The Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) in sub-Saharan Africa call for proposals: Establishment and operationalization of the Capacity Strengthening Hub

Introduction 

Overview of the call 

Funding scope and duration 

Eligibility criteria 

Expectations of project 

Submission process 

Format and requirements for proposals 

Evaluation criteria 

Selection process 

Post-selection requirements  

Call Timeline  

Information session, inquiries and FAQs 

Permission for use and disclosure of information 

ANNEX 1 - Ensuring research ideas address gender equality and inclusion 

ANNEX 2 – Institutional assessment documentation 

Introduction

The Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) is a continental platform that strengthens the ability of national Science Granting Councils (SGCs) across Africa to fund, manage and use research and innovation in support of national and regional development priorities. Launched in 2015, SGCI has evolved through multiple phases (SGCI‑1, SGCI‑2, and now SGCI‑3). Across these phases, it has become a central mechanism for enhancing science, technology and innovation (STI) systems in sub‑Saharan Africa. 

At the core of Phase III of the SGCI (SGCI-3) are the SGCs from 20 African countries. The 20 African national Councils are responsible for co-funding and managing research and innovation projects aligned with their respective development priorities. They also play leadership roles in shaping regional research agendas, contributing to policy influence and driving capacity-strengthening initiatives.  

The SGCI is an initiative funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the Government of Norway, the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Wellcome. IDRC manages the SGCI-3 program on behalf of the funders. Support to SGCI also comes from the German Research Foundation and South Africa’s National Research Foundation, which invest in activities aligned with SGCI’s objectives. 

Overview of the call

Background and rationale

Since 2015, SGCI has worked to strengthen the institutional capacities of African SGCs. Phases I and II made significant achievements, including improvements in digital grant management systems, peer-review processes, research excellence standards, open science practices and gender equality and inclusion (GEI). However, important capacity gaps remain and, in many cases, have widened, particularly among emerging or resource-constrained Councils.  

SGCI is calling for proposals from qualified organizations or consortia of organizations to establish and operate the Hub. The Hub will support African SGCs in strengthening their research and innovation management systems, practices and services as part of SGCI-3 (2026-2030).  

Working under the strategic guidance of the Capacity Strengthening Committee (CSC) — composed of seven SGCI  councils — and in close collaboration with the Program Management Team (PMT), the Hub will coordinate the development and monitoring of an annual capacity-strengthening plan, which will involve Councils and technical supporting agencies (TSAs), maintain a digital learning platform and facilitate knowledge sharing and feedback across Councils and TSAs.   

Key priorities

SGCI-3 engages SGCs in 20 participating countries (Botswana, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Togo, Angola, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Zimbabwe) and focuses on three strategic outcomes:  

• Outcome 1: Increased production of high-quality Africa-led research and scaled innovations that address development challenges.  
• Outcome 2: Enhanced STI policy influence by African SGCs.  
• Outcome 3: Strengthened research and innovation-management operations of SGCs.  

To achieve outcome 3, the Hub will work alongside SGCs, TSAs and the PMT to strengthen capacities in areas such as:  

• digital grant management systems 
• MEL  
• financial management  
• open science and data stewardship  
• research excellence and academic freedom  
• GEI  
• research ethics  
• Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools for research management  

The Hub will operate under the strategic guidance of the CSC, a Councils-led body established under the SGCI Alliance. The CSC will be responsible for steering the development of annual capacity-strengthening plans; advising on emerging capacity needs; ensuring demand-driven, context-appropriate support; and reviewing tools, methodologies and monitoring data produced by the Hub.  

While the Hub will coordinate capacity strengthening, the implementation of training, mentoring, peer-learning and staff exchanges will be funded separately and delivered by other agencies.  

Purpose of the call

SGCI invites an organization or a consortium of organizations with proven expertise in research and innovation management to submit proposals to establish and operate the Hub.  

Under the guidance of the CSC, and in close collaboration with the PMT, the Hub will facilitate the development and monitoring of a collective plan focused on institutionalization of strengthened capacities of the individual Councils.   

It will also curate and disseminate toolkits, guidelines and training materials via a one-stop online platform. The Hub will also provide space for regular trainings to Councils to ensure a critical mass of staff receives the training and applies it in daily practices.   

The Hub will also implement a structured MEL mechanism to track progress in the organizational development of each Council and adapt support.   

Over time, the Hub will expand its offerings and integrate new topics, ensuring all Councils, regardless of size or maturity. can access and apply best practices in research and innovation management.  

