (see Section 6). iii. Part funding N.B. Prior to release of funding, the Charity may be required to evidence that the project can still be undertaken if only part payment is made available from the International Development Committee, and where applicable, to provide details of funding from other agencies. iv. Country and region of the project Please provide brief details of the location of the project. v. Describe why this geographic region is being targeted Please outline why the Charity has chosen to target this region and whether any research and/or surveys have been undertaken to identify areas of need. vi. Main Millennium Development Goal Please select the main Millennium Development Goal to which the project relates. The eight Millennium Development Goals currently are as follows: MDG1 Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger MDG2 Achieve Universal Primary Education MDG3 Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women MDG4 Reduce Child Mortality MDG5 Improve Maternal Health 5
MDG6 Combat HIV/AIDS Malaria and Other Diseases MDG7 Ensure Environment Sustainability MDG8 Global Partnership for Development Should you require further information regarding the Millennium Development Goals please visit the United Nations website at http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/. vii. Approximate number of beneficiaries The number of beneficiaries stated in the application must relate to the requested donation only. Direct beneficiaries are those whom the project specifically targets and will immediately benefit from. Indirect beneficiaries are considered to be people who are not specifically targeted by the project, but will ultimately benefit from it. All applicants are requested to be realistic in their calculations when assessing the number of direct and indirect beneficiaries. viii. Project Objectives Please provide details of the overall project objectives in a bullet point format for clarity. For successful applicants the objectives stated will be used as a point of reference on submission of the final report, and as a measure of the projects success. ix. Overview of the project activities Please describe how the project intends to achieve its objectives. The application should provide a brief yet comprehensive account of the project activities, listing planned actions and endeavours that need to take place for this project to achieve its goals. The information requested should be presented as concisely as possible, preferably in bullet points. x. Will the beneficiaries be directly involved in the project? Please confirm if the beneficiaries will be directly involved in the project. Please provide details. xi. Will you be working in cooperation with other Non-Governmental Organisations on this project? If other organisations are involved please provide details of: - Name of organisation - What their involvement will be - A brief overview of how their involvement will be monitored 6
xii. Is this project being delivered in cooperation or partnership with authorities in the region concerned? Please provide details relating to the cooperation or partnership between the applicant Charity and the authorities in the region the project is due to take place. This information should include: - Name of the authority - Details of any active participation from the authority concerned - Are any permissions required from authorities in the region before work can begin, if so, what progress has been made on this? xiii. Development Education Briefly provide details if this project aims to raise awareness of development issues in the Isle of Man and/or does this project raise awareness elsewhere? xiv. Is the project sustainable post Isle of Man funding? Please provide brief details of whether the project is sustainable once Isle of Man funding has ceased. If you do not consider the project to be sustainable please provide full details. Section 5 Project Delivery i. Does this project have a delivery plan? A delivery plan should outline a schedule for the project, indicating targets and completion dates, including details of any key milestones. A delivery plan may also be attached as part of your additional information (see Section 7). ii. How will the project be monitored? Please provide details of how the progress of the project will be monitored by the Charity. If a partner organisation will be undertaking inspections on the Charity s behalf please provide full details of when these inspections will take place and by whom. iii. Key outcome of the project? Please highlight the key outcomes that this project is aiming to achieve, is there an overall goal? iv. Risk assessment A risk assessment must be undertaken and submitted in order for the application to be considered. 7
