Application Guidelines - Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities (Stream Three)

Reconciliation and Strength for Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ People Through Sport

On this page

• List of acronyms
• Sport Support Program (SSP)
• Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities (SSDIC) component of SSP
• Reconciliation and Strength for Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ People through Sport (SSDIC Stream Three)
• SSDIC Stream Three Outcomes
• Application deadline
• Eligibility
• Eligible applicants
• Eligible projects
• Eligible expenses
• Ineligible expenses
• Limits of government assistance
• Applying for more than 12 months
• How to apply
• Application process
• Email submissions
• How applications are assessed
• Assessment criteria
• Application processing time
• Funding decisions
• How funding is provided
• Funding conditions
• Workplace well-being
• Public health guidance
• Official languages requirements
• Acknowledgement of financial assistance
• Access to information requests
• Disclosure of information
• Audits of recipients and evaluation of the Program
• Contact us
• Glossary

List of acronyms

2SLGBTQI+

Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Plus

MMIWG

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

PCH

The Department of Canadian Heritage

SSDIC

Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities

SSP

Sport Support Program

TRC

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

CTA

Calls to Action

CFJ

Calls for Justice (from the National Inquiry into MMIWG)

EDT

Eastern Daylight Time

Sport Support Program (SSP)

The Sport Support Program (SSP) supports the development of Canadian athletes and coaches and Canadians’ participation in sport. Funding is provided to eligible organizations for programming and projects that support the goals of the Canadian Sport Policy.

The objectives of the SSP are to:

• increase opportunities to participate in quality sport activities for all Canadians, including under-represented groups
• increase the capacity of the Canadian sport system to systematically achieve world-class results at the highest international competitions
• contribute to the provision of technical sport leadership within the Canadian sport system; and
• advance Canadian interests, values and ethics in sport at home and abroad.

Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities (SSDIC) component of SSP

The Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities (SSDIC) component reflects that the Government of Canada considers sport to be a powerful agent for social change and innovation and can achieve key social development goals in Indigenous communities. It was developed in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (TRC)’s Calls to Action, which identified four key social development goals of Indigenous communities:

• Improved health
• Improved education
• Improved employability
• Reduction of at-risk behaviours

SSDIC is distinct from sport development as it is focused on the achievement of these specific social development goals rather than athletic ability or sport performance. The SSDIC component offers a flexible program that can be tailored to address the specific needs of Indigenous communities.

Definition of Sport

Recognizing and respecting that there are many important cultural approaches to health and wellness in Indigenous communities, the definition of sport is broader for the SSDIC program than that which Sport Canada uses for high performance sport. The focus of the SSDIC program is on supporting the self-determined social development goals of communities and program participants. These social development goals can be facilitated by any physical and cultural activities that have a recreational or wellness component deemed appropriate by the client.

Funding under the SSDIC component of the SSP through Budget 2018 investments was initially divided into two streams; Stream One is available to the 13 Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Bodies (PTASBs), and Stream Two is available to Indigenous governments and communities, as well as other delivery organizations submitting project proposals in collaboration with Indigenous communities.

In response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ (MMIWG) Report and the MMIWG Calls for Justice, a third stream of SSDIC funding was created through Budget 2021 investments. The Reconciliation and Strength for Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ People Through Sport (SSDIC Stream Three) fund seeks to provide meaningful opportunities for sport and physical activity to Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people.

It is important that all three Streams of the SSDIC Program are designed and delivered with a strong understanding of the views of the Indigenous communities they serve. For this reason, Sport Canada is undertaking a consultation process in order to evaluate and evolve the SSDIC program. Facilitated by an experienced Indigenous consultant firm, this research will gather the perspectives and input from Indigenous people and representative organizations on how the three Streams can best serve the social development goals. The findings of the consultation will be integrated into the next call for proposals for projects taking place in 2024-2026.

Reconciliation and Strength for Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ People through Sport (SSDIC Stream Three)

The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) examined the systemic causes of all forms of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people including the underlying social, economic, cultural, institutional, and historic reasons for the ongoing crisis of MMIWG. The inquiry published the MMIWG Calls for Justice (CFJ), which point to the fact that ending violence will require a concerted, sustained, and diversified approach across all aspects of Canadian society.

