Please refer to the list of eligible SIDS from the annexure of the 'Call for Proposals' document which can access here - https://iris.cdri.world/upload/pages/IRIS_Call_for_Proposal.pdf

The nodal person for the 'Call for Proposals' should be someone who will be coordinating the application. So it could be someone from the government agency or implementing partner agency.

The first funding cycle of IRIS aims to equip relevant government agencies in SIDS with needed technical support and knowledge products related to infrastructure resilience. Funded activities should be able to enhance informed decision-making, locally relevant technical knowledge and fit-for-purpose processes and tools for resilient infrastructure in SIDS. It is focused on institutional strengthening, technical assistance, and studies only. So any soft intervention that entails the above is eligible for funding under this call.

In case of regional proposal, please note only one of the countries is to be designated as the Lead applicant for communication, coordination and reporting purposes. Therefore, only one joint EoI is expected to be submitted for a regional project proposal.

Yes, for a multi-country/regional proposal it is mandatory to upload ‘letters of endorsements’ from each of the country participating in the EoI. In case you are unable to get formal letters of endorsement from a participating country/country, in the EoI stage, you would be required to submit all the formal letters of endorsements at the proposal stage (in case your EoI gets shortlisted), which will be essential for evaluating the proposal.

IRIS places no limitations on the number of government bodies and implementing partners per proposal as long as a lead agency is clearly identified in the Expression of Interest. IRIS will liaise with the lead agency only, which will be liable for all aspects of their proposed action. Please note that the mandate and qualifications of implementing partners will form part of evaluation criteria for Expressions of Interest. Applicants are invited to consider the consequences of having many implementing partners in terms of coordination and reporting efforts.

Each country can submit more than one Expression of Interest. Please note that a maximum of one Expression of Interest per country will be selected for the next stage (invitation to submit a full proposal). This limitation does not apply to multi-country EoIs.

The IRIS call for proposals is designed to support applicants in the proposal writing process. The first stage requires to fill a simple EoI form to describe the proposed project’s justification, which can be done independently by applicants. Selected applicants will then have access to a pool of CDRI experts to define the outputs, duration and budget of their proposed action if needed (fixed number of days). Applicants may also receive the support of implementing partners in preparing their Expression of Interest and full proposal.

IRIS funds are managed by a multi-partner trust fund, the Infrastructure Resilience Accelerator Fund (IRAF). IRAF will arrange the procurement of the required expertise and services on behalf of applicants, either directly or through regional organisations as appropriate. Selected applicants will not receive funds directly and there will be no accounting or financial reporting requirements for them. Applicants are not allowed to request the refund of funds already spent. IRIS will not consider requests to finance “business as usual” activities from government implementation agencies.

The funds from this call for proposal cannot be used for payment of salaries and the procurement of goods as a primary purpose. Any procurement must have a direct link to the project outcomes. The justification of any proposed procurement will be evaluated as part of the selection process. Also please note you are not required to submit a detailed budget at this stage. You are required to only fill the basic EoI form at this stage of the application.

Applicants are requested to submit proposals that will be fully implemented within two years of the funding agreement. Proposals for projects shorter than two years are eligible. The CDRI empanelled experts will support applicants with scoping and project planning in stage 2 (Proposal Development) to ensure proposals are compatible with this timeframe. Implementation government agencies are required to report on unexpected difficulties in meeting the implementation calendar as early as possible. Delays will be addressed on a case-by-case basis by the IRIS Steering Committee and the Infrastructure Resilience Accelerator Fund (IRAF).

Proposal budgets must fit within the range specified in the Call for Proposals ($150,000 to $500,000 for single-country and up to $750,000 for multi-country proposals). Applicants seeking larger funding envelopes are encouraged to leverage IRIS’ support to secure co-financing, reduce the scope or duration of their proposed project or design stand-alone implementation phases or pillars.

While there is no current commitment of funding for further continuation of this work, IRIS is expected to launch subsequent calls for proposals in future. Successful applicants will also have the opportunity to showcase outputs to potential funding sources via IRIS and CDRI platforms.

Implementing government agencies will report periodically on the project’s activities, risks and issues. A substantial project outcome report is expected halfway through the project and upon completion. Applicants shall present their monitoring and evaluation framework (indicators and data collection methods) in their full proposal.

IRIS encourages complementarity with ongoing or planned research, capacity building or infrastructure investment programmes. In this case, applicants should mention existing reporting and monitoring mechanisms in their full proposal to avoid duplication of efforts.

The IRIS Steering Committee convened by CDRI’s Director General and comprising senior representatives from the donor countries, SIDS nations, regional and international organizations, will select EoIs and invite the applicants to submit a full proposal. Invited applicants will receive support in full proposal preparation. The IRIS Steering Committee will review full proposals and recommend some for funding to the Infrastructure Resilience Accelerator Fund (IRAF).

All required information is available in the “Call for Proposals” document uploaded on the IRIS website. To attend to additional queries, the IRIS Programme Management Unit will organise information sessions ahead of the EoIs due date. The schedule and details of the information sessions will be available on the IRIS website. You may also send specific questions to the IRIS Programme Management Unit (PMU) to the following email address: iris@cdri.world until February 1st, 2023. The IRIS PMU will share clarifications with all applicants through the information sessions and an updated FAQ.

You can find a link to the application form on the IRIS website. Applications will be accepted only through the IRIS Portal.

All information on this “Call for Proposals” is available in three languages: English, French and Spanish. While IRIS strives to provide information in multiple languages, the applications will be limited to English.