Open question and answer session for BID 2025 Africa (Full proposal stage)
BID: Biodiversity Information for Development programme
2025 BID call for proposals: Africa
Disclaimer:
The call text remains the official reference for all information provided. The questions and answers shared here are intended solely as supplementary clarifications based on inquiries received during the live Q&A sessions. For any further questions, please feel free to post them on the forum here or reach out directly to BID@gbif.org .
Clarifications on budget, funding rules, requirements for partners etc.
Q: Does the partner letter need to specify the partner’s contribution to the project?
A: Partners may determine the level of detail they wish to include in the letter. We are providing a specific template (letter of confirmation-partners) available here: https://www.gbif.org/document/2Jz6NMUoRAZcRRLUSeiLg6/letter-of-confirmation-partners.
Q: Can more partner institutions be included at the full proposal stage?
A: The answer is yes. Please note that at the full proposal stage, all partners must be formally confirmed. A specific template is provided within the application form: https://www.gbif.org/document/2Jz6NMUoRAZcRRLUSeiLg6/letter-of-confirmation-partners.
Q: If node managers are involved and their support is required for our projects, do we need to include them in our budgets?
A: We encourage you to inform your node manager and/or head of delegation about activities planned in the country, as they coordinate and oversee the national network. It is important that they are aware of any data mobilization activities taking place. If you wish to involve the node as an official project partner, this is very welcome, though it is not mandatory, the decision rests with the project lead and consortium. Should you choose to engage the node as a formal partner or ask them to lead certain project activities, it is appropriate to allocate funding for those tasks. Ultimately, the structure of collaboration and resource allocation is flexible and should be determined in line with the needs and design of your project.
Q: Can grant funds be reallocated if a new activity is identified?
A: Yes, at this stage you may reallocate funds to new or more detailed activities.
If selected for funding, reallocation between budget lines of up to 25% within the total budget is permitted after the selection process and contract signing. Any changes exceeding 25% will require a formal budget amendment.
Q: What is the email address for queries?
A: You are as always welcome to write directly to the BID Coordination team at bid@gbif.org or contact our regional support team at Africa_support@gbif.org .
Q: Can overheard charges such as bank fees be under co-funding?
A: Yes, overhead costs can and should be included as co-funding as they are ineligible for Grant funds. Please have a look at the budget instructions:
https://discourse.gbif.org/t/bid-budget-instructions-full-proposal/6019
GBIF Grant funds cannot be used for the following types of expenses:
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Overhead costs not directly tied to project activities
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Bank fees, postal or courier costs
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Exchange rate losses
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Reimbursable taxes (must confirm tax status if invited to submit a full proposal)
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Fieldwork or collection of new field data
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Laboratory research for new data
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Data paper publication fees or other peer-reviewed research charges
Q: What are the mandatory milestones?
A: There are two mandatory milestones. At the midterm report stage, funded projects will be expected to have published at least one dataset. This does not need to be the entire data collection; publishing a single dataset is sufficient to demonstrate early progress in data mobilization and the application of knowledge gained through the capacity enhancement workshop. The second milestone is successful completion of the certification associated with that workshop, which is organized through the program itself. Project funds are not required to cover participation costs, as these are supported through a separate funding stream. Each funded project will be invited to nominate one representative to attend the workshop, and that individual must obtain certification upon completion. The purpose of this requirement is to ensure project teams develop the skills necessary for data mobilization and knowledge sharing within their organizations. At the final reporting stage, we will expect all deliverables outlined in the project proposal to have been completed.
Q: Concerning the letter of endorsement from a GBIF Node Representative, which will correspond to Equatorial Guinea?
A: If your country is not an official GBIF participant, an endorsement letter from a national node will not be required, as no official node is in place: https://www.gbif.org/the-gbif-network/africa. Equatorial Guinea is not a formal GBIF participant at this stage.
Q: Is this partner letter mandatory for institutional projects?
A: Yes, the partner confirmation letters are mandatory documents for all partners in both grant types: institutional and multi-institutional grant type.
Q: Could the co-funding requirements be clarified? Specifically, are there any restrictions on the amount, such as minimum or maximum co-funding limits?
A: There is no maximum limit on the amount of co-funding you may provide. However, please note that projects offering no co-funding, or co-funding contributions below 25% of the total budget, will be regarded as poor value for money. Co-funding may be provided either in cash or as in-kind contributions.
Q: Regarding the institute tax statement, our umbrella organization (NARO) comprises several research institutes, our being one of them. Do we get the statement from the NARO secretariat or our institute?