Please attach a risk register to your application to demonstrate that your Charity has considered and provided mitigation to risks, which may arise as the project progresses in achieving its objectives. Refer to Appendix 1 for a risk assessment register template. v. Identified project manager? The named project manager may or may not be the same person identified as the main contact for the application. The project manager is responsible for keeping the International Development Committee Secretariat up-to-date with the project developments. It is the project manager s responsibility to inform the Committees Secretariat of any changes regarding contact details or a change of personnel in relation to the position of project manager. We require the following information: name; work address; telephone number; and work email. The project manager is responsible for ensuring that the Committee Secretariat has the most up-to-date information. vi. Has the individual managed similar projects in the past? Please provide brief details. vii. Will significant elements of the project be contracted for delivery? Will a contracted company or individual be employed to deliver elements such as the construction of a school or hospital or to deliver any other substantive service towards the completion of the project? viii. Has the Charity ensured that any contractor has the appropriate expertise and resources to deliver the services for which they are engaged? What is the name of the company/contractor involved in this project? How will the Charity choose this company/contractor? Section 6 Project Budget A detailed project budget must be provided as part of the application process, the budget should include an expected breakdown for the full three year period. This should be submitted as an attachment to the application form, please send your budget to the International Development email (idc@gov.im) Budget information should clearly show how the Isle of Man funding will be spent. In accordance with The Charities Act 1962, S.4, funds granted by the Committee may only be used for spending as detailed in the application. The consent of the Committee must be obtained before any changes are made to the use of the funding. Should any alterations be required or delays impede on progress of the project please contact the Secretariat immediately at idc@gov.im 8
If a project is awarded funding and subsequently cancelled or, for any reason, the budget unspent, the outstanding funds must be returned to the Committee by cheque made payable to the Isle of Man Government. The Committee reserves the right to make any necessary independent enquiries concerning any applications submitted for consideration. If an application is awarded funding, the Committee will hold back 10% of final year funding, this sum will only be released on the receipt of a satisfactory final report. Please see Section 8 for the reporting requirements. Ineligible costs The International Development Committee does not fund projects where a large proportion of funding will be utilised for salary and administration costs of the applicant organisation. For the purpose of contracting local people where the project is based may be considered eligible within reasonable limits. However, not more than 10% of the budget applied for may be used for these purposes. As such please ensure that a clear distinction is made between any staffing and administration costs of the applicant Charity and other administration costs. A project summary is also required for the application in the following format please attach this as part of your additional information (See Section 7) an editable version of the below summary can be found on the Multi-Year Grant Online Checklist : Total Cost Funded by: Own Resources Other Donors Funding Requested from Isle of Man Financial details Please list all budget amounts Capital Costs Salaries Administration Monitoring Costs Supplies/Materials Other Costs (which must be itemised) Financial Summary ( Sterling) Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total % % % % Please attach confirmation documents that support that this project has been funded by other donors. Section 7 Additional Information In this section please provide any additional information relevant to the application. Should you wish to submit any extra supporting documentation please send via email to idc@gov.im 9
Section 8 Declaration The declaration section requires the applicant to confirm agreement to the terms and conditions of the Multi-Year Grant scheme. i. Legal authority to operate Please confirm if that the Charity has relevant permissions to operate in the country concerned. ii. Administration costs Please refer to Section 6 for further details. iii. End of project report A project report is required to be submitted in order for the final 10% of funding to be released. The report must be submitted electronically to idc@gov.im, including logos and pictures. With the copyright holder s permission the report will be issued on the website as part of the Committee s annual report. When submitting the report please include the name of the charity and the Committee s project reference number. This number will be confirmed on the grant confirmation letter. The International Development Committee will deem the project s annual report to be due 12 months from the date the funds are paid to the applicant Charity. This date will be determined by the Isle of Man Government s Finance Division, successful applicants will be notified of the report due date once payment has been made. Should the applicant Charity be working in collaboration with a partner organisation requiring transferring funds, the project report due date will still be determined to be the date the funds were paid to the applicant Charity. The applicant Charity is solely responsible for the submission of reports. The Secretariat will not contact affiliate organisations, the onus is on the applicant Charity to obtain the report and for its submission to the International Development Committee by the deadline date determined by the Secretariat. Once the report has been submitted it will be reviewed by the Secretariat. Only if the report is of a satisfactory standard and the objectives of the project have been met will the 10% payment be made. Please see Appendix 2 for guidance relating to the required content of the report. The project report must include a detailed budget. This should outline the original project budget against actual monies spent. Any over or under-spends should be made clear. In the event of an underspend on the project, the Committee reserves the right to withdraw the 10% payment and request any remaining funds be returned by cheque, made out to the Isle of Man Government. 10
