Request for Proposals for the National HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Fund

From the HIV/AIDS Policy, Coordination and Programs Division, Health Canada

Application Deadline: Tuesday, April 13, 2004, 4:00 pm E.S.T.

If you have difficulty accessing this document please refer to the contact listed at the end of this RFP and copies will be faxed or mailed to you.

Only Applications post-marked by the deadline will be accepted. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the proposal is received on time.

Introduction

The National HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Fund was launched in the fall of 2002 to develop and support national initiatives that strengthen the Canadian capacity to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It has been established as an ongoing funding program that solicits requests for proposals annually as funds are available.

For the purpose of this fund, "capacity building" is defined as activities that develop and sustain the knowledge and skills of individuals working in areas related to HIV/AIDS. It does not support organizational development or any activities not related to HIV/AIDS.

Also for the purpose of this fund, the requirement for projects to be "national" means that capacity building activities supported by this fund must be relevant to and able to reach and/or engage the proposed target group(s) across Canada (e.g. paid or volunteer individuals involved in the response to HIV/AIDS such as AIDS Service Organization workers, health care and other professionals, educators, etc.)

The HIV/AIDS Policy, Coordination and Programs Division administers several funding programs to support and develop effective responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Canada. These include: National HIV/AIDS Information Service Initiative Fund National Non-Governmental Organizations Operational Fund HIV/AIDS Legal, Ethical and Human Rights Fund National HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Fund National HIV/AIDS Demonstration Fund The Non-Reserve First Nations, Inuit and Metis Communities HIV/AIDS Project Fund National HIV/AIDS Community-Based Social Marketing Fund Community-Based Research (in the process of relocating) Aboriginal Community-Based Research (in the process of relocating) Information about these funding programs may be obtained from the HIV/AIDS Policy, Coordination and Programs Division at the address located at the end of this document.

Background

Goals of the Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS¹

The Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS (CSHA) provides a framework for a national response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Canada. The six goals of the Strategy are to:

• prevent the spread of HIV infection in Canada;
• find a cure;
• find and provide effective vaccines, drugs and therapies;
• ensure care, treatment and support for Canadians living with HIV/AIDS, their families, friends and caregivers;
• minimize the adverse impact of HIV/AIDS on individuals and communities; and
• minimize the impact of social and economic factors that increase individual and collective risk for HIV.

The following policy directions guide the implementation of the CSHA:

• Enhanced sustainability and integration. New approaches and mechanisms will be put in place to consolidate and coordinate sustained national action in the long term.
• Increased focus on those most at risk. Innovative strategies will be devised to target high-risk behaviours in hard-to-reach populations that are often socially and economically marginalized.
• Increased public accountability. Increased evidence-based decision making and ongoing performance review and monitoring will ensure that the new Strategy continues to be relevant and responsive to the changing realities of HIV/AIDS.

Leading Together: An HIV/AIDS Action Plan for All Canada²

A draft Action Plan for all Canada for 2004-2008 is currently undergoing consultation with CSHA partners and stakeholders. The proposed goals and strategies in the Action Plan reflect a broad analysis of current thinking on what is required to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Health Canada is using this draft framework to guide its programmatic and other responses and intends to operate within this framework once the Action Plan is finalized.

The five goals that are proposed for the next five years are:

• Involve people living with and vulnerable to HIV in the programs and services that affect their lives.
• Influence the broad determinants and underlying causes of HIV.
• Prevent HIV infection.
• Ensure every person with HIV/AIDS in Canada has access to timely, safe and effective care, treatment and support.
• Provide leadership in global efforts to fight the epidemic and find a cure.

In order to address the challenges faced by people living with or vulnerable to HIV, the following nine strategies have been proposed:

1. Raise public/political awareness of the impact of HIV on society, and of the social factors that contribute to the epidemic
2. Address the social, economic, environmental and health factors that contribute to the epidemic
3. Optimize the voice, involvement and meaningful participation of people living with or vulnerable to HIV
4. Increase capacity to monitor and track HIV, and to develop, share and apply knowledge
5. Re-invigorate primary prevention efforts
6. Provide comprehensive, integrated prevention, diagnosis, support, care and treatment services
7. Strengthen organizations that provide HIV-related services and increase their capacity to meet increasingly complex needs
8. Ensure appropriate, sustainable investment in HIV service
9. Provide leadership in global efforts to combat the epidemic.
   

