How to use the Enabling Accessibility Fund small projects calculator

Hello and welcome to the tutorial on the Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) online fillable Calculator. This tutorial will provide you with an overview of the EAF Calculator, as well as information on how to navigate through the pages in the Calculator.

There are three additional videos available that will walk you through the process of applying for a ramp, applying for an accessible washroom, and how to complete the page on leveraging, project location, and taxes. These tutorials will provide you with examples to guide you through the process of completing the EAF Calculator.

The Calculator was developed to provide EAF applicants with an estimated cost for some of the more commonly requested accessibility activities. The calculator is interactive and new sections will appear based on the selections you make.

You may notice some differences between the version of the calculator presented in the tutorials and the version that you are using when you will complete your calculator input. As the calculator is updated regularly to reflect inflation and the characteristics of each EAF Call for Proposals, some information may vary.

This overview will explain what the EAF Calculator is and how this tool can assist you in your application. To start, please make sure to read all of the instructions on the first page and check the box at the bottom of the page confirming you have read the information.

To move to the next page, you need to select the "Continue" button at the bottom left-hand side of the page.

You will be prompted to input your Organization name, your CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) Business number, and email address. Once you have completed this section, please select "Continue" at the bottom left side of the page.

If you need to pause at any point during the process, there is a "Save and Continue Later" function. Simply click this button, which will open a new page asking you to confirm that you wish to save and continue later. If you select "Yes", you will be prompted to create a password, and enter your email address.

Please note that there is a time limit, and this function can only be used once. From the moment you pause your Calculator, you will have a 14-day time period to complete and submit your Calculator. You can save and continue multiple times during this 14-day period.

Once you have entered and submitted your information, you will receive an email with a link to the Calculator. Your progress in the Calculator will be available only by clicking on this link provided in the email.

This concludes the EAF Calculator Overview.

The following three example videos will demonstrate the process of applying for a ramp, applying for a washroom and how leveraging is calculated. For any questions you might have about the Calculator, or if require additional information about the Enabling Accessibility Fund program, please visit our Employment and Social Development Canada funding page.

The web address is: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/programs.html

Hello and welcome to the tutorial on the Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) online fillable Calculator.

In this video we will be going through an example of how to complete the calculator when applying for a ramp.

You may notice some differences between the version of the calculator presented in the tutorials and the version that you are using when you complete your calculator input. As the calculator is updated regularly to reflect inflation and the characteristics of each EAF Call for Proposals, some information may vary.

At the very beginning of the calculator selections, you will be asked to select your proposed project's activity or activities. The calculator presents you with a list of all the options available under the flat rate costing model. These include ramps, accessible doors, accessible washrooms, elevators, accessible lifts, pool lifts, multisensory rooms and stations, accessible playgrounds, Accessible parking, Accessible drop-off areas and Accessible electric vehicle charging stations. A reminder that this list may look different from the list that you see in the current version of the calculator. Although filling out the calculator replaces the need for obtaining a quote for these flat rate project activities, we still recommend consulting with a certified professional on the specifics of your project.

For projects activities that don't fall under the flat rate costing options, as listed here, there is an "Other activities" option available. Note that for any "Other activities" you will need to provide a quote from a certified professional and attach this quote as a supporting document to your application in the Grants and Contributions Online Services (GCOS) portal.

Since this video is to demonstrate an example of applying for a ramp or multiple ramps, we are going to select the ramp option and then click "Continue".

A new page of the EAF Calculator will be displayed. In this section, different questions will be presented to you, and depending on your selections, a variety of options will be provided. Please refer to the ramp section in the Flat Rate Information Sheet to help you choose which options best suit your needs.

We will continue by answering the first question: Are you: renovating an existing ramp or creating a new interior ramp or creating a new exterior ramp?

For this demonstration, we are going to add a ramp just outside of your facility's main entrance. For this scenario, we will select "Creating a new exterior ramp".

