5.2 Submitting a proposal

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Instructions for completing notices of intent and proposals can be found in the call for proposals. The proposal must be completed by the project leader and submitted electronically by the institution through CAMS. For projects that involve two or more eligible institutions sharing CFI funding, the proposal must be submitted by one applicant institution on behalf of the group. Any other eligible institution (including affiliated entities) that will receive funding must be identified in the proposal and must have signed the institutional agreement. This requirement also applies when funding will be transferred entirely to another institution (e.g., an affiliated entity).

5.2.1 Requirements at the application stage

The CFI expects infrastructure proposals, including those with a construction or renovation component, to be developed well beyond the conceptual stage at the time the proposal is submitted. The CFI expects institutions to start the construction or renovation component of a funded project within 18 months of the funding decision. Within this time frame, institutions must have finalized contracts and must have begun construction or renovation work. When a project involves multiple sites, the construction or renovation at every site should start within 18 months of the funding decision. While the CFI recognizes that some projects may involve large and complex construction or renovation components, institutions are expected to have completed planning and development work for such projects at the proposal stage.

For projects involving a construction or renovation component, institutions must provide:

  • A complete description of the entire new space, including common elements (e.g., corridors, washrooms). The description should include the location, size and nature (e.g., wet lab, dry lab, office, greenhouse) of the new space.
  • A timeline identifying key dates for the various stages of the proposed construction or renovation
  • If renovation or construction involves multiple rooms: floor plans of the proposed space, showing the location of the infrastructure and the scale of the plans
  • If total renovation or construction cost is more than $500,000: a detailed breakdown of the overall cost of the construction or renovation project, categorized by cost component (i.e., direct costs, soft costs and contingency costs). At the proposal stage, it is expected that the institution will have determined the most feasible option and have obtained reliable estimates of the construction or renovation costs (e.g., estimates by a quantity surveyor or contractor, use of industry standards, recent experience with a similar construction or renovation).

5.2.2 Integrating a proposal with an institution’s portfolio of projects

We encourage institutions to consider how a given project integrates with their portfolio of projects. An institution may have projects that are thematically related or which share space, for example. When that is the case, considering projects as a portfolio may help to improve decision making, optimize implementation, find efficiencies and enhance sustainability of the infrastructure. For example, it might be beneficial for an institution to pool infrastructure needs for related projects or to optimize the design of constructed space for these projects.