The Hub will not be responsible for the implementation of the capacity-strengthening activities such as training, peer-learning, staff exchanges and mentoring programs to strengthen institutional capacities. Separate funding will be made available for the implementation of these activities.  

Funding scope and duration

As a result of this call, the Hub recipient will receive a maximum of CAD500,000 over approximately 2.5 years, with potential for renewal. The expected start date will be July 1, 2026.  

IDRC reserves the right to fund additional proposals from this call if/when more funding becomes available.  

IDRC is under no obligation to issue any funds prior to the applicant returning a fully executed Grant Agreement to IDRC.  

All grants are subject to sufficient funds being made available to IDRC by the Parliament of Canada and SGCI funders. 

IDRC reserves the right to cancel this call for proposals at any time without prior notice and/or to not issue any grants under this process. 

Eligibility criteria

Only proposals that meet the following eligibility criteria will be considered: 

• Organizations or consortia of organizations with proven expertise in research and innovation management. 
• Applicants must have independent legal status (or “legal personality”) and be capable of contracting in their own right and name, receiving and administering funds, and have authority to direct proposed project activities. Applicants must be able to demonstrate legal status through written documentation and be based in sub-Saharan Africa. 
• Legal status will only be reviewed if and when applicants are selected following technical selection. 
• Knowledge of national STI systems and the research and development funding landscape in sub-Saharan Africa, including the key actors (organizations), policies and the roles of SGCs in brokering, facilitating, funding and coordinating the interactions among stakeholders.    
• Experience in working with public sector STI organizations (especially SGCs) in Africa, in the context of capacity strengthening.   
• Experience in research funding processes, research management and engaging the public, private and community sectors in research.   
• Experience in contracting with different service providers.   
• Knowledge of research ethics, research excellence and gender and inclusion approaches in research. ANNEX 1 provides a series of questions to help guide the integration of GEI in research and project implementation. 
• Expertise and experience in MEL and data-management systems and frameworks.    
• Ability to work in English and French is a requirement. Portuguese is an asset. Applications without the required language capabilities will not be evaluated. 

Expectations of project

Working under the guidance of the PMT and the CSC, the selected organization/consortium will be responsible for the following core activities:  

1. Coordination and planning 

• Assess capacity needs of each Council, drawing on SGCI data and consultations.  
• Develop a flexible, context-sensitive annual capacity-strengthening plan, in collaboration with the CSC and PMT.  
• Identify and recommend providers for training, peer-learning, mentoring and staff exchanges (implementation funded separately). 

2. Knowledge management 

• Manage and improve the SGCI digital learning platform (“one-stop platform”) for sharing resources and good practices.  
• Maintain and expand a repository of toolkits, guidelines and training materials.  

3. Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) 

Support the implementation of an SGCI-wide MEL framework for organizational development.   Monitor progress of capacity-strengthening activities, compile data and document lessons learned.   Produce periodic reports, synthesis documents and knowledge products.  

4.Operational support

Support the CSC and the PMT to identify emerging themes and new areas of capacity strengthening relevant to SGCs (e.g., AI, research infrastructure, digital transformation).   Support the CSC and the PMT to define priority areas for future training, technical assistance and peer learning.   Facilitate communication and feedback loops across Councils, promoting alignment, transparency and peer support.  

5. Outside the scope of this call 

As a coordinator, the Hub will not:  

Deliver training, mentoring, or technical assistance   Implement peer-learning activities or staff exchanges   Research or develop material or provide technical support on new emerging themes  

These activities will be funded and contracted separately under SGCI-3.  

Applicants are expected to comply with the following considerations, which should be reflected in their proposal.   

Submission process

Applicants should submit an electronic application through Survey Monkey Apply before the deadline.    

Applications must be received no later than April 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time (EST). Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. 

Applications can be submitted in either English or French. 

An acknowledgement of receipt of a submission will be sent to applicants whose application was received before the closing date and time.  

Format and requirements for proposals

Applicants needing help or having questions while preparing their applications are invited to communicate with IDRC by sending an email to SGCSSA@idrc.ca well in advance of the application deadline. 

Section 1. Abstract (300 words maximum)

Provide a clear, non-technical summary of the proposed Hub, including: 

• The development challenge being addressed 
• The overall purpose and objectives of the Hub 
• The main activities 
• The expected outputs and outcomes 

Section 2. Background and justification (700 words maximum)

This section should demonstrate a clear understanding of the objectives of SGCI-3 and the role of the Hub. It should include a summary of the capacity-strengthening challenges across Councils, referencing variation in size, maturity and institutional context. 