Next, you will be asked to choose the ramp rise (height) in feet between 2 and 8 feet. In this example, we will select 2 feet for the ramp rise.

You will also need to select the material you will be using to complete this project. There are two options here: option 1 is wood and aluminum and option 2 is concrete and steel.

In this example, we will be selecting "Wood and Aluminum". It is important to select the correct material for your construction project as the costing estimates are based on the selections you choose. You will note that concrete and steel ramps are significantly more expensive costly than wood and aluminum ramps.

The next question asks if you need a weather cover for your exterior ramp. There are three options available: Option 1, a weather cover to shelter the ramp with a steel frame and metal roof; option 2, a weather cover to enclose the ramp with no insulation (walls on one side and roof); and option 3, not applicable. In this example, we will be selecting "Weather cover to shelter the ramp with steel frame and metal roof". We are making this selection because we want our exterior ramp to be serviceable year-round.

Finally, you will answer the question:

Is the ramp's location unstable, such as in clay or sand or otherwise requires a deep foundation? You will need to select either "Yes or No" from the drop-down list. Let's go ahead and select "No".

In this calculator, whether you are applying for a ramp or an accessible washroom, you will always have the opportunity to add any additional details that are relevant to your project activities. This is also where you should include a rationale if your project is expected to cost more than the flat rate costing estimate. For example, if your project includes extra costs, such as asbestos abatement, you would describe the additional work required here. The additional costs of this work would then be added under the "other activities" section of the calculator.

For some project activities, you can request more than one. If you choose to add another ramp, please follow the same process we just completed for the first ramp. In this example, we will be selecting "No".

Please note that the total project costs will be displayed on the last page of the calculator. Should you wish to revise your selections, you may do so at any time simply by selecting the "back" button found at the bottom of each page.

Now that we are done answering all the questions on this page, you will select "Continue" at the bottom left-hand side of the page, to move forward.

All questions marked with an asterisk require a response. Any incomplete or missing information will prevent you from continuing to the next page. In such cases, a red shaded error box will appear at the top of the page, indicating what corrections are needed.

Once you have completed the page, select "continue" and proceed to the leveraging page. Leveraging information is covered in another video tutorial in this series.

This concludes the EAF Calculator ramp example. There are other videos available that will follow the process of applying for an accessible washroom and how to complete the page on leveraging, project location and taxes. If you still have questions about the calculator or require additional information about the Enabling Accessibility Fund program, please visit our Employment and Social Development Canada funding page.

The web address is: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/programs.html

Hello and welcome to the tutorial on the Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) online fillable Calculator.

In this video we will be going through an example of how to complete the Calculator when applying for an accessible washroom.

You may notice some differences between the version of the calculator presented in the tutorials and the version that you are using when you complete your calculator input. As the calculator is updated regularly to reflect inflation and the characteristics of each EAF Call for Proposals, some information may vary.

At the very beginning, you will be asked to select your proposed project's activity or activities. The calculator presents you with a list of all of the options available under the flat rate costing model. These include: ramps, accessible doors, accessible washrooms, elevators, accessible lifts, pool lifts, multi-sensory rooms and stations, accessible playgrounds, accessible parking, accessible drop-off areas, and accessible electric vehicle charging stations.

A reminder that this list may look different from the list that you see in the current version of the calculator. Although filling out the calculator replaces the need for obtaining a quote for the flat rate project activities, we still recommend consulting with a certified professional on the specifics of your project.

For project activities that don't fall under the flat rate costing options, as listed here, there is an "Other activities" option available. Note that for any "Other activities" you will need to provide a quote from a certified professional, and attach this quote as a supporting document to your application in the Grants and Contributions Online Services (GCOS) portal.

Since this video is about applying for an accessible washroom or multiple accessible washrooms, you are going to select "Accessible washrooms" and then click "Continue".

