Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI)
FUND TO SUPPORT INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO TEACHER EDUCATION
Application Guide
This document is intended to inform and guide applicants. The document has
the following sections:
 Section 1: Guidance Notes for Eligible Institutions/Organizations
 Section 2: Suggested Areas of Intervention
SECTION 1
Guidance Notes for Eligible Institutions/Organizations
T-TEL is inviting Expressions of Interest from Colleges of Education and Partner Organisations
(partner/model schools, universities, Metropolitan/Municipal/district Assemblies and Education
offices, registered Ghanaian Civil Society Organisations and NGOs working both at the local and
national levels)
The purpose of this call is to reward creative and innovative approaches to teaching and learning in
Colleges of Education that improve the delivery of tertiary teacher education in Ghana, especially
for girls.
Innovation is understood as:
 testing a new idea that has no existing evidence base; and/or
 implementing an existing idea but in a new situation.
T-TEL expects to finalise agreements with colleges and organisations that are best able to
demonstrate real impact on the quality of pre-service teacher education in Ghana.
T-TEL will fund innovative approaches to improving pre-service teacher education in six areas:
1. Trainee teachers’ practical experience of teaching;
2. Professional development of college tutors;
3. Quality teaching and learning materials in Colleges of Education;
4. Girl-friendly and inclusive Colleges of Education;
5. College of Education management;
6. Partnerships between colleges, schools and districts.
Projects may address one or more of these themes. The themes have been identified by T-TEL in
consultation with key stakeholders, as priorities to improve the quality of pre-service teacher
education and produce teachers of a high standard.
Projects may also involve innovative partnerships. These could be activities with new partners, or
new activities with existing partners such as partner schools, District Education Offices, District
Assemblies, CSOs/NGOs, or community-based organisations.
Innovative projects funded by the T-TEL can be for a maximum period of two years, or of shorter
duration. Projects will be required to have clear and agreed work-plans, as well as a monitoring and
evaluation plan. These will help Colleges and T-TEL to assess performance of innovations and link
funding to agreed milestones over the project life time.
Application Process – In Detail
The T-TEL Challenge Fund application process has two stages.
The first stage of the process is the submission of an expression of interest (EOI). All applicants
must complete this template accurately, and keep to the page limit set.
Deadline for submission of EOIs is 17:00 hours GMT on Friday, January 29, 2016. Applicants will
receive an automated acknowledgement of receipt of the completed EOI.
Where an EOI is successful, T-TEL will invite the applicant(s) to proceed to the second stage and
submit a fuller application, in a format which T-TEL will provide. If a proposal is not accepted T-TEL
will provide feedback and applicant(s) will be able to resubmit applications for the next Call.
Before applying, applicants are advised to carefully read and adhere to the guidance in the EOI
form.
Eligible Institutions
T-TEL Challenge Fund grants are only available to:
 A public College of Education
 A partnership that includes at least one public College of Education.
Eligible Partnerships
T-TEL Challenge Fund will accept applications from eligible partnerships.
An eligible partnership can include any or all of the following:
 More than one public College of Education
 One or more district education office
 One or more district assembly
 One or more partner school of a public College of Education that is in the partnership
 One or more CSO/NGO
Partnerships can be established between international and national organisations complementing
each other’s capacities and strengths.
The CF is available to public CoEs either on their own, or in partnership with their partner/model
schools, universities and CSOs (local and national). Organisations/CSOs must be partnered with
one of the 38 COEs in Ghana. The College must be the lead partner.
T-TEL will enter into a funding agreement with the lead institution only. The lead institution will bear
full responsibility to T-TEL for the successful implementation of the grant project, including all
financial reporting.
Prior to submitting the application the lead organization must draw up Memorandums of
Understanding with every partner in the partnership. (see online for an example of a Memorandum
of Understanding).
In order to be part of a T-TEL grant partnership, Partner/Model Schools must:
 be partnered with one of the 38 public CoEs in Ghana;
 have a functional School Management Committee (SMC) and School Improvement Plan;
 have a school bank account;
 be open to regular monitoring and evaluation by stakeholders.