Section 3. Coordination (800 words maximum)

Including, but not limited to: 

• Proposed methodology to assess the capacity needs of each SGC, drawing on SGCI data, existing diagnostic tools, consultations and document review.  
• Process for co-developing the capacity-strengthening plan with the CSC and PMT. This should include how priorities will be identified, validated, sequenced and budgeted, as well as mechanisms to ensure flexibility and responsiveness to emerging needs. 
• Approach to regular coordination with the CSC and PMT, including strategies to ensure ownership by Councils and promote equitable participation. 
• Expected results. 

Section 4. Knowledge management (800 words maximum)

Including, but not limited to: 

• Vision for the SGCI Digital Learning Platform (architecture and functionality). 
• Plan to maintain and expand toolkits, guidelines, training materials and good practices. 
• Knowledge-sharing mechanisms. 
• Accessibility considerations (visual impairments, language inclusivity, digital literacy). 
• Expected results. 

Section 5. Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) (800 words maximum)

Including, but not limited to: 

• Applicant’s understanding of SGCI’s MEL objectives for institutional development. 
• Methodology for tracking progress on capacity strengthening at Council level. 
• Mechanisms for iterative learning and updates to the CSC. 
• Proposed knowledge products and dissemination strategies. 
• Expected results. 

Section 6. Operational support (700 words maximum)

Including, but not limited to: 

• Approach to facilitating CSC meetings, agendas, minutes and follow-up actions. 
• Mechanisms to help the CSC prioritize emerging thematic areas. 
• Tools and channels to ensure inclusive, multilingual, ongoing communication. 
• Process for scanning emerging trends.  
• Expected results. 

Section 7. Ethics and safeguarding considerations (300 words maximum)

Describe how ethical considerations relevant to the proposed activities will be identified, managed and monitored, in line with IDRC requirements.   

Section 8. Risk and mitigation strategies (300 words maximum)

Identify key operational, institutional and contextual risks associated with establishing and operating the Hub, along with proposed mitigation measures. This information may be presented in narrative form or as a table. 

Section 9. Project team capacities (800 words maximum)

Describe: 

• The organizational capacity of the lead applicant and any consortium partners. 
• The roles, expertise and experience of key personnel. 
• The team’s experience in research and innovation management, capacity strengthening, MEL and working with SGCs in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Section 10. Budget justification (700 words maximum)

Provide a narrative justification explaining how the proposed budget aligns with the planned activities and represents value for money. A detailed budget must be submitted using the IDRC budget template. 

Additional documents  

In addition to the proposal, applicants will also be required to submit: 

• An estimated budget, with a cost breakdown by categories using the IDRC budget template. 
• Complete all the tabs except the Summary tab, which will be generated automatically.  
• Save the completed and duly signed budget as a PDF document and attach this to your application.  
• For a list of eligible expenses, please refer to the IDRC  Guidelines for Acceptable Project Expenditures. For general information, refer to the General IDRC Funding Guidelines.  
• Information on matched funding or additional leveraged resources should be included under the “Donor contributions” and “Local contributions” tabs. 
• A copy of the legal or corporate registration of the organization with whom the applicant is affiliated. 
• Information on key project personnel  
• The proposal must identify key project personnel, including roles and responsibilities and relevant experience aligned with the project team requirements. 
• The CVs (in an annex) of the principal investigator and proposed team members. 

Applicants whose proposals are selected to recommend for funding will be required to provide additional documentation prior to confirmation of funding of their projects, as outlined in ANNEX 2. 

By submitting this proposal, the applicant confirms that their acknowledgment of the applicable Terms and Conditions for the Grant Agreement, acknowledged and accepted, form an integral part of the funding application.   

IDRC reserves the right to rescind its selection of a project if it is deemed that the information provided in the application is false or misleading. 

Evaluation criteria

Proposals will be assessed against the review criteria listed below. 

Selection process

Responding to this call is the first step in the application process for potentially securing funding for your proposal. The review process will consist of the following steps: 

1.Verification of eligibility requirements and proposal completeness

IDRC and the CSC will review all submitted proposals to ensure they meet eligibility requirements and all necessary application materials. Incomplete proposals or those that do not meet the requirements will not be considered further.   

2.Technical evaluation

All proposals will undergo a formal review process conducted jointly by the PMT and the CSC. Each submission will be assessed against the evaluation criteria presented in section 8. Proposals will be ranked on the basis of scoring and subsequent discussion.   

