Prepare to apply

What is your organization's legal name? The legal name is usually:

• the name on your registration with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) or provincial/territorial equivalent, or
• the name used on funding cheques, bank accounts, etc.

What is the operating (or common) name of your organization (if it differs from the legal name)?

What is your 9-digit CRA business number?

(For example, 123456789).

You must include a document from the CRA dated within the last 2 years showing the legal name and valid business number. A screenshot of a recently created CRA business number will be accepted.

You must have a CRA business number to be eligible for this program.

For registered charities and not-for-profit organizations, what is your registration number?

You can find your CRA business number on tax-related documents or written communications from the CRA.

How to get a CRA Business Number:

If you do not have a CRA business number, please consult the CRA Webpage for step-by-step instructions.

For more information, please visit CRA.

Please enter the following organization type in the text box:

• not-for-profit 
  • Not-for-profit organizations are established for purposes other than financial gain for their members. They primarily receive provincial/federal funding (supplemented by fundraising and fees), often rely on volunteers to deliver programs, and are often governed by a Board of Directors or a Committee. These organizations include:
    • community, charitable or voluntary organizations, including faith-based organizations (for example, churches, synagogues, temples, mosques)
    • associations of workers or employers as well as professional and industrial organizations
    • Indigenous not-for-profit organizations
    • non-governmental organizations
    • unions
    • sector councils
    • not-for-profit Band Councils

Please enter one of the following in the text box:

• Not-for-profit sector
  • Local community, charitable, or voluntary
  • Provincial non-governmental organizations
  • National non-governmental organizations
  • Not-for-profit band councils
  • Indigenous not-for-profit groups
  • Sector councils

What year was your organization established?

What is your organization's address? Give a complete address in a format recognized by Canada Post. For more information, please visit Canada Post website.

What is your organization's telephone number, Website (if it has one) and email address?

What is the mailing address of your organization (if it differs from your organization's physical address)?

What is your organization's telephone number?

What are your organization's main activities, including your mandate, mission and objectives?

Select the target group(s) that best aligns with your organization's mandate (more than one may be selected).

• seniors
• newcomers
• racialized people
• youth
• women
• 2SLGBTQI+
• persons with disabilities
• low income
• remote / rural
• individuals experiencing homelessness
• Official Language Minority Communities
• Black people
• Indigenous (specify) 
  • First Nations
  • Inuit
  • Metis
  • Urban / Non-Affiliated
• other (specify)
• not applicable

Who is the main contact person? Provide the contact information for the person who will be the Department's primary contact person in respect to your application for funding. Include the following details:

• Question 22: Given (first) name and surname (last name)
• Question 23: Position title. What is the title of the contact person named in Question 22? For example: 
  • President
  • Executive Director
• Question 24: Preferred language of communication. What official language would your contact person prefer to use in written and spoken communications? Choose either English or French.
• Question 25: Organization contact - address. Indicate if your address is the same as the organization address, same as the organization mailing address, or different. If it is different, provide the following for the primary contact person (Questions 26 to 33): 
  • Question 26: Street address (Questions 26 to 31 are mandatory if different from Organization address/number)
  • Question 27: City or Town
  • Question 28: Province or Territory
  • Question 29: Country
  • Question 30: Postal Code
  • Question 31: Telephone number, including extension
  • Question 32: Email Address

If the Department cannot reach the main contact, who else can the Department contact? Provide the person's full name, telephone number where the Department can reach them during business hours and their email address.

• Question 33: Given (first) name and surname (last name)
• Question 34: Position title. What is the title of the contact person named in Question 33? For example: 
  • President
  • Executive Director
• Question 35: Preferred language of communication. What official language would your contact person prefer to use in written and spoken communications? Choose either English or French
• Question 36: Organization contact - address. Indicate if your address is the same as the Organization Address, same as the Organization Mailing Address, or different. If it is different, provide the following for the secondary contact person (Questions 37 to 43): 
  • Question 37: Street address
  • Question 38: City or Town
  • Question 39: Province or Territory
  • Question 40: Country
  • Question 41: Postal Code
  • Question 42: Telephone number, including extension
  • Question 43: Email address

A governing board is a group of individuals who are responsible for making decisions, overseeing the activities and direction of an organization. If there is no board, please describe how your organization functions. For example, are there regular meetings held between employees to discuss day-to-day operations, is there a decision-making process in place to discuss the organization’s objectives and provide oversight and guidance.