The Reconciliation and Strength for Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ People Through Sport (SSDIC Stream Three) fund was created in response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ (MMIWG) Report. It is part of the federal government’s commitment to answer the MMIWG Calls for Justice, specifically Calls 3.1 and 7.3. This focus makes the Stream Three investment distinct from SSDIC Stream One and Two.

Stream Three seeks to ensure that Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people have access to meaningful sports activities that will improve their overall health and wellness. It does this by funding activity projects that support one or more of the five SSDIC Stream Three social development goals:

• physical and mental health;
• suicide prevention;
• sexual trafficking awareness and prevention;
• safe and healthy relationships;
• sexual positivity (2SLGBTQI+).

SSDIC Stream Three Outcomes

The SSDIC Stream Three program has two specific outcomes that help to ensure that Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people benefit from this funding.

Outcome #1. Increase the opportunities for Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people to participate in sport activities.

This is captured by identifying the number of communities reached and number of participants included.

Outcome #2. Support communities’ self-determined social development goals.

This is captured by identifying if and to what degree participants report feeling they have improved on the project’s identified social development goals and feeling more positive about their own health and wellness.

Application deadline

March 22, 2023 11:59 EDT.

When an application deadline falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, it is extended to the following working day.

Eligibility

Sport Canada is responsible for determining the eligibility of each applicant, their project, and project-related expenses.

Note: Meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee funding.

Eligible applicants

To be eligible for Stream Three funding, your organization must:

• Be an Indigenous government, Indigenous community, or other not-for-profit Indigenous organization, or a non-Indigenous delivery organization collaborating with an Indigenous organization(s);
• Demonstrate engagement and collaboration with Indigenous women, girls, and/or 2SLGBTQI+ groups or representatives of these communities;
• For a non-Indigenous organization, have a letter of support from the leadership of the beneficiary Indigenous community;
• Have financial statements for the past fiscal year, where applicable;
• Be undertaking or supporting projects in/for Indigenous communities that create opportunities to participate in sport for Indigenous women, girls, and/or 2SLGBTQI+ people.

Note: Up to 25% of the Stream Three funding may be available for non-Indigenous delivery organizations.

Stream Three for Provincial-Territorial Aboriginal Sport Bodies

For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, an additional $1.25 million will be made available exclusively to Provincial-Territorial Aboriginal Sport Bodies (PTASBs). To be eligible for Stream Three PTASB funding, your organization must:

• Be a recognized PTASB, i.e., a provincial and territorial organization, association or corporation that carries the mandate, as recognized by the Aboriginal Sport Circle, to represent the sport and recreational interests of the largest percentage of Indigenous peoples in that province or territory.

Eligible projects

To be eligible for funding from Stream Three of the SSDIC program component, your project must:

• Propose activities that create opportunities for Indigenous women, girls, and/or 2SLGBTQI+ people to participate in sport, which address one or more of the five Stream Three social development goals:
  • physical and mental health;
  • suicide prevention;
  • sexual trafficking awareness and prevention;
  • safe and healthy relationships; and
  • sexual positivity (2SLGBTQI+).
• Be guided by the following principles:
  • the project addresses the needs identified by the Indigenous communities being served;
  • project design should, wherever possible, encourage and facilitate sustainable capacity building within the communities it serves;
  • Indigenous knowledge and experience must serve to guide approaches taken to support the MMIWG social development goals.
• Propose activities occurring between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024

Eligible expenses

Only project-related expenses are eligible for Sport Canada SSDIC Stream Three funding. These may include:

• General administration:
  • these are costs related to the management of an organization;
  • you may allocate up to 10% of your total SSDIC Stream Three funding for this project toward general administration costs*.
• Salaries, fees and benefits:
  • these are costs of employing or contracting part-time and full-time management and administrative staff for the project;
  • SSDIC Stream Three’s contribution to these costs is limited to $90,000 per eligible full-time position, and the contribution limit for part-time positions is prorated against this amount*.
• Operations and programming:
  • these are logistical and set-up costs associated with the planning, delivery and evaluation of your project; for example:
    • facility rental costs, equipment purchase, meals, transportation, or other items required by the community to overcome barriers to participation in sport*.
  • translation services for English, French, and Indigenous languages are eligible expenses under the SSDIC program.