3. Notification of results

Following the selection by the PMT and the CSC, successful and non-successful applicants will be notified of the results by May 25, 2026. 

4. Request for changes

IDRC reserves the right to request successful applicants to make changes based on feedback from the PMT and the CSC, if necessary.

The technical selection of a proposal does not constitute a formal commitment by IDRC to fund the project. Applicants whose proposals are selected for a recommendation for funding will undergo an institutional assessment. This step assesses the potential risk of material loss of IDRC funds due to weaknesses in the capacity of an applicant’s institution to manage or report on the financial aspects of project activities, or because of economic and political conditions relating to the institution's operating environment. IDRC needs to review three broad areas in its assessment of what measures should be applied to minimize such risk: the materiality of the investment; the management capacity of the applicant’s institution; and the wider environment within which the organization operates.

IDRC will have no obligation to issue any funds prior to the applicant returning an executed Grant Agreement issued to them by IDRC. See “Outline of the selection process” below for further information.  The process for finalizing the project proposal, budget and administrative documentation is expected to take place between May 25, 2026 and June 30, 2026.

Post-selection requirements

Proposal and budget finalization

Prior to finalizing a Grant Agreement, IDRC reserves the right to request any revisions to the submitted proposal and budget. A revised proposal with the necessary revisions must be returned in a timely manner to IDRC.  

Country clearance requirements

In some cases, IDRC has scientific and technical cooperation agreements with the governments of the countries where we support projects. Where such agreements exist, IDRC may require additional or alternative approval processes to be followed to comply with such agreements. Otherwise, grantees must follow the prevailing approval procedure as required by the government authority. This is often administered by a coordinating or nodal agency of the government and varies by jurisdiction. 

An IDRC grant administration representative will advise the selected applicant if any country procedures need to be followed. A Grant Agreement will only be issued if and once country clearance(s) is/are obtained. IDRC reserves the right to not pursue the funding of a selected project if the country approval is not secured within six months after IDRC officially announces approval of the project, as this would jeopardize the timely completion of the initiative.  

After an institutional assessment of an applicant’s organization is performed, IDRC may identify operational or financial weaknesses that could pose some administrative risks to the proposed project. In such cases, IDRC reserves the right to request the applicant’s organization to partner with another institution as a condition of receiving the grant.    

Sub-recipients

In cases where the recipient will manage sub-grantees, the country requirements that apply to sub-grantees are also documented in the Grant Agreement. It becomes the responsibility of the grantee to ensure that sub-grantees meet these requirements.  

Country risk

IDRC funds research in locations that respond to the corporate and programmatic plans and objectives approved by IDRC’s Board of Governors. Project proposals and risk-mitigation measures may need to be revised where: 

• project activities may be affected by legal restrictions on transferring funds or other resources to specific entities;  
• due to physical remoteness, physical risks to IDRC employees in particular regions, or other inaccessibility factors preventing IDRC from properly monitoring and supporting the project; or  
• applicable laws and regulations prevent institutions from accessing funds.   

Grant Agreement

Any selected proponents must sign IDRC’s standard Grant Agreement to receive funds. Please refer to the General Terms and Conditions for a Grant Agreement. The Grant Agreement will provide a schedule for submitting interim and final technical and financial reports. Although there is no limit on the number of co-applicants in one application, IDRC will only negotiate Grant Agreements with the organization of the lead applicant. 

Call Timeline

Information session, inquiries and FAQs

An information session for potential applicants was held on March 2, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. ET. The recording of the session is available here: Q&A Webinar – SGCI Capacity Strengthening Hub Call for Proposals

Any additional inquiries related to the call and application process should be sent by e-mail to sgcssa@idrc.ca. All inquiries should be received on or before April 24, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET to receive a response prior to the application deadline.

Any inquiries that affect all applicants received on or before the above-mentioned deadline will be added to the FAQs with IDRC’s responses to those inquiries and without revealing the source of the inquiries. 

Permission for use and disclosure of information

As a Canadian Crown corporation, IDRC is subject to Canada’s Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. Consequently, any submissions in response to this call for proposals will be managed by IDRC in a manner consistent with applicable legislation and IDRC’s Privacy Policy, including IDRC's obligations to disclose documents requested by members of the public or requests for personal information. More information on how IDRC manages information in accordance with this legislation can be accessed here: https://www.idrc.ca/en/about-idrc/transparency/access-information-and-privacy.  

