Opportunities
Funding Opportunity
Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) in Sub-Saharan Africa Call for Proposals – Establishment and Operationalization of the Capacity Strengthening Hub
Category
Topics
Description
About the Science Granting Councils Initiative
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) and has become a central mechanism for enhancing science, technology and innovation (STI) systems in sub-Saharan Africa.
At the core of Phase III (SGCI-3) are SGCs from 20 African 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.
Purpose of this 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 Capacity Strengthening Hub (the Hub) as part of SGCI-3 (2026-2030).
The Hub will support African SGCs in strengthening their research and innovation management systems, practices and services. Working under the strategic guidance of the Capacity Strengthening Committee (CSC) and in close collaboration with the Programme Management Team (PMT), the Hub will coordinate the development and monitoring of an annual capacity-strengthening plan, maintain a digital learning platform, and facilitate knowledge sharing and feedback across Councils and technical supporting agencies (TSAs).
Key Priorities
SGCI-3 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 the following areas: digital grant management systems; monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL); financial management; open science and data stewardship; research excellence and academic freedom; gender equality and inclusion (GEI); research ethics; and artificial intelligence and digital tools for research management.
Funding Scope and Duration
- Maximum grant: CAD 500,000 over approximately 2.5 years, with potential for renewal
- Expected start date: 1 July 2026
IDRC reserves the right to fund additional proposals from this call if and when more funding becomes available. All grants are subject to sufficient funds being made available to IDRC by the Parliament of Canada and SGCI funders.
Eligibility Criteria
Only proposals meeting all of the following criteria will be considered:
- Organizations or consortia with proven expertise in research and innovation management
- Applicants must have independent legal status, be capable of contracting in their own name, receiving and administering funds, and be based in sub-Saharan Africa
- Knowledge of national STI systems and the research and development funding landscape in sub-Saharan Africa
- Experience 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 public, private and community sectors
- Experience in contracting with different service providers
- Knowledge of research ethics, research excellence and gender and inclusion approaches in research
- Expertise and experience in MEL and data management systems and frameworks
- Ability to work in English and French is required. Portuguese is an asset. Applications without the required language capabilities will not be evaluated
Expectations of the Hub
The selected organization or consortium will be responsible for the following core activities:
1. Coordination and Planning Assess capacity needs of each Council; develop a flexible annual capacity-strengthening plan in collaboration with the CSC and PMT; and 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; and maintain and expand a repository of toolkits, guidelines and training materials.
3. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Support implementation of an SGCI-wide MEL framework; monitor progress of capacity-strengthening activities; compile data and document lessons learned; and 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; define priority areas for future training and peer learning; and facilitate communication and feedback loops across Councils.
Outside the scope of this call: The Hub will not deliver training, mentoring or technical assistance; implement peer-learning activities or staff exchanges; or research and develop material on new emerging themes. These activities will be funded and contracted separately under SGCI-3.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted electronically through SurveyMonkey Apply before the deadline of 30 April 2026 at 11:59 PM EST. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered.
Applications may be submitted in English or French.
For questions on the application, contact: [email protected] (inquiries must be received by 24 April 2026 at 11:59 PM EST to receive a response before the deadline).
Proposal Structure
Proposals must include the following sections:
- Section 1: Abstract (300 words maximum)
- Section 2: Background and justification (700 words maximum)
- Section 3: Coordination (800 words maximum)
- Section 4: Knowledge management (800 words maximum)
- Section 5: Monitoring, evaluation and learning (800 words maximum)
- Section 6: Operational support (700 words maximum)
- Section 7: Ethics and safeguarding considerations (300 words maximum)
- Section 8: Risk and mitigation strategies (300 words maximum)
- Section 9: Project team capacities (800 words maximum)
- Section 10: Budget justification (700 words maximum)
Additional documents required: IDRC budget template; legal or corporate registration of the organization; information on key project personnel; and CVs of the principal investigator and proposed team members.
Evaluation Criteria
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Technical understanding and responsiveness to scope of work | 50 |
| Team composition and qualifications | 25 |
| Budget, value for money and feasibility | 25 |
Key Dates
| Activity | Date |
|---|---|
| Call Launch | 16 February 2026 |
| Virtual Q&A Session | 2 March 2026 |
| Deadline for Submitting Proposals | 30 April 2026 |
| Review and Selection Period | 4 May – 22 May 2026 |
| Applicants Informed of Final Decision | 25 May 2026 |
| Grant Start Date | 1 July 2026 |
Information Session
A virtual Q&A session will be held on 2 March 2026 at 8:00 AM EST. Join via: FAQ Webinar link on the IDRC website.
Contact
For all inquiries related to the call and application process: [email protected]