Goal of the Fund

The goal of the National HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Fund is to support national initiatives that develop or sustain the skills and knowledge of individuals working in areas related to HIV/AIDS in order to strengthen their ability to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Canada.

As this is a national fund, capacity building activities supported by this fund must have national relevance. This means projects must be able to reach and/or engage the proposed target group(s) across Canada (e.g. paid or volunteer individuals involved in the response to HIV/AIDS such as AIDS Service Organization workers, health care and other professionals, educators, etc).

Objectives

The objectives of the National HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Fund are to:

• Increase the capacity of individuals currently working in areas related to HIV/AIDS to deal with the increasing complexities of prevention, care, treatment and support.
• Increase the capacity of individuals from sectors not traditionally involved in HIV/AIDS-related work to engage in the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Canada.

Activities Supported by this Fund³

Below are some examples of activities that could be supported by this fund. Note that these are meant only as examples and that organizations are encouraged to consider and explore other capacity-building options.

Development and Delivery of Training:

• Development of mentoring or peer education activities
• Coordination of workshops or focus groups
• Development of virtual training activities
• Training and professional development

Development and Exchange/Dissemination of Information:

• Updating or creation of curricula
• Coordination of conferences, forums, summits
• Development of manuals or guidelines
• Networking initiatives that expand the reach of capacity-building activities

These activities could contribute to project outcomes such as:

• building expertise in HIV/AIDS among caregivers;
• increasing access to HIV/AIDS training for a range of health and social service professionals;
• engaging individuals living with, or vulnerable to HIV/AIDS in developing and implementing networking or training initiatives;
• developing skills in the integrated approach to prevention, care, treatment and support of HIV/AIDS including addressing HIV, Hepatitis C, sexually transmitted infections and addictions where appropriate;
• developing the capacity to address the broader determinants of health which underline vulnerability to HIV/AIDS; or
• strengthening the capacity to engage in HIV/AIDS related communications, media campaigns and social marketing activities.

National HIV/AIDS Capacity-Building Fund Logic Model

The following logic model reflects a vision of how the National HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Fund can contribute to the goals of the Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS.

National HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Fund Logic Model

Who May Apply?

1. Non-profit, organizations including networks, coalitions, agencies and associations at the national, regional or local level;
2. Health care, social service, and educational authorities including public health, local school boards, universities;
3. Professional organizations, and any other organizations which develop and/or implement services related to HIV/AIDS issues and needs.

Partnerships or coalitions of these organizations are encouraged to work together in the development and submission of a proposal.

Who is Not Eligible to Apply?

• For-profit organizations
• Individuals

What Costs Will the Fund Support?

This Funding Program will cover direct costs, in accordance with Treasury Board Guidelines, associated with the implementation of an approved proposal, such as:

• Personnel and contract staff working on the project
• Travel, accommodation, hospitality and meeting expenses
• Materials and equipment
• Expenses associated with project evaluation

This fund does not support organizational development or any activities not related to HIV/AIDS.

How Much Funding Can a Project Receive?

The National HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Fund will support a wide range of projects with varying funding needs up to $150,000 per fiscal year, per project for a maximum of two years.

How Long Can the Project Last?

Projects receiving funds can operate until March 31, 2006. However, projects could also be short-term in nature (i.e. three to six months), or support a one-time event.

How Will Proposals be Reviewed?

All applications will undergo an initial screening by Health Canada staff to verify the eligibility of the sponsoring organization and to ensure completeness of the application.

Applications meeting these basic criteria will then be forwarded to a Review Committee comprised of individuals recognized for their excellence in program development and implementation in areas related to HIV/AIDS, as well as Health Canada representatives who are involved with HIV/AIDS programming and others whose expertise is required. All Review Committee members will be required to adhere to Health Canada Conflict of Interest Guidelines.

The findings of the Review Committee will become recommendations to the HIV/AIDS Policy, Coordination and Programs Division and are subject to final approval by Health Canada.

Health Canada is under no obligation to provide funding or to enter into a contribution agreement as a result of this RFP, of the funding proposals submitted, or as a result of existing or previous funding agreements with an organization. Additionally, Health Canada reserves the right to:

• reject any or all proposals received in response to this RFP;
• accept any proposal in whole or in part;
• cancel, modify or re-issue this RFP at any time;
• verify any or all information provided by an organization as part of their proposal.

