Frequently Asked Questions

  • Who can apply for FIRE programme funding?
    Project proposals and award nominations from African-based public or private sector organizations, universities, or research and development institutions and non-government organizations will be considered. Individuals are not eligible to apply. Applications must be aligned with FIRE programme objectives, eligibility criteria, and administrative guidelines.
  • How do we submit a project proposal?
    Project proposals and award nominations must be submitted through the online application form. Please read the guidelines, and terms and conditions carefully.
  • Can we submit a proposal in collaboration with another organization(s)?
    Yes. Project activities should be conducted in the African region, to the benefit of the region. Two or more organizations collaborating to conduct the project activities can submit proposals. The leading organization must be based in the African region. Only the leading organization will sign the grant agreement with FIRE program. Only the leading organization will be entitled to receive and administer the allocated funds. When preparing the application, please include information about the partnership, such as the list of the organizations or groups involved in the partnership, a detailed description on how the partnership is going to work, how the roles and responsibilities for the project implementation will be distributed, how the decisions will be taken, etc.
  • What is the maximum amount of funds that we can apply for?
    The maximum budget to be funded through a grant depends on the grant type and will range from $10,000(USD) to $30,000(USD). The maximum amount to be provided through an award is $3,000 (USD). Applications exceeding these amounts must specify where the additional funds will be obtained. FIRE programme may decide to partially fund an application.
  • What is the deadline to submit a proposal?
    The call for applications will be open from the 7th of March until the 6th of April 2018 (2018 Grants). All proposals and nominations must be submitted in their entirety using the online application form. No additional information can be filed after that date, and will not be accepted by email or postal mail unless specifically required by the FIRE programme secretariat
  • What economies are considered by the FIRE programme as part of the African region?
    The project activities must be conducted in one or more of the economies considered by FIRE programme as part of the African region. The economies served are: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of The Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Reunion Island, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
  • How will the proposals be selected?
    A committee composed of one voting representative from each one of the programme partners makes the final decisions about all aspects of the FIRE program. The committee works online and also have face-to-face meetings when possible. The grant recipients and award winners are selected based on their compliance with FIRE programme objectives and the application guidelines. The FIRE programme secretariat screens all applications received. The FIRE programme Secretariat will reject applications if: 1) they are out of scope, not aligned with FIRE programme objectives and selection criteria; 2) come from economies outside of the African region. Committee members will review approved applications and produce a short list of potential fund recipients. If so required, the candidates will be contacted to provide clarification, additional information and/or to accept the funding offer. The committee will be in charge of the final decision. The decisions are final and cannot be challenged. A notification will be issued to shortlisted candidates, requesting acceptance of the grants and/or awards terms. Once they accepted the offer, a public announcement will be made on this website and a notification will be sent to all applicants to the email addresses used to submit proposals or nominations. For Awards, in addition to selecting a winner per category, there shall be a “Community Choice Award” category for the best social media campaign (the project with the highest number of votes from the community).
  • When will we know if our proposal was selected?
    If your organisation is shortlisted you will be notified of the necessary steps to receive the grant or award. If your application is shortlisted but you don't accept the terms, your proposal will not be funded. Being shortlisted is not a guarantee that your proposal will be funded. The decisions are final and cannot be challenged. A public announcement will be published, including details about selected recipients.
  • Can we get an assessment of why our proposal was not selected?
    Yes. It might take a while, but the Secretariat is willing to review the comments gathered during the selection process and provide a summary. This should allow the applicant to improve future applications. The decisions are final and cannot be challenged.
  • What type of contract/agreement do we have to sign to receive the funding?
    A contract will be signed between the leading organization and the FIRE programme Secretariat, AFRINIC. The contract will be issued according to Mauritian regulations. You can download a template for your review. If your organisation has questions about the contract and its implications, please contact the FIRE programme secretariat.
  • How long will it take to receive the funding?
    The FIRE programme Secretariat is committed to providing funding in a timely manner. The first disbursement will be done no more than 30 days after the candidate has accepted the terms and conditions and complied with all the required administrative procedures. Please read the terms and conditions for the release of grant funds.
  • What kind of reporting is expected from grant recipients?
    Grant recipients will be required to provide two technical and two financial reports using templates provided by the FIRE programme Secretariat. Additional reports might be requested by the FIRE programme Secretariat at any time during the project cycle. The technical reports must be descriptive and detailed, providing information that can be used for promotion and follow-up. If possible, reports should include pictures, graphics, audio and/or video to document the activities. These additional materials will be used to develop the FIRE programme promotional materials, and as such the FIRE programme reserves the right to reuse them either totally or partially. Therefore, to credit the author, full details must be provided. Grant recipients will be showcased in the FIRE programme website and final technical reports will be published, including profiles of team members according to the licenses and copyright policy of the FIRE program. The first set of reports (technical and financial) must be submitted halfway through the project cycle and the final reports must be submitted no longer than 30 days after the project activities have finished. The FIRE programme Secretariat will provide assistance to clarify how to use the templates. Reports are subject to approval by the FIRE programme secretariat. No funds will be released until reports are approved. Approval might take two to four weeks and therefore it is recommended that project activities are budgeted accordingly so there are no delays in implementation.
  • What kind of reporting is expected from award recipients?
    Award winners will be required to provide a description of how they are planning to invest the award funds and a travel report about their experience attending the IGF. No financial reporting will be required. This information will not be published.
  • Is the FIRE programme secretariat going to visit the project for follow-up?
    Although there is no formal schedule of visits from AFRINIC representatives at this point, the AFRINIC secretariat reserves the right to organize such visits at any time during the project cycle. Recipients will be notified accordingly to organize the logistics.
  • Are recipients expected to participate in online and/or face-to-face meetings?
    The FIRE programme Secretariat will notify fund recipients about any meeting planned and will provide detailed logistic information with enough anticipation to guarantee participation. Mandatory participation in specific events will be part of the terms and conditions for the release of funds.
  • Are there any electronic mechanisms that fund recipients will be requested to participate?
    Yes. A mailing list has been created to promote information sharing and social networking among the recipients. A social networking strategy will require the recipients to share updates and promote their initiatives. The Secretariat will support a networking strategy among all the grantees based on common interests and regional representation.
  • What are FIRE programme copyright policies?
    Ownership of the project idea and materials will remain with the fund recipients. All project results and outcomes achieved through the use of FIRE programme funds will be published using a Creative Commons License.
  • I've just heard from FIRE programme and the call for proposals is already closed. When is the next call for proposals?
    Please register your email on our news mailing list to receive the formal announcements, so your organisation will have enough time to prepare accordingly. https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/announce

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