If no, please describe how your organization addresses the areas of Human Resources? Issues such as:

• hiring
• compensation and benefits, and
• employee relationships

How does your organization ensure the well-being and safety of employees? Please describe any other policies your organization may follow to create a supportive and productive work environment.

Financial management includes what measures are in place to effectively manage the organization’s finances. If no, please describe your organization’s ability to effectively manage financial activities. Examples may include financial planning, budgeting, reporting and cashflow management.

Please describe how your organization will manage funding distributed to other parties. For example, how will the organization verify the use of public funds, and that activities and results of the project are being met?

Indicate the total number of people employed in your organization. The number of employees must be a whole number.

Important transformations refer to events such as:

• a change in leadership in the board of directors or at the executive level
• a significant reduction, increase or turnover in staff
• a merger with or split from another organization
• a change in mandate or main activities
• an event or occurrence that led to media coverage

If you answer yes, provide a description of the changes.

Provide a description of your organization’s experience and expertise in administering projects. This information will help the Department to assess the extent to which your organization is capable of undertaking the proposed project activities and achieving the expected results. You may wish to highlight related past achievements in addition to describing current expertise and activities or projects. As well, if you have past projects with the Department, provide details, such as dates, outcomes, success, etc.

The Department will not reject your application for this reason. However, you must provide detail as to the type of debt and the arrangements you have for repayment. (Question 52)

Example of detail to provide for the type of debt and the arrangements you have for repayment

Give a short title that describes your project.

The title must be a maximum of 64 characters. Do not use “Disability Benefits Navigation”, or your organization’s name.

State the planned start and end dates of your 2-year project.

Successful projects will start no earlier than April 2027 and must end by March 31, 2029.

The Department will notify you in writing (by email) of the outcome of the review of your application. You cannot begin any of the proposed activities or incur any expenses until the approval of your project. As well, both you and the Department must sign a Funding Agreement.

Do not assume any commitment until the signing of the Funding Agreement. If you purchase anything for the project after the approval but before the signing of the Agreement, you do so at your own risk.

Outline the objective(s) of your project. Your objective(s) must be clearly linked to the objective of this program.

You must clearly show how your proposed project will support the objective of increasing access to disability benefits for persons with disabilities and their families, including those who are underserved, disconnected from services, or face intersecting barriers to access.

Describe how your project addresses an unmet need or gap. Provide relevant evidence of the gap(s) or unmet need(s), including data, research, waitlists, community consultations and feedback, service usage trends, and demographic information that links to a need or identified gap. Providing evidence will be part of the scoring.

Applications should include clear and achievable objective(s). The objective(s) of each project should be described in terms of quantifiable and measurable goals to be achieved through this project. Multifaceted projects should include major steps and sub-objectives.

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.

Project objective(s) should:

• be S.M.A.R.T.: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely
• be consistent with the program objective
• identify the specific outcome(s) or expected results that the project is designed to accomplish (example: number of clients served, number of clients trained, number of clients employed, etc.)
• ensure that these outcome(s) are measurable
• identify who will benefit from the project
• show how meeting the project objectives will help to achieve the identified outcomes

Projects will be considered for funding based on their own merit.

Describe, in full detail, the proposed project activities. They must be broken down into clear steps.

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

Your answer to this question must include details regarding all your planned activities. Refer to the program's Eligible Activities for examples and additional details on eligible activities.

Applicants must include the following details:

• a description of each activity and explanation of how each relates to the objective(s) of the project. There should always be a clear link between the project activities and the project objective(s) (see Question 56). List the project activities in a logical sequence, including timelines and/or duration of each, and descriptions where needed. Timelines must be clearly established and feasible. Each activity should be clearly linked to the project costs outlined in the budget (Sections 3B and 3C). This should demonstrate your expected progress and plans to complete the project on time and within budget
• project milestones, timelines and/or duration of the various activities (milestones are significant events or points of progress during the project). These should demonstrate your expected progress and plans to complete the project on time and within budget
• clear linkages between the project activities and the project costs outlined in the budget (see Questions 66 - 77 in Part 3 - Funding). Costs associated with all identified activities should be reflected in the Budget Detail Template

Include details about how the project will be delivered. For example, will the funding be further distributed through sub-agreements, or will the organization deliver all aspects of the project?