A new page of the EAF Calculator will be displayed. In this section, different questions will be presented to you depending on your selections. Please refer to the Accessible Washrooms section in the Flat Rate Information Sheet, which is linked here, to help you choose which option best suit your needs.

You will continue by answering the first question: Are you renovating an existing washroom or creating a new fully accessible washroom?

For this demonstration we are going to, choose renovating an existing washroom.

You will now follow the next prompt by answering if you are upgrading only some components of the existing washroom, or all. Let's choose "all" so you can see the complete list of available options. Please note, if you select "All" this now becomes a new fully accessible washroom.

The next question will be "Is this a multi-stall washroom?" For this example, we are going to select "Yes".

Next, the Calculator will ask "Is this washroom part of a new building or an addition to an existing building?" We are going to select "No" for today's example, because this new washroom is going into an existing building, and we are not adding any square footage as a result of this new washroom. If you are ever unsure about the meaning of a term in the Calculator, you can click on the hyperlinks located here which display definitions. If you respond "Yes" to this question, a few additional questions will appear on the specifics of your project.

You now have a variety of other accessibility and safety features that you can add to your renovated accessible stall washroom to further tailor the space to meet the needs of persons with disabilities. This list includes: Accessible urinal complete with two grab bars, Barrier-free shower package, Automatic door operator with controls and electrical hookup, Power assisted adult change table with electrical hookup and the Emergency call button system. In this example, we will be selecting "Automatic door operator with controls and electrical hookup" to ensure persons with assistive devices can access the accessible washroom. Some of these other options could be applicable in specific instances.

You will proceed to the next section of questions. If your project requires any of these modifications, you would select any that apply. We recommend consulting with a certified contractor to help you determine which of these would be required for your project. The options are: Modifications to structural walls (for example moving structural walls), Modifications to non-structural walls (for example moving non-structural walls), Modifications to existing electrical for lighting and outlets, and Modifications to heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system (for example moving or rerouting ducts). We are going to select "Modifications to existing electrical for lighting and outlets" and "Modifications to non-structural walls (for example moving non-structural walls)".

If your project includes plumbing work, there are two options to choose from. These would not apply in all cases and a certified contractor can help determine if these are applicable to your project. You may only select one option that fits with your project, please choose between Modifications to existing plumbing locations or Modifications to add new plumbing lines. We are going to select "Modifications to existing plumbing locations".

In this Calculator, whether you are applying for an accessible washroom or any other flat rate activity, you will always have the opportunity to add any additional details that are relevant to your project activities. This is also where you should include a rationale if your project is expected to cost more than the flat rate costing estimate. For example, if your project includes extra costs, such as asbestos abatement, you would describe the additional work required here. The additional costs of this work would then be added under the "other activities" section of the calculator.

For some project activities, you can request more than one of the same activity. For example, if you choose to add another washroom, please follow the same process we just completed for Accessible washroom 1. Please select "Yes" or "No". In this example, we will be selecting "No".

Once you are done answering all the questions on this page, select "Continue" at the bottom left-hand side of the page to move forward.

All questions marked with an asterisk require a response. Any incomplete or missing information will prevent you from continuing to the next page. In such cases, a red shaded error box will appear at the top of the page, indicating what corrections are needed.

Once you have completed the page, select "Continue" and proceed to the leveraging, project location, and taxes page. Leveraging information is covered in another video tutorial in this series.

This concludes the EAF Calculator accessible washroom tutorial. There are other videos available that will follow the process of applying for a ramp and how to complete the page for leveraging, project location and taxes. If you still have questions about the Calculator, or require additional information about the Enabling Accessibility Fund program, please visit our Employment and Social Development Canada funding page.

The web address is: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/programs.html

Hello and welcome to the tutorial on the Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) online fillable Calculator.

This tutorial will focus on leveraging, project location, taxes, as well as the summary page entitled "Total Estimated Eligible Costs for your Project" and submitting your calculator information.