Eligible T-TEL Grant Projects
To be accepted by the T-TEL Challenge Fund, eligible applicants must submit a brief
description of their proposed project in the format required. The application must demonstrate
how the proposed project will:
 Be innovative, take risks, do things differently or test a new idea that has no existing
evidence base;
 implement an existing idea but in a new situation;
 make an impact on the quality of teaching and learning in Colleges of Education;
 build on gains of previous initiatives to leverage impact and add value;
 achieve and measure results being offered;
 collaborate with others, within and without their field to expand potential impact;
 carry forward lessons learnt to strategically effect change;
 be in line with the organisation/coalition/network’s core mandate;
 be completely delivered within the specified timeframe; and

ensure that outcomes and impact take into consideration responsiveness to gender equality
and social inclusion, specifically girls.
Evaluation of Expressions of Interest
All EOIs submitted to T-TEL will be evaluated by an independent, anonymous reviewer prior to
submission to the T-TEL Challenge Fund Evaluation Committee, which is a sub-committee of the TTEL Steering Committee. The Evaluation Committee, following their own assessment, will submit its
recommendations to the T-TEL Steering Committee. Successful organisations will then be invited
to the full application stage.
The table below demonstrates how the EOI will be evaluated:
Section of
Content of Section
Criteria
EOI format
Part A
Details of Lead Organisation
Eligible/Not Eligible
Part B
Details of Partner Organisations
Eligible Not Eligible
Criteria that must be met:
Lead Partner has previous experience of
Part C
Capacity of Partnerships
managing grants
Awareness is demonstrated of gender
and social inclusion issues
Score on criteria listed in Eligible T-TEL
Part D
Proposed Project
Grant Projects (/50)
For further information on the T-TEL Challenge Fund, this Call for Expressions of Interest, and the
full application process, interested colleges/organisations are invited to Information Sessions to be
held as follows:
 Ange Hill Hotel, East Legon, Accra, near Emmanuel Eye Clinic (03022527514/0243405125): Monday, January 11, 2016 at 10am
 Crystal Rose Ambassador Hotel, Ahodwo, Kumasi: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at
10am
SECTION 2
Suggested Areas of Intervention
No.
1
Suggested Areas of
Intervention
Trainee teachers’ practical
experience of teaching
Considerations
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2
Professional development of
college tutors
3
Quality teaching and learning
materials in Colleges of
Education
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Development of low cost indigenous or local Teaching and Learning that can
practically contribute to students learning
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4
Girl-friendly and inclusive
Colleges of Education
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5
College of Education
management
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6
Partnerships between colleges,
schools and districts
Sufficient opportunities to practice teaching;
Structured and properly supported teaching practice;
Formal mentoring of trainees in schools;
Strengthened partnerships between colleges and schools;
Frequent interaction in a classroom setting over a semester;
Record of learning/set of structured learning materials to enable
trainees reflect on their teaching experience;
Innovative ways to assist trainees source funding for teaching and
learning materials;
Frequent in-house upgrading of mentors
Provision of opportunities for professional development;
Tutors Further Development - Integrating internet-based OERs in
lessons; supporting colleagues in Colleges to integrate other OERs in
their teaching plans; contextualising the available resources in teaching.
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Inclusive access for all staff and students;
Access to building for students/staff with physical disabilities;
Development / Implementation of College Gender & Girl Friendly
Policies
Capacity Development in gender equality mainstreaming for Staff and
students
Strengthening Systems to implement Sexual Harassment Policy for Staff
and Students
Strengthening systems for the implementation of the Gender Score
Card
Development of quality assurance systems;
Comprehensive systems that enable evaluation of teaching and learning
practices;
Evaluation of staff performance;
Systems to evaluate students experience;
Systems to improve efficiency and effectiveness of administrative and
management staff
Strategies for strengthening and improving through a wide range of
partnerships/collaborations;
External stakeholder involvement;
Developing partnerships with similar institutions;
Establishment of good relationships with partner schools;