Applicant guide: Funding under the Social Development Partnerships Program – Disability: Financial security for persons with disabilities

A - Organization identification

Question 1 - Legal name

• the name associated with your registration with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA); or,
• the name that would appear on funding cheques

Question 2 - Operating (common) name (if different from legal name)

Provide the operating (or common) name of your organization if it is different from the legal name.

Question 3 - Business or registration number

Indicate your 15-digit Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business number or, for registered charities and not-for-profit organizations, your registration number (for example, 123456789 RR 0001).

Your CRA business number can be found on tax-related documents or CRA correspondence.

For more information, please visit CRA.

Question 4 - Organization type

Your answer to this question must be one of the following:

• Not-for-profit organizations
• Not-for-profit post-secondary institutions (public universities and colleges)
• Indigenous organizations (including band councils, tribal councils and self-government entities and not-for-profits)

Question 5 - Organization category

Select the most appropriate category from the following:

Not-for-Profit

1. Indigenous Not-for-Profit Groups
2. Associations of Workers and/or Employers
3. Local community, charitable, voluntary organizations
4. Non-governmental Organizations with a focus to encourage employment
5. National Non-governmental Organizations
6. Not-for-Profit Band Councils
7. Provincial Non-governmental Organizations
8. Sector Councils

Public

1. Public degree-granting colleges
2. Public degree-granting universities
3. Public community colleges and vocational school

Question 6 - Year established

Indicate the year your organization was established.

Questions 7 to 11 - Organization address

Indicate the address of your organization. You must provide a complete address in a format recognized by Canada Post. Information is available on the Canada Post website.

Questions 12 to 14 - Telephone, fax and email

Indicate the telephone number, fax number (if applicable) and email address of your organization.

Questions 15 to 19 - Mailing address (if different from organization address)

Indicate your mailing address if different from your organization’s address.

Questions 20 and 21 - Telephone and fax (if different from organization address)

Indicate the telephone and fax numbers if the mailing address is different from your organization’s address.

Question 22 - Organization’s mandate

Describe the main activities of your organization, including its mission and objectives.

B - Organization contact

Question 23 - Given name and surname

Provide the name of the person in your organization who will be the main contact for the proposed project.

Question 24 - Position title

Provide the title of the organization contact identified in Question 23. This person can be a Business Owner, President, Executive Director, etc.

Question 25 - Preferred language of communication

Indicate the preferred language of the organization contact for both written and spoken communication.

• English; or
• French

Question 26 - Organization contact - Address

Indicate whether the address for the Organization Contact is the same or different as the Organization Address or the Organization Mailing Address in Section A.

Questions 27 to 31 - Contact address

If you selected “Different” in Question 26, provide the address for the Organization Contact.

Questions 32 and 33 - Telephone and fax

Indicate the telephone and fax numbers of the Organization Contact.

Question 34 - Email address

Indicate the email address of the Organization Contact. This is where all correspondence will be sent.

C - Organizational capacity

We use the information provided in this section to help assess your organization’s capacity to manage a project.

Question 35 - How many employees does your organization currently have?

Indicate the total number of persons employed in your organization.

Question 36 - Has your organization undergone any important transformations in the past two years?

For the purpose of this funding process, the expression “important transformations” refers to events such as:

• a change in leadership in the board of directors or at the executive level
• an important reduction, increase or turnover in staff
• a merger with or split from another organization
• a change in mandate or main activities, etc

If you answer “yes” to this question, provide a description of the changes.

Question 37 - Describe how your organization has the experience and expertise to carry out the proposed project activities. If applicable, please include any past experience with ESDC and the results of the project.

Include any relevant past experience.

Question 38 - Does your organization owe any amounts to the Government of Canada?

If yes, indicate the amounts owing in the spaces provided. See the following example:

Question 39 - If an amount is owing, is a payment plan in place?

Indicate whether or not payment arrangements have been made.

Answering “yes” to this question will not invalidate your application. However, you must provide details as to the type of debt owed and the arrangements that have been made for repayment.

A - Project identification

Question 40 - Project title

Provide a brief, descriptive project title.

Questions 41 and 42 - Planned project start (yyyy/mm/dd) and end dates (yyyy/mm/dd)

Indicate the planned start and end dates of your proposed project.

The project must not exceed 36 months in duration.

