If your project is selected for SGP funding, you will need to make sure that you agree on a project design and sign an agreement with IDCS before starting work.
Q. What happens after my project is selected?
A. The first thing to happen after receiving notification that your application has been successful is to agree on the final project design. You will receive a "Pre Selection Changes and Feedback Form" when you are notified about your project being selected for funding.
This form may only contain "Feedback", in which case the project design and budget as they appear in the application form have been fully agreed by IDCS and your next step is to sign the grant agreement.
If the "Pre Selection Changes" section of the form is filled out, then you will need to sign your confirmation of agreement with the changes and return this form to IDCS. IDCS may also request that you provide additional information, such as a revised budget. This should be attached, however there is no need for you to rewrite the application form.
Once you submit the signed Pre-Selection Changes Form and additional information, then IDCS will write to you to let you know if the information is satisfactory and if the funding for your project has been agreed.
Q. What happens if I don’t understand or don’t want to make the proposed changes to my project?
A. If you don't understand the suggested changes, then contact the SGP team for an explanation. If you don’t agree with the proposed changes, then please contact the SGP team and let them know the reason for your objection. It may be possible to revise them. If the project and the SGP team cannot agree about proposed changes, then no contract will be signed and the project will not be funded.
Q. What is the Grant Agreement?
A. The Grant Agreement legally commits IDCS to provide you with funding. However it also legally commits you to implement the project as described in the "Application Form" and the "Pre Selection Changes Form" and to comply with the terms and conditions of the grant.
The agreement consists of two sections: 1. Grant Offer Letter This sets out the offer of the grant to your project and states when reports are due and instalments will be paid. It is this document that you will need to sign and return to state your agreement to the terms and conditions of the grant. You should pay particular attention to the Project Timetable as this explains when the project will need to start and finish, when reports are due and when grant instalments will be paid. If you are likely to have any problems with the instalment pattern mentioned, please contact the SGP team as soon as possible.
2. Terms and Conditions
This sets out the general conditions of the grant. You should pay particular attention to the Termination section and be aware that if you do not fulfil the terms of this contract then not only will you not receive further instalments but you may also be liable to pay back the money that you spent outside the terms of the project. To avoid this happening make sure you understand the implications of each clause in the terms and conditions and ask the SGP team for clarification if you don’t understand. 3. Annexes to the Terms and Conditions - Application Form
- Pre-Selection Changes Form and additional information (if necessary)
- Monitoring and Evaluation Toolkit. This refers to the set of documents that the project will use for reporting. Details of the dates that reports are due are in the “Grant Offer Letter”
- Post Selection Changes Form. If your project is going to change significantly then you need to request approval from the SGP team before you make the change to the implementation of the project. The form which you will use to do this is contained in the annex to the contract.
Q. What happens if I realise that the grant instalment schedule specified in the contract will cause my organisation cash flow problems?
A. If you justified any potential cash flow problems at the application form stage and if SGP approved your project with that in mind, then your contract should contain suitable arrangements for your situation. If you didn’t explain about any cash flow problems at the application form stage but realise before you sign the contract that your organisation might have potential cash flow problems, please contact the SGP team. There should still be time to resolve cash flow issues.
Q. How do I know which reports I need to provide?
A. At the time of signing the agreement, we will specify the monitoring and evaluation requirements for your project. The Monitoring and Evaluation Toolkit showing the reporting formats will be annexed to the agreement and the deadlines for reports will be specified in the Grant Offer Letter. All projects will be requested to provide: 1. Reports. The SGP team will provide reporting formats and will assist you in reporting if you have difficulty. 2. Evidence Requirements a. Photocopies of all receipts documenting the spending of SGP funds will always be required. b. Other evidence of activities such as lists of attendees at seminars, minutes of important meetings, returned questionnaires etc. may be required. c. Photographs of project activities may be required. d. Case studies of project beneficiaries may be required. Remember that by signing the contract, you legally bind your organisation to produce the reports and evidence stated to the deadlines stated in the contract.
Q. What happens if I later can’t comply with the requirements of the contract?
A. There are approved mechanisms for making changes to your project after you have signed the contract. Please read see the “During the Project…” section for more details. It is important to remember that if you do not make approved changes and do not carry out the activities mentioned in the contract or do not provide the evidence stated, you may be legally obliged to pay back grant instalments to IDCS. If you are in doubt about your ability to comply with the requirements stated in your contract, please contact the SGP team.
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