* Requests for exceptions must be presented and approved in advance by the Sport Support Program – SSDIC component.

Ineligible expenses

There are a number of expenses that are not eligible for Stream Three funding. These include:

• Capital costs: a tangible asset held for long-term use rather than for sale, such as building or land owned by the organization;
• Costs of sales;
• Fundraising; and
• Medals, trophies, awards, and banquets.

Note: The expenses for which this funding is intended must be incurred between the period of April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024. Expenses incurred prior to April 1, 2023 are not eligible for Stream Three funding. It is possible that approvals of recommended projects may occur after April 1st and recipients could receive their funding after the start of the fiscal year. If you incur expenses for your project before receiving written confirmation of your funding approval, you will be doing so at your own risk.

Limits of government assistance

To ensure the success of your project, Sport Canada encourages you to obtain other funding sources. This may include contributions (including in-kind) from your organization, the private sector, or other levels of government.

In-kind and other cash revenues, if applicable, should be reflected in the project budget to demonstrate the true cost of the project and may include ineligible expenses.

Note: In-kind contributions are considered real contributions to the cost of the proposed project but are not reimbursable. In-kind contributions must be balanced by an equal expense in your budget (i.e., total in-kind expenses equal total in-kind revenues).

The total financial assistance received from the Sport Support Program and other levels of government (federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal) cannot exceed 100% of total project-related costs.

Sport Canada can fund up to 100% of eligible expenses per fiscal year.

Applying for more than 12 months

Funding for proposed Stream Three projects is available for 2023-2024. You cannot seek funding past March 31, 2024.

How to apply

Read these Application Guidelines in their entirety before completing your application.

You must meet all eligibility requirements and submit a completed application form before the deadline to be considered for funding.

Application process

• complete, sign and date the Application Form in the fillable PDF format;
• attach all the required supporting documents (if necessary); and
• submit your application by email by the deadline.

Email submissions

You are required to submit your application package electronically to the following email address: sportcanada.ssdsca-ssdic.sportcanada@pch.gc.ca

The email must be sent no later than 11:59 p.m. EDT on the date of the application deadline for your application to be considered.

If you are unable to submit your application by email or using the fillable PDF format, please contact the Sport Support Program – SSDIC component to discuss other options.

How applications are assessed

Sport Canada funds projects that clearly identify community need and propose to address this need through feasible activities and achievable results.

Through the SSDIC Stream Three fund Sport Canada seeks to fund a diversity of quality projects from across the country in order to serve as many Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people as possible. It is important to take this into consideration when determining the amount of requested funding for your project.

Funding decisions are based on the number and quality of applications received by the application deadline. Your application will be reviewed for eligibility and then evaluated based on the criteria below. It will be compared with other applications and prioritized in relation to the funds available.

Failure to comply with any conditions of a previously funded project will be considered in the evaluation of your new application and could result in a rejection of your new application.

Assessment criteria

Stream Three project proposals must address one or more of the five SSDIC Stream Three social development goals, and to the extent possible, be designed in a way that builds capacity in the communities they serve.

The following will be primary criteria used to evaluate the project proposals:

1. Eligibility
   • Meets the requirements of Eligible Applicants set out above.
   • Meets the requirements of Eligible Projects set out above.
2. Complete Application
   • The application provides a succinct introduction to the organization demonstrating its capacity and suitability to carry out the proposed project.
   • If any partnerships are needed to adequately deliver the proposed projects, they are clearly identified.
   • The application provides a clear description of the overall project (and each initiative if there is more than one).
   • The information provided is clearly described and linked to the SSDIC Stream Three social development goals.
   • The budget is balanced and there are no ineligible expenses included in the funding request from SSDIC Stream Three.
3. Project Context
   • The needs of the community to be served are clearly identified, described, and are aligned with one or more of the five Stream Three social development goals.
   • The intended communities to be served by the project are clearly identified. The applicant demonstrates they are familiar with the intended participants in terms of their demographics (identities, age, location, language), their specific needs, and appropriate approaches to best serve those needs.
   • The project description and planned activities for each initiative clearly address these identified needs.
   • The planned activities support the improvement of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people’s overall health and wellness.
4. Feasibility of Initiatives
   • The planned activities are described in detail and are feasible.
   • Activities are well planned, clearly support the intended Stream Three social development goals, and are very likely to achieve the expected results.
   • Expected results are clearly identified, structured, measurable, and are linked to the project context and planned activities.
   • Planned activities include some form of a timeline that shows when they will take place.
5. Project Budget
   • Financial breakdown table is completed for each initiative.
   • Project costs are eligible, reasonable, well justified, and cost-effective.
   • Budget details clearly support the project’s description and planned activities.
   • Total revenues match total expenses