Projects start dates will vary. We anticipate that projects could start as early as Spring 2020.

Proposed activities cannot begin before your project is approved and a Funding Agreement has been signed by you and ESDC. Any activities that occur prior to the signing of the Funding Agreement by our Department cannot be reimbursed.

B - Project description

Question 43 - Project Objectives (must be clearly linked to the objectives of the program to which you are applying).

Objectives are statements of desired change that describe what should be accomplished and provide a context in which progress can be monitored and success can be measured.

In this question, you must include clear and achievable objectives that are described in terms of measurable goals to be achieved through this project.

Specifically, your application for funding must demonstrate how your organization will work towards achieving, at minimum one of the following objectives:

• improving access to existing supports and services aimed at improving the financial security of persons with disabilities
• addressing gaps in supports and services aimed at improving the financial security of persons with disabilities; and
• reducing high disability-related out-of-pocket expenses

Your application must clearly describe how your proposed project has an innovative approach to improving the financial security of persons with disabilities. Innovative projects:

• demonstrate a full awareness and understanding of what is currently being done in the area of the proposed project
• clearly describe how the proposed project differs from any approach already in place;
• explain how the proposed project is expected to result in improved outcomes; and
• Your application must clearly describe how persons with lived experiences are involved in the design and implementation of your proposed project

It is also important to remember that you will need to develop a performance measurement and evaluation plan that will allow you to demonstrate that the activities carried out by you and all of your partners have advanced these objectives, as set out in question 45.

Question 44 - Project activities (must be broken down into clear steps)

Activities are the steps that will be taken to meet the objectives of the project. Activities should be specific, measurable, realistic and relevant to the project objectives and must demonstrate how the project outcome(s) will be achieved.

Your application must clearly demonstrate how you will identify and test innovative approaches to improve the financial security of working-age Canadians with disabilities living in or near poverty. The proposed approach cannot just be a continuation of an existing service or program.

Your application must clearly describe your approach for disseminating the findings and results of your project by providing a description of the target audience and the various communications vehicles.

Your answer to these questions must include details regarding all of your planned activities, as well as the following:

• A description of each activity and an explanation of how each relates to the project’s objective(s). There should always be a clear link between the activities and the objective(s) (see Question 43 above). Please list the activities in a logical sequence, including timelines and/or duration of each, and descriptions where needed. Timelines must be clear and feasible. See below for examples of eligible activities
• Milestones of the activities (milestones are significant events or points of progress during the project)
• Clear linkages between the proposed activities and the costs outlined in the budget (see Questions 58 to 61 below). Costs associated with identified activities should be reflected in the Budget Detail Template
• Evaluation activities: You must develop an Evaluation Plan. An evaluation plan describing the methodology approach for measuring the results and the expected indicators. You must submit your plan within the first three months of your project beginning

The following includes examples of eligible activities, but are not limited to activities that are:

• Conducting research and analysis to identify, design and/or refine possible approaches
• Building partnerships to support project design, implementation and/or dissemination
• Testing, piloting and/or evaluating new service and/or programming approaches
• Developing and testing new tools (including technological) and resources
• Disseminating project results via the web and other forms of media, presentations, meetings, etc

The following activities are ineligible:

• Organization’s core, existing or on-going activities

Priority may be given to projects that:

• Involve partnerships between organizations
• Take an intersectional approach. That is, look at the other intersecting factors such as gender, sexual orientation, indigeneity, visible minority status, etc

Question 45 - Expected results of the project (must be clearly linked to the project objectives and be specific, concrete and measurable).

Outcomes are the changes that are expected to occur as the result of the project (more than one outcome could be directly related to an objective). They answer the question “How will we know if the project has achieved its expected results, whether this is at a systems, community or individual level?”

Outputs are direct products or services that will be produced to generate the desired outcomes. Several activities could contribute to one output. They answer the question “What will the project produce?” (for example, a guide, information sessions, etc.). A good project proposal will clearly define project outputs and expected results.

Your application must describe the preliminary expected outcomes and outputs of your proposed project. Describe how they are linked to the project objectives.

You should describe the expected impact of the project on the financial security of project participants and other potential measures of the effectiveness of the intervention (for example, cost-effectiveness).