ANNEX 1 - Ensuring research ideas address gender equality and inclusion

IDRC strives for equality in all aspects of its work. Inequalities exist across multiple and intersecting categories of identity, including, but not limited to, gender, sexuality, age, class, race, caste, ethnicity, citizenship status, religion and ability. 

Achieving equality varies by place and must be situated within the socio-cultural, political and economic contexts of the different regions where IDRC works. In addition, inequalities are not static and can vary and change over time.  

To promote gender equality and inclusion, it is critical for research projects to strongly consider investigating the roles of sex, gender and other diverse identities and experiences and their relationship to the history, structures and functioning of these systems. 

IDRC recognizes the importance of striking a balance between ambition and pragmatism. Actions to address gender and other inequalities require doing the groundwork to interrogate and surface the ultimate root causes of inequality; at the same time, changing gendered structural dynamics takes time, trust and long-term commitments to policies and practices. 

The questions below are intended to guide you in reflecting how your research addresses social and gender equality and inclusion, and how you can strengthen these dimensions in your proposal. 

1. Does your proposal intend to understand and address social and gender inequalities and their underlying causes? 
2. In the context of your proposal, what are the power structures and power dynamics that exist between men and women and other groups which underpin gender inequality? What are some possible avenues to address and change these conditions?  
3. In the context of your research problem, how is this affected by identities or experiences such as race, ethnicity, socio-economic class, income levels and where individuals live (e.g., rural, urban settings)?  
4. Is there a logical theory of change of how your research objectives will promote or lead to greater gender equality and/or inclusion? What impact will your research proposal have on these aspects?  
5. Do you have a stand-alone objective on addressing gender equality and inclusion? How are other objectives framed in relation to addressing gender equality and inclusion? 
6. How will the proposed conceptual framework(s), research design and related research methods address and analyze the root causes and context-specific factors contributing to intersectional forms of gender inequality? Which individuals and groups should be engaged in co-creating this research design and its implementation — to what extent and how will they be engaged? 
7.  Has your project identified clear outcomes and indicators with respect to gender equality and inclusion? Are these integrated into project measurement tools? For example, do you plan to collect and analyze sex-disaggregated data? What about gender-disaggregated data? Have you planned to undertake a pre- and post-project gender analysis? 
8. Does the proposal’s knowledge-translation plan integrate sex and gender considerations (including intersectionality) in how the iterative processes of engagement, analysis, synthesis, product development and knowledge facilitation are designed and operationalized?  
9. Do the members of your research team understand contextual gender equality and inclusion issues? Do you have the right skills and experience in your team? Which of your team members will take the lead in designing, implementing, monitoring and assessing your project’s objectives to address gender inequality and inclusion? 
10. Does your research team have a good balance between male and female scientists or scientists of other identities? 
11. Have you clearly budgeted for gender equality and inclusion activities and staffing? Have you allocated sufficient time and resources to strengthen the capacity of your team, partners and other stakeholders on gender and inclusion issues? 

Please note that these are some myths or assumptions that will be important to avoid in your proposal: 

• Assuming that women, or certain groups, do a task so that they will benefit is not adequate. Instead, it will be important for your project to identify any gender inequalities and outline steps by which your research will help re-define power dynamics. 
• Adding “especially women and marginalized groups” after each of your objectives is not adequate. You must be able to define how gender dynamics are present in your research objectives. Research rigour and quality is critical. 
• The women in your team will not always qualify as the gender expert. Get real gender expertise and partnerships that bring in the necessary skills. 
• Equally, addressing gender in the project is not only the responsibility of these gender experts—  rather, the entire team must understand the gender dynamics at play in your research. 
• Addressing gender takes real resources. Saying gender cannot be integrated because you do not have sufficient resources is not acceptable. Budget resources for gender at the outset. 

ANNEX 2 – Institutional assessment documentation

Successful applicants will be required to provide the following documents to allow IDRC to undertake an institutional assessment prior to confirmation of funding: 

1.  Most recent audited financial statements*, including but not limited to: 

• Balance Sheet, Statement of Income and Expenses or Profit and Loss, and Statement of Cash Flow; 
• Notes to the Financial Statements; 
• Audit Report; 
• Any Management or Internal Control Letters, and related follow-up response. 

*The latest financial statements duly authorized by a financial officer if an audited statement is not available. 

2. Current organizational chart. 
3. Human resources manuals. 
4. Finance and administration manuals. 
5. Policy/procedure for procurement. 
6. List of active external donors and their current contributions.  
7. Latest annual report.