Conflict of Interest

Conflict of Interest Requirements for ETSI-BC Funding Applicants

These conflict of interest requirements are set out to ensure that the ETSI-BC grant application process remains transparent and equitable, safeguarding the interests of all parties involved.

ETSI-BC requires funding applicants to proactively identify and either avoid or manage actual or perceived conflicts of interest.

Definition

A conflict of interest occurs when personal, financial, or other considerations have the potential to compromise or bias professional judgment and objectivity. This can include a direct or indirect, actual or perceived personal benefit to the applicant or the applicant’s employee(s), or a person related to such parties.  The personal benefit could be pecuniary or non-pecuniary.

A related person includes a spouse, parent, child, grandchild, sibling, grandparent, in-law (including adoptive and step-relationships) and friends and business partners (the “Related Party”) or any person with whom the applicant or applicant’s employee(s) resides, plus any corporation controlled (or in which the Related Party owns 20% or more of the equity of the corporation) by any of those parties.

Possible Examples

Some examples of possible conflicts of interest or perception of potential conflict that may arise for funding applicants include situations where:

  • The applicant, or a member of the applicant’s team (whether an employee, elected official or volunteer), or a Related Party, has a personal or financial relationship with a member (or a Related Party to a member) of the ETSI-BC Grant Team;
  • The applicant, or a member of the applicant’s team (whether an employee, elected official or volunteer), or a Related Party, has a financial interest or receives a personal benefit in the organization that would be contracted to carry out work paid for by an ETSI-BC grant.
  • The applicant, or a member of the applicant’s team (whether an employee, elected official or volunteer), or a Related Party, has a relationship that could be perceived as influencing the ETSI-BC grant review process.
Disclosure Requirements

All applicants must disclose any actual, perceived, or potential conflicts of interest as per the above definition at the time of application. This includes but is not limited to:

  • Financial and other interests in the organization receiving the grant or being contracted to carry out work funded by the grant.
  • Any other relationships or circumstances that could potentially influence the decision-making process.

If there is an actual, potential, or apparent conflict of interest, applicants must provide documentation to ETSI-BC of the ways in which the organization has tried to avoid the conflict, and a detailed plan for how the organization plans to manage the conflict. If the potential or perceived conflict of interest is with staff and/or parties related to staff of a First Nation or local government, the elected council will be required to be notified in writing and approve of the mitigation plan in writing.

ETSI-BC reserves the right to decline funding for any grant applications for which there are any actual or perceived conflicts of interest.

Consequences of Non-Disclosure

Failure to disclose a conflict of interest may result in:

  • Disqualification of the grant application.
  • Revocation of the grant if the conflict is discovered post-award.
  • Requirement to return awarded funds if the grant is revoked due to non-disclosure.
Certification Requirement

Applicants will be required to certify in writing that they have read, understood and agree to comply with these Conflict of Interest Requirements for ETSI-BC Funding Applicants. By submitting a grant application, the applicant certifies that:

  • They have read and understood the conflict of interest policy.
  • They have disclosed any actual, perceived, or potential conflicts of interest.
  • They agree to abide by the decisions made by the grant review committee regarding any disclosed conflicts.
Questions

For questions or concerns about potential conflicts of interest, applicants may contact their ETSI-BC Project Consultant.