If your project has potential secondary outcomes that are not directly linked to the objectives of the process, improving the financial security of persons with disabilities, but that are still relevant to the potential outcomes of the approach being tested, please describe them in your application. For example, increased social participation and improved mental health would be considered secondary outcomes in this Call for Proposals.

Question 46 - Does the project include Results Measurement Indicators?

Your answer to this question must be “yes”.

Measuring results is a way to ensure that you know how your project is progressing towards meeting the expected results. It helps connect a project’s activities and outputs to its intended outcomes as well as the program’s overall outcomes.

Outline the potential indicators that you will use to measure your project’s results. Each individual project will have their own results measurement indicators. You must include a high-level plan that outlines how you intend to measure the results of your project. You will be expected to submit a plan within the first three months of your project.

As noted previously in this Guide, results measurement indicators that demonstrate the impact of the project on the financial security of person with disabilities must be included in your plan submitted within the first three months. Here are possible examples of results measurement indicators:

• Proportion of participants whose income levels increase as a result of their participation of the project
• Average change in income levels for participants before and after participation in the project
• Proportion of participants who were able to begin saving or accumulating assets as a result of the project intervention
• Average change in savings/asset levels as a result of participation in the project
• Proportion of participants who were able to access a support or service they were previously unaware of or unable to access
• Average financial benefit (i.e., increase or reduce) resulting from the increased access to supports or services

You do not necessarily have to use the above indicators. You are encouraged to consider and develop indicators that are most appropriate to your project, its activities and the specific results it aims to achieve.

Question 47 - Does this proposed project fit with your organization’s other activities?

Describe how your proposed project relates to the ongoing work of your organization.

Question 48 - Will any of the project activities be delivered in a different location than where your organization is located?

Indicate “yes” or “no”. If “yes”, please list the main address first, followed by each additional location.

If there are more than five locations, please include them in Appendix A.

Question 49 - Is your project designed to benefit or involve people in English or French-language minority communities? If yes, please provide an explanation and any details on whether consultations will take place with these communities?

Answering “no” to this question will not result in your application being refused/dismissed.

ESDC is committed to enhancing the vitality of the English and French linguistic minorities in Canada by supporting and assisting their development and fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society. Official language minority communities are English-speaking communities established within the province of Québec and French-speaking communities established outside the province of Québec.

If your project will involve official language minority communities, you should answer “yes” to this question and ensure that this is listed and described in your answer to Question 44 - Project Activities.

In addition, identify the linguistic profile of the beneficiaries targeted by your project, document any special needs of the official language minority communities, and indicate whether or not they were consulted. The related budgetary items can be identified in Part 3 of the Application for Funding.

The following link points to information about official language minority communities.

Question 50 - Will any other organizations, networks or partners be involved in carrying out the project?

Partnerships are not mandatory for this process, however priority may be given to projects that include partnership. Letters confirming the existence of a partnership, if applicable, must be provided with the application. Applicants are strongly encouraged to explore potential partnerships.

If partners are involved with this project, you must provide the following information regarding the partner organization(s):

• Name of the organization
• Type of organization (for example not for profit, publicly funded, etc.)
• Description of partner’s involvement in the proposed project.

Question 51 - Does the project address the program’s national, regional or local priorities?

Not applicable for this intake process. Indicate “no” as there are no national, regional or local priorities for this application process.

Question 52 - Does your project include activities that are listed in the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency’s (CEAA) Regulations Designating Physical Activities established under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012?

Not applicable for this intake process. Indicate “no”.

A - Anticipated sources of funding

You are not required to secure (leverage) cash or in-kind contributions from sources other than the Government of Canada for this application process.

However, if you do secure cash or in-kind contributions from sources other than the Government of Canada, you must provide information on that in your Application for funding. See instructions below.

Each program has a “stacking limit”, in other words, a maximum permitted amount of combined funding from federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments. If your proposed project is retained, contributions to the project cannot exceed 100% of eligible costs.

Question 53 - Source Name

If applicable, include the name of the organization that will contribute cash and/or in-kind contributions to your project. We should be listed as the first source name and any other sources listed below.

Question 54 - Source Type

If applicable, identify the types of organizations that are contributing funds to this project from the following options:

• Crown corporation
• Federal department or agency
• Foreign Governments
• Non-profit
• Organization / Recipient
• Other
• Private Sector
• Provincial Government
• Regional or Municipal Government
• Union

Question 55 - Cash

If applicable, include the amount of funding that will be provided.