Note: Once this assessment has been completed, additional considerations for project assessments include issues of equity, diversity, inclusion, as well as accessibility. The intention is to have a diversity of Stream Three projects across Canada that serve all Indigenous identity groups in every provincial/territorial region, with remote, rural, and urban community representation.

Application processing time

Please refer to the Service standards for Canadian Heritage funding programs or contact the program.

Sport Canada will acknowledge receipt of your application within two weeks of receiving your application in our office.

Funding decisions

Please note that decisions regarding eligibility and funding amounts are final.

How funding is provided

Sport Canada provides funding in the form of a contribution.

A contribution is a conditional payment issued for a specific purpose, as outlined in a funding agreement. The funding agreement is signed by your organization and by the minister and specifies the terms and conditions to receive payment. At the end of your project, you must submit a final report.

Funding conditions

You may be required to submit interim reports during your project. If you receive $250,000 or more as a contribution, you are required to submit an audited financial report.

Additional conditions will be included in your funding agreement.

Workplace well-being

The Government of Canada is strongly committed to promoting healthy workplaces where harassment, abuse and discrimination are not tolerated. Organizations that receive funding from Canadian Heritage must take measures to create a workplace free from harassment, abuse, and discrimination.

Public health guidance

Sport Canada expects that you will act in compliance with applicable statutes, laws, bylaws, regulations, orders, codes, standards, directives, and guidelines governing the activities for which funding is being sought, including those related to public health and safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Official languages requirements

Sport Canada is committed to taking positive measures to enhance the vitality of official-language minority communities and to promote the use of English and French in Canadian society. If you receive funding, you agree to comply with the official languages requirements set out in your application or in your funding agreement.

Acknowledgement of financial assistance

If you receive funding, you must publicly acknowledge – in English and in French – the financial support received from the Government of Canada in all communications materials and promotional activities. Additional requirements may be included in your funding agreement.

For additional information, please refer to our Guide on the public acknowledgement of financial support.

Access to information requests

Sport Canada is subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. The information you submit in your application may be disclosed in accordance with these Acts.

Disclosure of information

By submitting your funding application, you authorize Canadian Heritage to disclose any information submitted with this application within the Government of Canada or to outside entities for the following purposes:

• to reach a decision;
• to evaluate the results of the project;
• to support transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement.

Audits of recipients and evaluation of the Program

Sport Canada reserves the right to audit your accounts and records to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of your funding agreement. Sport Canada also conducts periodic Program evaluations, during which you may be required to present documentation.

You must keep any records, documents, or other information that may be required to perform the audit or the evaluation for five years. Demonstrated failure to maintain such records may result in the repayment of amounts previously received.

Contact us

For further information, please contact us:

Department of Canadian Heritage
Sport Support Program - Sport Canada
15 Eddy St
Gatineau QC  J8X 4B3

Email

sportcanada.ssdsca-ssdic.sportcanada@pch.gc.ca

Telephone

To speak to a representative of the Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities program, please send an email to sportcanada.ssdsca-ssdic.sportcanada@pch.gc.ca and indicate a phone number that you can be reached. A representative will contact you within the service standards for Canadian Heritage funding programs.

If you are unable to send emails, you can call at 1-866-811-0055 (toll-free number) and leave a contact number with the Call Centre Agent. A representative of the SSDIC Unit will contact you within the service standards for Canadian Heritage funding programs.

TTY – for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired

1-888-997-3123 (toll-free)

Agents are available to answer your questions Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (EST).

Glossary

Audited financial report

The Audited Financial Report shall clearly include all of the revenues realized and expenditures incurred by the Recipient for the given period with regard to the Project funded. Accounts shall be audited by professional accountants who are independent of the organization and are active members in good standing with a professional accounting association, as per provincial legislation.

