Synopsis of Issues Raised During Teleconference, September 20, 2006

A teleconference was held on Wednesday, September 20, to answer questions about the the National HIV/AIDS Knowledge Exchange Fund RFP.

The HIV/AIDS Policy, Co-ordination and Programs Division has taken into consideration the issues raised during the teleconference and is making adjustments to the KE Fund RFP.

The adjustments are designed to move the KE fund incrementally towards the “single broker” model in preparation for the next request for proposal that is anticipated in one to three years. Discussions with interested organizations will occur following the completion of the current competitive process.

Adjustments to the current KE Fund request for proposals include:

• Joint proposals from non-governmental organizations (including at least one national non-governmental HIV/AIDS organization) with integrated work plans will replace the requirement of a single organization taking on the role of knowledge broker.
• More than one contribution agreement will be considered by the Division to reduce the administrative and legal burden associated with joint proposals. This will be determined in the final stages of the review and approval process and will depend on the nature of the successful application.
• The deadline for the LOI will be extended to Monday, November 20, to allow more time for potential applicants to develop their LOI jointly.

A transition plan will be developed to ensure that service disruptions for the front-lines are minimized during the implementation of the new KE Fund activities beginning in 2007-08.

The changes listed above have been made to the National HIV/AIDS Knowledge Exchange Fund RFP that is posted on the website at the following web address: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/aids-sida/funding/rfp/funding_request07_09-eng.php