Question 56 - In-kind ($ value)

In-kind contributions are non-monetary goods or services that may be contributed to the project by your organization or other organizations or partners for which your organization will not be requesting reimbursement. In-kind support may include donated equipment, services or labour necessary for the proposed project that would otherwise have to be purchased.

To be eligible as an in-kind contribution the contribution must be:

• essential to the project’s success; and
• supported by a commitment from the contributor

In-kind contributions will only be recognized when fair value can be reasonably estimated.

Question 57 - Confirmed Cash and In-Kind

If applicable, indicate if the contributions from other sources have been confirmed.

B - Budget

You must provide an estimate of the project’s eligible costs that will be used to assess the overall cost, as well as the general nature of the costs to be covered by all anticipated sources of funding.

Use the Budget Detail Template, which must be included as part of the application submission. It is important that you use the same amounts entered in the Application for Funding (Part 3 - Funding).

Question 58 - Cost Category

Summarize your project budget by using the Budget Detail Template (PDF or Excel Format).

Here are some examples of eligible expenditures considered necessary to support the purpose of the funding:

• wages and employment-related costs for staff
• fees for professional services (such as facilitators, researchers and experts in evaluation or in the collective impact field)
• disability supports for staff of the recipient
• materials and supplies
• printing and communication
• travel costs, in accordance with the National Joint Council's Travel Directive
• utilities
• insurance
• rental of premises
• lease, purchase and maintenance of equipment
• evaluations
• performance monitoring and reporting costs
• data collection
• knowledge development activities
• other costs necessary to support the purpose of the activities approved by ESDC

Ineligible Costs

Ineligible costs include, but are not limited to:

• Expenditures associated with supporting core funding, such as wages, benefits and mandatory employment-related costs for staff, overhead and general project costs that are not associated with the project
• Purchase of alcoholic beverages
• Real property
• Costs incurred before an agreement is approved and signed by ESDC
• Other costs ineligible as per program terms and conditions

Questions 59 to 61 - Planned Expenditures ($) - ESDC/Other - Cash/Other - In-kind

Provide the total planned expenditures from all sources including ESDC.

“Other” includes funding from another source (not ESDC), whether cash or in-kind.

C - Budget details

Question 62 - Associated businesses or individuals.

Check all statements that apply to your planned expenditures of ESDC funding.

In carrying out the project, you may have to purchase various goods or services needed to perform the project from contractors. You may also contract-out to third parties (outside providers) to perform part of the project activities.

“Associated businesses or individuals” means:

• an officer, director or employee of your organization
• a member of the immediate family of an officer, director or employee of your organization
• a business in which an officer, director or employee of your organization, or a member of their immediate family, has a financial interest; or
• a business which is related to, or associated or affiliated with, your organization

Question 63 - Capital Assets: Will capital assets be among your planned expenditures with ESDC funding?

Indicate Yes or No.

If “yes”, explain how your project will benefit from the purchase of capital assets.

A capital asset is any single or composite asset with a purchase value of more than $1,000 (before taxes) that is not physically incorporated into another product and that remains functional at the end of the project.

A composite asset is a collection of unique assets that form one identifiable functional unit, where all components are required for the asset to be functional. The collection of assets is treated as a single capital asset if the total cost of all individual items together is greater than $1,000 (before taxes).

For example, a personal computer composed of a hard drive, a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse and cabling is a composite capital asset. Four $300 chairs are not capital assets because each chair is functional on its own and, as single units, fall below the established threshold of $1,000 (before taxes).

Question 64 – Further budget details.

Budget details are intended to capture a further breakdown of your total eligible project costs over the life of the project, by project activity and cost category.

Your Application for Funding must include:

• a brief and clear justification of how you intend to use the funds. Costs must be reasonable and support the proposed project activities and scope of work; and
• a complete Budget Detail Template (PDF Format, 1.72 MB, or Excel Format, 85.5 KB)

Provide a breakdown of total costs per fiscal year. Fiscal years start April 1 and end March 31.

For example, for a three-year project worth $350,000 in eligible costs:

• Fiscal year 2019 to 2020: $125,000
• Fiscal year 2020 to 2021: $115,000
• Fiscal year 2021 to 2022: $110,000