Submitted Questions and Responses
CEPP Education Grant – First Call
May 27, 2011
The following questions were submitted and received via email. Questions have been paraphrased and grouped for the purposes of publicizing the responses. Details of proposed projects cannot be published in this competitive funding process and have been deleted where applicable.
Questions Related to Project Eligibility
1. Q: Is a project that educates locally on the advancements of clean energy technologies in their communities eligible?
2. Q: Can I submit a proposal for a research grant related to community education in terms of energy conservation and demand monitoring via smart metering?
3. Q: Does the development of draft policy and legislative directives that focus on Municipal and County tax structures, incentives and policies related to clean energy qualify for a CEPP education grant?
4. Q: Would an elementary school energy education program qualify for community education grants under this program?
R to Q 1-4: CEPP is unable to determine the eligibility of a specific project, prior to evaluation and review of a completed application. All applications and applicants must meet mandatory Project Eligibility Criteria in section 2.2 and Community Eligibility criteria in section 2.1 of the Rules and address the overall CEPP Education Grant objectives. Please note that capitalized terms such as Not-For-Profit Organization and Registered Charity have a special meaning as per the Definitions Appendix of the Rules.
Questions Related to Applicant Eligibility
5. Q: Is an agency of the Government of Ontario that does not posses a charitable registration number, eligible?
6. Q: Can conservation areas or authorities submit proposals for CEPP education grants or be part of a joint application?
7. Q: Can a municipality in Ontario apply for a CEPP Education Grant as a non-profit corporation with a head office in Ontario' either as a lead or partner applicant?
R to Q 5-7: In order to be eligible, all applicants (lead and/or partner) must meet the criteria set out in section 2.1 and corresponding definitions of capitalized terms (e.g. Not-For-Profit Organization and Registered Charity) in the Definitions Appendix of the Rules.
8. Q: Can ineligible organizations be partners in a joint application?
R: No, both lead and partner organizations must be eligible. In order to be eligible, all applicants must meet the criteria set out in section 2.1 and corresponding definitions of capitalized terms in the Definitions Appendix of the Rules. However, ineligible organizations may be part of the project team of an eligible applicant.
9. Q: Do you accept submissions from individuals?
R: No, individuals are not eligible applicants. In order to be eligible, all applicants must meet the criteria set out in section 2.1 and corresponding definitions of capitalized terms in the Definitions Appendix of the Rules.
10. Q: Can I submit a joint application with a partner located outside of Ontario?
No, the applicants must be located in Ontario. In order to be eligible, all applicants must meet the criteria set out in section 2.1 and corresponding definitions of capitalized terms in the Definitions Appendix of the Rules.
11. Q: How are communities defined in the CEPP Education Grant?
R: For the purpose of determining who is eligible to apply, CEPP defines Eligible Community criteria in section 2.1 of the Rules and the corresponding definitions of capitalized terms such as Not-For-Profit Organization and Registered Charity in the Definitions Appendix. For the purpose of determining whether a project is eligible under section 2.2(d) of the Rules, see the paragraph “What is Community Energy?” in either the Education Grant Overview or the Education Grant Guidelines.
12. Q: Can an organization make an application as part of joint application (but not as a lead), and still submit a separate application as a local or regional entity?
R: Yes, since applicants may submit more than one application for CEPP Education Grant funding.
13. Q: We have filed for incorporation but our incorporation is still pending. Will we still be able to submit an application for your review?
R: No, applicants must be legally incorporated prior to submitting their application in order to be eligible.
14. Q: We will ask volunteers from other organizations who have gone solar already to make short presentations and testimonials at the events we host. Are we required to include these organizations as Joint Applicants?
R: No, a joint application is not required. Applicants may include anyone they wish on the project team and this does not trigger any requirement for a joint application. Whether to submit a joint application is entirely up to the applicant(s) to decide.
Questions Related to Eligible Costs and Budget
15. Q: Is project coordination an eligible cost?
R: Under section 3.1 of the Rules project co-ordination is an eligible cost, but is subject to requirements under section 3.4 for Internal Resources and corresponding definitions of capitalized terms in the Definitions Appendix of the Rules.
16. Q: When are the funds awarded and what is the timeline for delivery? The grant did not outline any maximums or minimums.
R: As noted in section 6.2 of the Rules, details of a successful application, including, schedule, payments, deliverables and work plan schedule will be incorporated into the Funding Agreement. Successful applicants will have a maximum of one year to complete funded projects, as noted in the Education Grant Overview.
17. Q: Is funding provided up-front, or is it reimbursed?
R: Funding is provided as per sections 3.1 and 7.1 of the Rules.
18. Q: Should budgets be inclusive of tax?
R: Please seek tax advice from a qualified tax consultant. CEPP will require Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) compliant invoices from HST registrants. Please clearly indicate if your budget does or does not include tax in your application. Note that CEPP pays actual costs and the funding caps as indicated in section 1.2 of the Rules are not inclusive of tax.
19. Q: Please clarify why travel would be excluded and whether that is negotiable.
R: Travel is an excluded expense under the Definition of Excluded Project Expenses in the Rules and this requirement is non-negotiable. This is consistent with the other CEPP grant program.
Questions Related to Local and Regional Grant Types:
20. Q: How many cities, catchments, or communities should a Regional Grant cover?
R: A regional grant is described in section 1.2 and in the corresponding definitions of Local Area and Region in the Definitions Appendix of the Rules.
21. Q: Is it possible to apply for a Regional Grant and still be considered for a Local grant? Are applications considered separately?
R: An application that is submitted in the regional grant category cannot be considered for the local grant category.
Other Questions of Clarification
22. Q: How should proposals be structured?
R: Proposals should be structured according to the application form provided on the CEPP website. Applicants are encouraged to submit any supplementary information as appendices that they feel would strengthen their application.
23. Q: Will there be another grant submission deadline in the fall or in 2012?
R: The timing of the next call for submissions will depend upon whether funds for this year are fully allocated in the first call for applications. There is no scheduled second call.
24. Q: Do you encourage/ expect applicants to include letters of support for their applications?
R: Any supplementary materials providing additional information that strengthens an application are encouraged, but not required.
25. Q: What is the process to have the project duration extended to two years? Or does the project have to be completed within the one-year timeframe?
R: There is no process to extend project duration beyond one year. All projects will be required to be completed within a one-year timeframe.
26. Q: As outlined in the education grant overview, the project educates on a diversity of renewable energy technologies. For clarification does that imply that the education and outreach should be focused on a variety of technologies (solar, wind, water, bio-fuel)?
R: One of the objectives for CEPP Education Grants is to provide funding for education involving a diversity of renewable energy technology types and geographic regions in Ontario. However, this is the objective of the program as a whole, and it is not implied or required that each individual project address more than one technology. Renewable energy technologies of focus are at the discretion of the proponent.
27. Q: Whom can I approach in order to find collaborators for my project?
R: CEPP is unable to assist in identifying collaborators for Education Grant projects.
Return to home page.