The information you provide here will have a significant bearing on the assessment of your proposed project and of your organization's ability to undertake the project successfully.

Project activities must go beyond your organization's normal activities, as this program does not fund an organization's operating, existing or ongoing activities.

Your proposed activities must include the following mandatory activities:

1. Individualized support

• Providing free, accessible and inclusive, one-on-one disability benefits navigation
• Services offered virtually or in person
• Targeting individuals with complex needs or intersecting barriers, such as:
  • low income
  • homelessness
  • Indigenous persons
  • newcomers
  • rural/remote residents
  • individuals with multiple disabilities

2. Community partnerships

Building partnerships and referral networks with community organizations to expand reach. This includes equipping partner organizations with basic information on disability benefits and to make referrals for one-on-one navigation services.

3.Community of practice

All funded organizations are required to participate in a collaboration and information sharing group with all funded organizations, through a Community of Practice that meets once a month.

Applications will be evaluated on how you demonstrate how the proposed activities include all three mandatory activities and explain the purpose of any additional activities included in the project.

Other activities (optional)

Projects may include, but are not limited to, the following activities in addition to the mandatory activities:

1. Outreach & engagement
   • Workshops for persons with disabilites and their families
   • Accessible information sessions on benefits and eligibility
   • Community visits (including rural/remote areas)
   • Pop-up information booths at local events
   • Webinars or online info sessions
2. Promotion & awareness
   • Newsletters, flyers, and brochures
   • Social media campaigns

Describe the expected results of your project. The expected results of the project must be clearly linked to the project objective(s) and activities. The expected results must also be specific, concrete, and measurable (qualitative or quantitative) and must be clearly defined as outputs and outcomes.

Note that the expected results will need to reflect the perspectives of persons with disabilities from underrepresented and harder-to-reach populations.

Outcomes are the short-term and intermediate 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 questions "How do we know the project is successful?" and "How do the activities lead to improvements for the beneficiaries?"

Examples of outcomes include but are not limited to:

• Increased access to individualized disability benefits navigation services for persons with disabilities
• Decreased barriers to federal/provincial/territorial disability benefits

Outputs are tangible products, including goods and services that will be produced to generate the desired outcomes; several activities could contribute to one output.

Examples of expected outputs include but are not limited to:

• Number of targeted individuals who receive disability benefit navigation services
• Partnerships with non disability organizations to support marginalized disability populations facing additional intersectional barriers

If you are receiving contributions from other sources, tell us the names of all the organizations that will contribute funds and/or in-kind contributions to this project.

Tell us what type of organization is providing the cash contribution from the following options:

• not-for-profit organizations
• municipal governments
• provincial and territorial governments, institutions, and Crown Corporations
• Indigenous organizations including:
  • band councils
  • tribal councils
  • self-government entities
• international organizations
• coalitions, networks or committees
• research organizations or institutes
• educational institutions
• for-profit organizations

Tell us how many cash contributions you will receive and their 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 facilities necessary for the proposed project that would otherwise have to be purchased.

To be considered valid, in-kind contributions should contribute to the success of the project, and their monetary equivalent estimated at fair market value.

Tell us if the cash contributions are confirmed.

Applicants shall not request or receive the payment of any charge or fee from clients for their participation in the project.

If the project will involve sub-contracting, a rationale and description of the process to select the sub-contract holders must be included under question 78 - Further budget details.

If applicants intend to contract or subcontract for a value of $25,000 or more, a fair and accountable process that includes the solicitation of a minimum of 3 bids or proposals is required when contracting for the purchase of project-related goods or services. This includes anyone who is hired to deliver the project who is not an actual employee of the contribution recipient. Failure to comply with the Department requirements may result in these expenditures being ineligible for reimbursement. In the situation where a contract for goods and services is below the $25,000 threshold, it must still demonstrate the principles of accountability, fairness, and best value for money.