You may notice some differences between the version of the calculator presented in the tutorials and the version that you are using when you will complete your calculator input. As the calculator is updated regularly to reflect inflation and the characteristics of each EAF Call for Proposals, some information may vary.

Once you have completed the first pages on the EAF Calculator where you selected your project activities you will then arrive at the leveraging, project location and taxes page.

Leveraging refers to the percentage of the total project costs that must be provided by your organization directly or through external sources or both. For each Call for Proposals, an organization that is not exempt from leveraging must have the percentage listed or more of the total eligible costs of their project be cash only, confirmed and in hand before the signing of the agreement. Please refer to the leveraging section on the Funding Page "Who Can Apply" for more information on the leveraging requirement for each Call for Proposals.

To determine if you are exempt from the leveraging requirement for a Call for Proposals, you will need to provide the department with information about your organization type.

You will need to select your organization type from the list provided. Please note that the list in this tutorial may look different from the list in the current version of the Calculator.

The requirements for leveraging are subject to change from process to process. Always refer to the funding pages for the process that you are applying for to verify leveraging requirements.

In this example, we will select "none of the above". This means the organization in this demonstration is required to provide leveraging for this Call for Proposals. The Summary page will show the specific amount needed to provide in leveraging.

Next, we will go over the project location requirements. We ask that you indicate which region that the project is located in: Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, Region 4 or Region 5.

To determine the location of your project and the appropriate region to select, use the hyperlink in the Calculator called the EAF Region Tool. A new window will open where you must enter the postal code of the location where your project activities will take place. This may be different than your organization's head office. Based on the postal code you have entered, the EAF Region Tool will provide the region of your project location. You will Return to the Calculator and select the appropriate region that was identified in the EAF Region Tool. The Calculator will use this information to determine the costs of the activities based on the project location.

Next we will go over the information related to taxes that need to be entered.

This portion of the EAF Calculator will determine the amount of taxes applicable to your overall project costs. based on your province or territory. Please select from the dropdown list the province or territory where your project will take place. In this example, we will be selecting "Quebec".

Some organization also qualify for a GST/HST rebate. If this is the case for your organization, please select yes and select the applicable amount from the list provided. Otherwise, kindly select No.

Please select the "Continue" button found at the bottom left corner of the page.

This will bring you to a summary of the total estimated eligible costs for your project. This portion of the summary is to review all of the information you have entered and provide you with a breakdown of the estimated eligible costs for your project, total requested funding from ESDC, and the amount required from other funding sources. Subtotals of the activities will show on the right hand side. As your scroll down, a subtotal for all activities is provided that does not include tax. Taxes are an eligible cost.

The "Amount required from other sources" will include the required leveraging applicable to your organization, and any amount that exceeds the limit set for the maximum amount of funding allowed under a Call for Proposals.

This example, the total eligible cost is $113,790.59.

The total requested funding from ESDC would be $85,039.97 And the total amount required from other funding sources (which is the leveraging requirement) would be $45,790.76.

Once you have reviewed your proposed projects summary, a mandatory two step process before returning to the Grants and Contributions Online Services (GCOS) portal is described at the top of the page. First, you need to select the "Print/Download" button in order to save a PDF version of the Summary page. You will need to upload this PDF as a supporting document to your application in the GCOS portal.

Before pressing "submit" we recommend that you go back to the project activities page/pages and either take a screenshot or note down the selections you made for each project activity.

The second and final step is to press "Submit" at the very bottom of the page to finalize this process.

Once your calculator information has been submitted, you will see a confirmation page which will provide you with a confirmation number. The department highly recommends you screenshot or print this page for your records. Should there be any issues with your application, you will need this confirmation number.

This concludes the EAF Calculator leveraging, project location, and taxes tutorial. There are other videos available that provide an overview of the Calculator, and how to apply for a ramp or an accessible washroom. If you still have questions about the Calculator, or require additional information about the Enabling Accessibility Fund program, please visit our Employment and Social Development Canada funding page.

The web address is: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/programs.html