These grants include both education sector program implementation grants (ESPIG) and GPE Multiplier grants. Note that steps 1 and 2 in the calendar below don’t apply to Multiplier grants.

The requirement matrix

• A matrix summarizing the country’s readiness to fulfill the below requirements should be submitted to the Secretariat as a basis for the first phase of the quality assurance review and also for feedback from the Grant and Performance Committee.
  • Requirement 1: A credible, endorsed education sector plan (ESP), or alternatively, a transitional education plan (TEP) in countries affected by fragility and conflict.
  • Requirement 2: Evidence of commitment to finance the endorsed ESP or TEP. This requirement has two elements: (a) government commitment and (b) development partner’s commitment.
  • Requirement 3: The availability of critical data and evidence for planning, budgeting, managing, monitoring and accountability or alternatively, a strategy to develop capacity to produce and effectively use critical data. The requirement is divided into three sub-components concerning the availability of (a) an education sector analysis, (b) basic financial and education data and (c) a system or mechanisms to monitor learning outcomes.
• Domestic education financing worksheet (supplement to the requirements matrix).

ESP package

Required documents:

• A credible ESP/TEP, including a costed multi-year implementation plan, covering at least the first two years of the grant cycle if eligible and applying for the education sector program implementation grant (ESPIG)
• The final report on the ESP/TEP appraisal conducted by independent reviewer(s) and commissioned by the development partners of the local education group
• An appraisal report memo providing a brief summary of how the recommendations from the appraisal report have been addressed in the final ESP or TEP
• The approval of the ESP/TEP by the Government, including the commitment to finance the ESP or TEP
• An endorsement letter by the development partners, including to finance the ESP or TEP.

Draft program document and supporting documents

The draft program document and supporting documents should be submitted to the Secretariat to facilitate the Secretariat’s quality assurance review (QAR) process. The following documents should be submitted:

• Draft ESPIG application form
• Draft program document prepared for GPE funding, or other appropriate documents for budget support or pooled funds
• Latest report on implementation or completion of previous grant where applicable
• Joint financing agreement, where available
• Any other supporting documents.

Applying for GPE’s variable part

Additionally, if the country wishes to apply for the variable part of the maximum country allocation (MCA), the package submitted for the Secretariat’s QAR process should also include:

• A description of the indicators and targets proposed for the results-based variable part of the MCA, as well as the theory of change and results chain describing how progress on these indicators will lead to transformational change in the areas of equity, efficiency and learning outcomes.
• Explanation of how the indicators are anchored in the ESP.
• Information on how the assessment will be done once the targets are met, including the means of verification (for example third party monitoring) and the disbursement schedule and share of disbursement by indicator.
• How the variable part disbursements will be used, e.g. integrated in sector budget support, a pooled fund, or allocated to which components or activities of the fixed part of the grant or other ESP activity. The variable part disbursements may or may not be an integral part of the fixed part activities.
• If relevant, justification for applying for an ex-ante approach for pre-approval.

Final application package

Required documents:

• ESPIG application form
• Program document prepared for ESPIG funding or other appropriate documents for budget support or pooled funds
• QAR phase II memo (brief summary of how the QAR II recommendations have been addressed in the final application package)
• Latest report on implementation or completion of ongoing/previous grant, where applicable.

Supporting documents:

Countries that have already provided the first two documents below at an earlier stage will not need to resubmit the documents a second time:

• ESP | TEP package
• ESP annual implementation report, as available
• Joint sector review reports for the past two to three years, as available
• Draft grant agreement, where applicable and if available.