Eligible Costs

• Salaries, Mandatory Employment Related Costs (MERCs), and benefits directly related to disability benefits navigation services
• Fees for professional services including:
  • consultants
  • translation
  • accommodations related to project delivery (for example, American Sign Language (ASL), Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ), Communications access real-time translation (CART) etc.)
• Materials and supplies in direct support of expansion or enhancement of existing disability benefits navigation services
• Rent and related expenses specific to expansion or enhancement of existing disability benefits navigation capacity
• Staff training and professional development related to expansion or enhancement of existing disability benefits navigation capacity
• Printing and communications
• Evaluation, data collection and analysis
• Travel within Canada in accordance with the National Joint Council's Travel Directive
• Costs associated with convening in-person meetings will be considered if they directly relate to the provision of support to individuals when virtual options are not feasible.

• Other costs necessary to support the purpose of funding as approved by the Department

Ineligible Costs

• Costs incurred by individuals associated with benefit applications or services across Canada from medical, disability, and/or other service providers, including but not limited to:
  • Costs related to the completion of medical forms and/or notes
  • Costs associated with obtaining, releasing, or transferring medical or disability-related information
  • Costs for obtaining and/or replacing identification documents, status cards, health cards, or other documentation required to establish eligibility for disability services
  • Costs for psychoeducational assessments (for example, Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and/or other disability-related testing, assessments and documentation)
• One-time development of foundational navigation manuals, toolkits or similar resources are already expected to exist for the organization (for example, websites that provide general information about applying for the Disability Tax Credit)
• Salaries or fees for executive, senior leadership, or managerial positions whose primary role is service or organizational management rather than direct DBN project delivery (for example, project coordinators)
• The purchase of real property
• Consultant fees for individuals who are also receiving a salary from your organization or its partner
• Any expenses incurred for the preparation or submission of the funding application
• Entertainment costs
• Costs incurred before an agreement is approved and signed by The Department and after the end day of the agreement
• Fines or penalties
• Purchase of alcohol or cannabis
• International travel

Give the total planned spending from all sources, including the Department. The amounts should align with those that you put in section A - Anticipated sources of funding of your application for funding.

"Other" means a cash or in-kind contribution from other sources other than the Department.

Check all statements that apply to your planned spending of the funding from the Department.

In carrying out the project, you may need contractors or outside providers to carry out part of the project activities, such as reporting.

"Associated businesses or individuals" means:

• an officer, director or employee of your organization, or a member of their immediate family
• a business in which an officer, director or employee of your organization, or a member of their immediate family, has a financial interest
• a business connected to your organization

The requirements for sub-contracts (including Memoranda of Understanding) will be described in the recipient's contribution agreement. It is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure that all aspects of the sub-agreement are met, including but not limited to:

• verifying the eligibility of participants
• alignment with eligible activities and expenditures
• implementing activities
• verifying the accuracy of information shared with participants
• realizing results
• managing funds
• meeting reporting requirements

If "Yes", explain how your project will benefit from the purchase of capital assets. A disposal plan for the capital assets should also be included.

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 are composite capital assets. Four (4) $300 chairs is not a composite capital asset because each chair is functional on its own as a single unit, and fall below the established threshold of $1,000 (before taxes).

Please provide additional information here if necessary.

Please explain how your organization has an established disability benefits navigation service and/or have experience and expertise in benefits navigation-related activities. (Mandatory).

Will persons with disabilities provide input, oversight and feedback during the project? If yes, please explain. If no, please put N/A.

Please list the provinces and territories where services will be offered, and how services will be delivered in each of them (please specify in person and/or virtual).

Do you have a strategy in place to let persons with disabilities and their families know how federal disability benefits work together with provincial or territorial benefits? If yes, please explain. If no, please put N/A.

Some people are unaware of, or find it hard to access disability benefits, such as those facing multiple barriers and/or those from rural, remote and underserved communities. Will your organization reach and support these people? If yes, please explain. If no, please put N/A.

Will you work with different partners (beyond disability groups) to reach more people and expand your support services? If yes, please explain. If no, please put N/A.