The Committee does not have the resources to assist a Charity should an over-spend occur. In this instance the Charity s own funds should be utilised or funds should be sought from elsewhere. Frequently Asked Questions 1. Who may apply for Multi-Year Grant funding? Only Charities registered on the Isle of Man or in the UK who are seeking funding to conduct a three year project in the developing world may apply for Multi-Year Grant funding from the International Development Committee. 2. How should an application be made? All applications must be submitted via email to the International Development Committee Secretariat to idc@gov.im. The editable application form can be found on the website page below: http://www.gov.im/about-the-government/offices/cabinet-office/international-developmentcommittee/funding/multi-year-grant-application-checklist/ 3. How much funding can a Charity apply for? Projects may be funded up to 100% of eligible costs. The minimum grant available over three years is 150,000 and the maximum grant available over three years is 300,000. Please note that the International Development Committee holds 10% of the final year funding amount and will only release the amount once a satisfactory final project report has been submitted. 4. When can I submit an application? A call for applications will be made in January. Applications may be submitted for approximately one month from the date the call is made, the deadline date will be stipulated at the time of the call. Please note however that the time frame for submitting applications may be shorter or longer than one month, and is entirely at the discretion of the Committee. The call will be made via the International Development Committee website. An email will also be sent to previous applicants. 5. Is preference given to larger charities? The Committee does not distinguish between applications from large or small charities. 6. How many applications may a Charity submit? Charities may submit one application per funding round. Charities that are successful in their Multi-Year Grant application will not be eligible to apply for Small Grants in 2015. 11
7. What information should be provided in the project budget? A comprehensive overview of where, how and on what the funding will be used for must be provided. This should be in the format of a detailed itemised project budget. For example should the project involve building water pumps, the budget should provide a breakdown of all construction and building costs. This format should be used for each of the three years the project will be running. 8. Is there anything in the budget that is not eligible? The International Development Committee will not fund projects where a large proportion of funding will be utilised for salary and administration costs. Salaries for the purpose of contracting local people within the region concerned may however be eligible within reasonable limits. No more than 10% of the budget applied for may be used for these purposes. As such please ensure that a clear distinction is made concerning any staffing costs, administration costs of the applicant Charity and other administration costs. 9. Will the Committee consider an application that has received part funding from elsewhere? The Committee acknowledges that charities raise funds from other sources. Any cooperation or co-funding must be declared in the application. If the application is made as part of a wider project, it must make clear the aims, funding sources and scale of the broader project. It should also provide full details of the particular phase or aspect of the project the Isle of Man funding relates to. For instance, the specific region/village targeted with the Committee s funding. This information may be submitted separately to the online application form to idc@gov.im. Where feasible the Committee would appreciate any recognition given on site, please contact idc@gov.im if you require any logos. 10. How are charities notified of the Committee s decision? Due to the large number of applications received, the consideration process may take some time. All charities will be notified of the Committee s decision via email as soon as possible. 11. How will the Charity receive the funding? All payments will be made by BACS. When receiving confirmation that the application has been successful the applicant will be required to complete a BACS information sheet and return it to the Secretariat as soon as possible. 12
