Backgrounder:  Canada Service Corps – 2022 Call for Proposals

Call for Proposals

The Government of Canada is launching a call for proposals (CFP) under the Canada Service Corps that will provide funding for diverse organizations across the country to support local action on federal priorities to improve the social, economic and environmental well-being of communities. This CFP identifies the engagement of Indigenous and under-served youth as a key program focus and the need to increase the level of participation of these youth in the program.

Funding for approved projects will begin in 2022-23 and projects should focus on one or more of the following service themes:

• reconciliation;
• building an inclusive Canada;
• preserving the environment;
• promoting civic and democratic engagement;
• strengthening youth resilience; and/or
• potential new themes identified by youth.

Organizations must also confirm that they will be able to provide a safe and inclusive environment that is free from racism, harassment and discrimination for program participants and others in the organization.

Who can apply?

Eligible recipients for this CFP include:

• not-for-profit organizations;
• for-profit organizations (provided that the nature and intent of the activity is non-commercial and not intended to generate profit);
• research organizations and institutes;
• Indigenous organizations (including band councils, tribal councils and self-government entities); and
• municipal, provincial and territorial* entities, including institutions, agencies and Crown corporations, public health and educational institutions (i.e., universities, colleges, CÉGEPs, school boards/school districts).

*Provincially/Territorially funded institutions are eligible with the agreement of the Provincial/Territorial government.

Funding Streams

This open CFP will fund service placements and micro-grants projects through the following four program streams:

• Service Placements – National  
• Service Placements – Regional
• Micro-grants
• Micro-grants – Diversity

Service Placements

Service placements are organization-led service projects that are aimed at helping young people address community needs, while gaining life skills and experience that they will carry with them throughout their lives.

For both service placement streams, applicants must have at least two years of experience within the last five years working with or delivering programming to:

• youth aged 15-30 in a volunteer or service environment; or
• Under-served populations. In the context of this CFP, the CSC defines this as belonging to one or more of the populations listed below:
  • Indigenous youth;
  • visible minority/racialized youth;
  • youth with disabilities;
  • LGBTQ2 youth;
  • newcomer youth;
  • youth from Official Languages Minority communities;
  • youth living in rural or remote areas; and
  • youth from lower-income households.

Applicants must also set a participant target of 50% Indigenous and under-served youth per project.

For all streams, project activities must take place in Canada.

All National Service Placement projects will be required to also:

• offer project activities that take place in two or more provinces and territories;
• have a minimum of 100 youth per year in service placements; and
• create all service placements to be either:
  • flexible service placements that last a minimum of 120 hours over a twelve-month period; or
  • full-time service placements that last 30 hours per week for a minimum of three consecutive months within a twelve-month period.

All Regional Service Placement projects will be required to also:

• have a minimum of 40 flexible service placements per year for youth participants; and
• create flexible service placements defined as a minimum of 120 hours over a twelve-month period. 

Micro-grants

Micro-grants are given directly to youth to fund youth-led service projects that address community needs. Successful applicants will provide youth with small, one-time cash payments of up to $5,000 to carry out short-term service projects.

Recognizing the flexibility and demand for micro-grants, the Government is implementing a new category of micro-grants as part of this open call. The aim of this new program stream is to further support diversity and more youth-led projects.

Applicants must:

• set a participant target of 50% Indigenous and under-served populations; and
• offer mentoring and guidance to youth in co-creating their youth-led projects to meet the needs and interests of young people while addressing a community volunteering need; and
• have experience:
  • running an intake process and assessing applications; and
  • disbursing funds or making payments to participants or clients.

For the Micro-grants stream, applicants must also:

• have at least five years of experience within the last 10 years:
  • working with or delivering programming to youth in a volunteer or service environment; or
  • working with or delivering programming to Indigenous or under-served populations; and

The Micro-grants Diversity stream aims to strengthen equity, diversity and inclusion by providing dedicated funding to diverse organizations who work with Indigenous and under-served youth.

All applicants for this stream must also:

• identify the Indigenous or under-served populations they serve and confirm that their organization has leadership and/or governance that is representative of these populations
• have at least two years of experience within the last five years:
  • working with or delivering programming to youth in a volunteer or service environment; or
  • working with or delivering programming to Indigenous or under-served populations.

The CFP will be open for a six-week period between February 8 to March 22, 2022. Visit Call for Proposal - Canada Service Corps - Canada.ca to apply.