Contribution funding

On this page

• Call for proposals 2021
  • Overview
  • Priority populations
  • Core project requirements
  • Funding priorities
  • Quebec organizations
• Applying for funding
  • Application guidelines
  • Application form

Call for Proposals 2021 (closed)

Overview

Through this one stage and one-time national call for proposals, SUAP is seeking applications for projects that can help to prevent, treat or reduce the harms associated with opioids, stimulants, alcohol, prescription drugs, and other potentially harmful substances.

Priority populations

Projects should reach those at greatest risk or who may face barriers accessing services, including:

• People with needs that are often unmet by existing services, such as:
  • Indigenous Peoples
  • Racialized peoples and communities
  • 2SLGBTQIA+ peoples and communities
  • Youth
  • People living with pain
• Regions where there may be gaps in services available, such as:
  • Rural and remote communities
  • Indigenous communities
  • Small to medium sized cities with populations up to 100,000
  • Other regions without adequate access to primary care physicians and other healthcare professionals such as psychiatrists
• Groups at heightened risk of substance-related overdoses, such as:
  • People who use illegal and toxic drugs
  • People who work in the trades or in physically demanding professions
  • Men aged 25 to 59
  • People who use drugs alone
• People who face multiple social impacts, such as:
  • People in poverty or experiencing economic insecurity
  • People experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness
  • People who have been in contact with various justice systems
• People who work with and advocate on behalf of those impacted, such as:
  • People with lived and living experience of substance use as well as their families
  • People with experience of living with chronic pain
  • Frontline health, social and harm reduction workers

Core project requirements

To be eligible for funding, all project applications must:

• Ensure that the needs of those at greatest risk or who may face barriers accessing services are addressed. Applications should reflect not only the specific group(s) that the project will aim to reach, but also demonstrate how it will meet the needs of these groups and measure progress towards achieving these specific objectives.
• Include those with direct experience of the needs the project aims to address in the design, delivery and evaluation of the project. Peer workers should be appropriately compensated and represented in project leadership.
• Provide a clear, evidence-informed rationale for the proposed intervention.
• Demonstrate feasibility in a 12-15 month timeframe, and a sustainability plan for projects that will extend beyond the term of funding.
• Use person-first language, model a person-centred approach, and strive to reduce stigma associated with substance use among stakeholders and within the community.

Funding priorities

Applications are welcome for projects that can meet needs in the areas outlined below.

Funding Priority 1 - Harm reduction related to substance use and the toxic illegal drug supply

Projects that expand the availability of services designed to reduce the harmful health, social and economic effects of substance use on individuals, families and communities, such as:

• New or enhanced safer supply projects that provide innovative ways to reach people living with an opioid or stimulant disorder who may face barriers to traditional methods of care
• Projects that aim to prevent overdoses by providing wraparound services, peer-led outreach and/or navigation services for hard-to-reach populations
• New or enhanced drug checking services
• Other harm reduction activities that address the toxic illegal drug supply

Funding Priority 2 - Prevention, health promotion and early intervention

Projects that aim to address the root causes of harmful substance use, prevent the harms associated with substance use, or provide services that can help to avoid future risks, such as:

• Projects focused on preventing substance use from becoming harmful, including those addressing unmanaged pain or trauma, marginalization and discrimination, youth and post-secondary students, and workplace environments
• Partnerships between the health system and professional and/or community-based organizations
• Projects that pilot or evaluate models for supporting people who use drugs who are in contact with law enforcement and/or the justice system

Funding Priority 3 - Treatment and Recovery

Projects that engage or retain people in evidence-informed, culturally relevant and stigma-free treatment and recovery services and supports, such as:

• Projects providing assistance in the navigation of health benefits, the health system, treatment options, potential transitions in care, and receiving services across systems of care
• Projects that provide comprehensive and integrated wraparound services that meet multiple needs
• Reducing barriers to accessing opioid agonist therapy (OAT)
• Alcohol management or cessation programming
• Projects that can pilot or evaluate models for other innovative substitution programming (e.g. cannabis substitution)

Funding Priority 4 - Strengthening the substance use workforce

Projects that connect systems of care and increase the capacity across the spectrum of support services (health, social, peer-led, etc.) to provide care to people who use drug, such as:

• Training or continuing education for peer workers, health and social service professionals, and those working to reach priority populations (as noted above)
• Training to ensure that services for priority populations are delivered in a manner that considers the social and historical contexts of health and health care inequities, addressing power imbalances and discrimination (cultural safety)
• Partnerships between systems of care (e.g.: between health and social services, or mental health, substance use, and chronic pain)
• Projects led by peer and patient-led organizations focused on peer support, including those related to chronic pain

Quebec organizations

For Quebec organizations, please note that the ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS) is managing SUAP funds for Quebec. All applications will need to obtain written authorization by the ministre responsable des Relations canadiennes et de la Francophonie canadienne.

For more information, consult the MSSS website.

Applying for funding

Application guidelines

Application requirements are explained in detail in the Call for Proposals 2021 – Guidelines for Applicants. Download and save a copy to your computer.

Application form

Please download a copy of the application form to your computer. Refer to the application guidelines and the most commonly asked questions about the application form as you fill out each section of the application.