Those applicants who are not successful with their funding proposal will be notified in writing outlining the reason(s) why their proposal was rejected.

Project funding under the Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS does not imply any commitment, financial or otherwise, by any provincial/territorial government department or agency, or by Health Canada beyond the approved funding period.

Proposal Review Criteria

The following review criteria will be used by the Review Committee to assess proposals and make funding recommendations to the HIV/AIDS Policy, Coordination and Programs Division of Health Canada.

Organizational Capacity:

• applicant demonstrates ability to engage in national capacity building activities that are relevant to and able to reach and/or engage the proposed target group(s) across Canada
• applicant demonstrates an ability to engage in national capacity-building activities in both official languages

Relevance:

• project will increase knowledge and skills of people currently working in areas relevant to HIV/AIDS across Canada and /or individuals from other sectors not traditionally involved in HIV/AIDS-related work and/or
• project will strengthen interventions targeted to those at high risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV/AIDS across Canada and/or
• project will increase skills and knowledge as they relate to the prevention, care, treatment and support of HIV/AIDS including linkages to Hepatitis C, sexually transmitted infections and addictions where appropriate and/or
• project will strengthen knowledge, sensitivity and awareness of issues facing individuals living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS, and
• project will involve partners where appropriate

Rationale:

• the need for the project is clearly outlined and based on sound evidence

Proposed Logic Model:

• proposed logic model is consistent with the National HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Fund's logic model
• there is a clear relationship between the proposed activities, outputs and short-term outcomes (see Application Form, page 7, for definitions)

Proposed Objective(s):

• are feasible, time-limited, concrete, realistic and measurable
• are linked with the goal of the National HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Fund

Proposed Project Workplan:

• activities can be accomplished within the proposed time frame
• clearly demonstrates linkages between objectives, activities, outputs, short-term outcomes, and timelines

Dissemination:

• project demontrates how results and/or resulting materials will be disseminated to the proposed target groups (where applicable)

Evaluation Plan and Indicators of Success:

• evaluation plan includes indicators of success which are measurable
• indicators of success are clearly linked to project objectives and short-term outcomes

Budget:

• is feasible to support the proposed activities
• demonstrates value for money

Administrative and Reporting Requirements (if proposal is funded)

Administrative requirements, such as financial and narrative reporting as well as other monitoring activities, will be established in a formal Contribution Agreement between Health Canada and the successful applicants.

For all agreements, there is a requirement to:

• Submit quarterly activity and cash flow reports;
• Submit a final report;
• Participate in on-site visits as required.

Specific details of the accountability and reporting requirements will be outlined in the Contribution Agreement.

Application and Submission Details

All proposals must be submitted to the address shown below using the"National HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Fund Application Form". Proposals may be submitted in either official language.

After completing the application form, ensure that you fill out the Check List found at the end of the application form. Only those eligible applicants that have followed the application format will be considered for review.

The deadline for proposals is Tuesday, April 13, 2004, 4:00 E.S.T. Only applications post-marked by the deadline will be accepted. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the proposal is received on time.

Proposals should be submitted in three (3) copies, in hard-copy (paper) format. Please ensure one (1) copy is unbound. Proposals submitted electronically or by fax will not be accepted. Please ensure your pages are numbered.

To be considered for funding, eligible applicants must provide all of the requested information as indicated on the application form. The HIV/AIDS Policy, Programming and Coordination Division will reject proposals from non-eligible applicants or proposals that do not adhere to the application form or that are received after the application deadline.

Please submit your completed application form with all additional requested documentation to:

Kathy Rice, Program Consultant
Prevention, Care and Treatment Programs Unit
HIV/AIDS Policy, Coordination and Programs Division
Health Canada, Tunney's Pasture
Room 1337, A.L. 0601A, LCDC Building
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0L2

Tel: (613) 957-7351
Fax: (613) 941-2399
E-mail: Kathy_Rice@HC-SC.GC.CA

Proposal Application Form: National HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Fund

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1. Full document outlining the CSHA, The Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS: Moving Forward Together

2. For a full copy of Leading Together: An HIV/AIDS Action Plan for All Canada,

3. For a list of projects currently funded by the National HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Fund