12. Can the funds be used for other projects? No. In accordance with The Charities Act 1962, S.4, funding may only be used for the purpose of the project and activities outlined in the application as authorised by the Committee. 13. What happens if the project experiences delays or necessary changes are to be made? In the event that the Charity identifies changes to the project s activities are necessary and will differ from those set out in the application, the Charity must immediately inform the Secretariat in writing. Approval must be sought before embarking on activities not set out in the original application. In some cases a new budget projection may be requested. No further spending is to occur until any alterations to the project have been approved. 14. When are the reports due? An end of year project report is due no later than 12 months from the date that funding is released from the Isle of Man Government Treasury Department. This date will be the annual deadline for end of year project reports in 2017 and 2018. Please note that the 10% payment may only be release once the Secretariat has received a satisfactory end of project report. 15. What happens if due to unforeseen circumstances the project is not complete by the report deadline date? In the event that a project is running behind schedule the Secretariat must be notified as soon as the delay occurs. If the project will not be completed by the deadline date an interim report will be required. Please note that 10% of the final year fund which is withheld may only be released once of a satisfactory final report, and will not be released on receipt of an interim report. 16. If an interim report is required what should be included? If an interim report is required to update the Committee on the progress of the project and reasons for any delays to the project and how they have been addressed. A new project budget and details about the delay/revised milestones will be required. 13
17. How should the end of project report be submitted? The report must be submitted electronically to idc@gov.im, including logos and pictures. With the copyright holder s permission the report will be issued on the website as part of the Committee s annual report. When submitting the report please include the name of the Charity and the Committee s project reference number. This number will be confirmed on the grant confirmation letter. 18. What happens if once the project is complete an underspend is identified? If an underspend occurs on completion of the project, the final 10% payment will be withheld and any remaining funds should be paid back to the International Development Committee via cheque made out to the Isle of Man Government. This underspend should be clearly identified in the report s budget. 19. What happens if an overspend is identified? The Committee s budget is predetermined and cannot be altered, all the funding is utilised in the consideration phase. Once all grants are issued no funds remain, therefore the Committee does not have the capacity to assist in the event of an overspend on a project. 14
Appendix 1 Risk Assessment Template Risk Description Potential Impact H / M / L Impact Description Probability H / M / L Risk Response Risk Owner A risk description states (i) what might happen in the future and (ii) its possible impact on the project. "Weather" is not a risk description statement. "Bad weather may delay the project" is a risk description statement. Enter here H (High); M (Medium); or L (Low) List the specific impact the risk(s) could have on the project schedule, budget, scope, and quality. Enter here H (High) M (Medium) or L (Low) Outline the plans in place to respond to identified risk(s). Who is responsible for managing the risk e.g. project manager; Charity director. Operational: e.g. delays in procurement; change in project scope. Financial: e.g. fluctuations in currency exchange rates; delay in receipt of funding from partner agencies. External: e.g. political factors in the region; potential impact of forces of nature. 15
Appendix 2 Project Report Guidelines Isle of Man Government International Development Committee Yearly Project Report The reports should be submitted electronically to idc@gov.im, including logos and pictures. With the copyright holders permission the report will be issued on the Committee s website as part of the Committee s annual report. Please provide information to the following headings:- Charity: Project name: Reference: 1. Aims and objectives Please include a short narrative on how well the original objectives were met. 2. Project activities Please include a short narrative about the progress of each activity as set out in the original proposal. 3. Timeframe A summary of how the project progressed over the 12 months according to the original plan, particularly if delays were experienced. 4. Progress What are the lessons from the project with in the 12 months, what is the impact of this going forward? 5. Development education Did the organisation undertake any development education within the last 12 months? If so, please provide details. 6. Beneficiaries Please set out the estimated number of direct and indirect beneficiaries that have benefited from this project so far. 7. Community involvement Please set out a short narrative on how the community were involved or provided support. 8. Liaison with relevant authorities Please set out a short narrative on how relationships with the relevant authorities were maintained and how the project helped with local or national plans for development. 9. Sustainability (Only applicable for the final report) How will the communities maintain this project after the end of the funding? And if possible please provide follow up information on how they are a few months later. 16
10. Monitoring and Evaluation Please provide a short summary of any monitoring and evaluation activities of this project, addressing impact as well as outcomes. 11. Millennium Development Goal Please state how the project has helped to address achievement of the Millennium Development Goal(s) listed in the proposal. 12. Budget Please provide a report on the budget setting out any changes over the course of the 12 months including details of any underspend. 17