Final report

A final report is submitted at the end of your project based on the requirements in the funding agreement. Your final report needs to provide the results of the activities you have undertaken for the duration of your project.

Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations

Organizations that represent, advocate for, and/or offer programs to support Indigenous women, girls, and/or 2SLGBTQI+ people. These include but are not limited to:

• Native Women’s Association of Canada
• Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada
• Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak / Women of the Métis Nation
• Assembly of First Nations Women’s Council
• 2 Spirits in Motion Society
• Amautiit Nunavut Inuit Women's Association
• Temiskaming Native Women's Support Group
• Liard Aboriginal Women's Society
• Newfoundland Aboriginal Women’s Network
• Saturviit Women’s Association of Nunavik
• Femmes Autochtones du Québec
• Ontario Native Women’s Association
• Atlantic Indigenous Women's Association
• Pacific Association of First Nations Women
• 2-Spirited Peoples of Manitoba Inc.
• Edmonton 2 Spirit Society

Interim reports

Interim reports are submitted during your project based on the requirements in the funding agreement. These reports indicate the results of the activities you have undertaken for a specific period. In addition, they include a status report on the work to be accomplished and updated revenue and expense reports.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Calls for Justice

On June 3, 2019, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) issued its Final Report. The Inquiry examined the systemic causes of all forms of violence against Indigenous women and girls including the underlying social, economic, cultural, institutional and historic causes. The inquiry found that there was no single answer to ending violence and that communities had their own distinct social and cultural systems, which required nuanced approaches. Through its 231 Calls for Justice, it also asserted that addressing the issues faced by Indigenous women and girls required the active involvement of all governments working with Indigenous communities and with Indigenous women and girls.

The Inquiry’s findings are similar to those of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in that both emphasize the importance of an Indigenous-led, government-supported approach forward.

Using the mechanism of the SSDIC, the Stream Three fund seeks to support the following MMIWG Calls for Justice:

• 3.1. We call upon all governments to ensure that the rights to health and wellness of Indigenous Peoples, and specifically of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people, are recognized and protected on an equitable basis.
• 7.3. We call upon all governments and health service providers to support Indigenous-led prevention initiatives in the areas of health and community awareness, including, but not limited to programming: for Indigenous men and boys; related to suicide prevention strategies for youth and adults; related to sexual trafficking awareness and no-barrier exiting, and specific to safe and healthy relationships, and to mental health awareness; and related to 2SLGBTQI+ issues and sex positivity.

Non-Indigenous delivery organizations

Federally and/or provincially incorporated not-for-profit non-Indigenous organizations.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada

The TRC issued 94 Calls to Action and 10 Principles of Reconciliation, some of which were used in the development of the SSDIC and are listed below:

• TRC Calls to Action
  • 7. We call upon the federal government to develop with Aboriginal groups a joint strategy to eliminate educational and employment gaps between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians.
  • 19. We call upon the federal government, in consultation with Aboriginal peoples, to establish measurable goals to identify and close the gaps in health outcomes, between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities, and to publish annual progress reports and assess long-term trends. Such efforts would focus on indicators such as: infant mortality, maternal health, suicide, mental health, addictions, life expectancy, birth rates, infant and child health issues, chronic diseases, illness and injury incidence, and the availability of appropriate health services.
  • 38. We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial and Aboriginal governments to commit to eliminating the overrepresentation of Aboriginal youth in custody over the next decade.
• TRC Principles of Reconciliation
  • 4. Reconciliation requires constructive action on addressing the ongoing legacies of colonialism that have had destructive impacts on Aboriginal peoples’ education, cultures and languages, health, child welfare, the administration of justice, and economic opportunities and prosperity.
  • 5. Reconciliation must create a more equitable and inclusive society by closing the gaps in social, health, and economic outcomes that exist between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians.
  • 9. Reconciliation requires political will, joint leadership, trust building, accountability, and transparency, as well as a substantial investment of resources.

Under-represented groups

Certain groups such as women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people, people with a disability, Indigenous peoples, and visible minorities continue to be under-represented in the Canadian sport system as athletes/participants and as leaders. In addition, and despite past efforts, language-based barriers still exist in the sport system for francophones, especially at the national team level.