A: The Institutional tax statement is a mandatory document provided by the lead organisation, signed by the Chief Financial Officer (or similar position), confirming your institution’s tax status and capability and willingness to start and ‘pre-finance’ scheduled activities in advance of receiving grant funds (see template at: https://www.gbif.org/document/74qYEL86CiKkUqiZgmcHTy/tax-status-and-pre-financing-willingness-letter)
Q: Should the attendance to the BID Capacity enhancement workshop be included in the budget?
A: Attendance by at least one project team member at the BID Capacity Enhancement Workshop for the relevant region is mandatory for funded projects. The costs of attendance and travel for this event are covered by the programme and should not be included in the project budget.
As the workshop is technical in nature, the Project Lead should nominate the most suitable team member to participate. The selected participant will be required to obtain the digital certification associated with the workshop and will be responsible for sharing the knowledge and skills acquired with the project’s stakeholders. The attendance in the workshop will be a mandatory milestone.
Q: Can a submitted Concept Note be adapted or repositioned for the regional or cross-regional call, given its broader scope and higher budget?
A: The calls are distinct, and institutions were welcome to apply to both if eligible. However, the scope and eligibility criteria differ. The regional and cross-regional call requires applicants to demonstrate prior experience in data mobilization and provide examples of published datasets, among other requirements. For reasons of fairness and consistency, a proposal submitted under one call cannot be transferred or repurposed for selection under another.
Q: Can the tax letter be signed by other institutional representative other than the CFO?
A: Yes, the tax letter may be signed by the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) or by an individual holding a comparable position within the finance department of your institution.
Q: Could you please clarify the pre-financing arrangements?
A: For selected projects, the GBIF Secretariat will agree to make three (3) payments:
1. The first instalment, equivalent to 60% of the total, will be disbursed after the countersignature of the grant agreement is received.
2. The second instalment, equivalent to 30% of the total, will be disbursed after approval by the GBIF Secretariat of the midterm narrative and financial reports, and that the financial report shows that at least 80% of the sum of the previous instalment has been spent. In the case that 80% has not been spent by the midterm reporting, an updated financial report must be submitted to the GBIF Secretariat when the 80% has been spent, and the second instalment can then be released by approval of the updated financial report.
3. The third and final instalment, equivalent to up to 10% of the total, will be disbursed after approval by the GBIF Secretariat of the final narrative and financial reports and the delivery of the deliverables listed in the full proposal. The Grantee must temporarily cover the costs of all instalments, until the grant funds have been received. For the final instalment, the payment will only be made after the end of the Project, and after approval of the final reporting. The amount of the final payment will be adjusted based on the actual documented and approved project costs and cannot exceed the total maximum sum allocated for the project.
Q: Can the budget for the project come entirely from the BID programme? Would the institutions involved be expected to co-fund the activities?
A: Projects are expected to include co-funding from the participating institutions. While BID funding can cover a substantial portion of the budget, co-funding contributions below 25% of the total project budget may be viewed as offering poor value for money.
Q: Are stipends for IT specialist part of the IT budget of EUR 6,000 euros?
A: No, stipends are classified as salary expenses. The limited IT category refers only to the purchase of equipment or services.
Limited eligible costs of IT services and equipment:
BID funds may be used to cover up to a maximum of €3,000 of the costs of any IT services or purchases. Such equipment includes, but is not limited to, a) computer equipment, such as laptops, desktop computers, servers, hard drives and printers; b) software licences and subscriptions; c) digital cameras and scanners; d) other electrical equipment and electronics; e) lab equipment including microscopes, sequencing equipment, etc.
Useful links and templates:
· Data Mobilization Project Planning in English https://training.gbif.org/en/project-planning/
· Data Mobilization Project Planning in French: https://training.gbif.org/fr/project-planning/
· GBIF Network: https://www.gbif.org/the-gbif-network/africa
· Institutional Tax Statement template: https://www.gbif.org/document/74qYEL86CiKkUqiZgmcHTy/tax-status-and-pre-financing-willingness-letter
· Letter(s) of support from relevant GBIF Node manager(s) or GBIF Head(s) of Delegation template: https://www.gbif.org/document/4n4Twkn2pguFj5cZq3lPEf/letter-of-endorsement-hodsnode-managers
· Letter(s) of support from listed partners template: https://www.gbif.org/document/2Jz6NMUoRAZcRRLUSeiLg6/letter-of-confirmation-partners
· Report of the BID engagement meeting and regional consultation for Africa