CFP – Capacity building for the private sponsorship of refugees: Instructions for submitting a proposal

Please follow these instructions carefully when submitting your proposal using the Grants and Contributions System (GCS). These sections correspond with the sections that you will find in GCS.

Creating your proposal

1. On the Partner Portal Home Page, click “View or Submit Applications”
2. Click the +New button
3. On the Funding Process Selection Page, make the following selections:
   1. Select a funding process: PSR Capacity Building
   2. Select a program: Resettlement
   3. Select a Geographical Scope: National or Regional, as applicable
   4. Select a client service language: English or French, as applicable
   5. Select a project delivery language: English or French, as applicable
4. Click Start Your Application

Complete the following sections on the proposal:

Section 1: Summary

Provide a summary of your project that includes the types of activities you will undertake, who will benefit and how, the partners involved, and outcomes. You will provide greater detail on each of these elements in the sections below.

Section 2: Goals and Services

Goals

Describe the goals that you wish to achieve through the project activities.

Services

Customized Services

You will use these fields to indicate which priority areas your proposal addresses. Choose as many customized services/priorities as are applicable to your proposal. Type the following text into the field that requests a description of the customized service: See activities.

Section 3: Activities

In this section, you will describe all of the activities included in your proposal. Indicate the priority associated with each activity within the Activity Title field (e.g. Priority X: Activity Name). You can have multiple activities related to the same priority. If a single activity addresses more than one priority, ensure that you explain that in your description. Space is provided for a description, the expected number of clients that the activity will reach/serve, targeted client demographics, other demographics, and the delivery location. You may add as many activities as required to fully describe the project. For each activity that you create, provide a description that answers the following questions:

• What is the activity?
• Why is the activity needed within this project?
• When will the activity take place?
• How often will the activity take place?
• How will the activity be implemented?
• How will targeted clients benefit from this activity?
• How will you engage targeted clients?
• If applicable, how will this activity, or the benefits of it, be sustained once funding has ceased (e.g. the organization has the capacity to update as needed, etc)?
• Additional information, if necessary.

Section 4: Outreach and Outcomes

Need

Briefly explain the need for the project. This should be evidence-based, ideally including data from statistical analyses, testimony from partners and external stakeholders, and other relevant research results.

Outreach

Outline the engagement strategy you will use to ensure the participation, interest, and support of the target client demographics that you identified under Section 3 above.

Outcomes

1. Sponsors understand their roles and responsibilities and are equipped with tools to support refugee newcomers to successfully settle and integrate.
2. Refugees are aware of the supports available to them and have the tools to live independently in Canadian society.
3. Organizations that deliver sponsor supports are coordinated in their development and delivery of training, resources and tools.

For each outcome, describe how your project aligns with the outcome identified.

For each outcome, please complete the associated Performance Assessment section. Describe how you will track the outcomes of your project, including:

• Which indicators will be used to identify progress towards the outcome
• The methods and tools that will be used to acquire measurements of these indicators
• When and how often measurements will be acquired
• How analyses of these indicators will facilitate ongoing improvement of the project

Section 5: Capacity

Capacity

Please describe your organization’s capacity to successfully undertake this project, by outlining the following:

• Experience acquired through similar projects/events in the past
• Illustrating organizational resources and infrastructures in place
• Knowledge of the relevant legal, logistical and cultural environment
• Availability of complementary services/supports in the community

Partners

Please add as many partners as required. You must indicate how each partner will contribute to the project and the contribution type (in-kind, financial, or other). For each partner, you have the option of attaching a letter of support. If the partner is providing a financial contribution, a letter of support is required.

Section 6: Evaluation

In this section, explain how you will evaluate your project during its end-phase and after it has completed.

Include methodology (e.g. surveys, interviews, evaluation forms, products, etc) and ensure that your plan is aligned with the Performance Assessment information that you provided in the Outcomes section of this application.

This plan should demonstrate an ability to organize your activities, monitor performance, and evaluate project results.

Section 7: Budget

In this section, state the funding period and provide a budget for each fiscal year of your project. Your budget must be balanced, with all costs and revenues itemized and explained in the form provided.

Your funding period must start on June 1, 2021 and end no later than March 31, 2023.

Reminder: The total available funding envelope for all projects is $3M over two years, ending March 31, 2023.

After you have entered your budget, indicate whether your organization owes any amounts to the Government of Canada (Yes/No). If yes, you must click on the link below the question where you can provide details about those amounts.

Mandatory Documents

Different mandatory documents are required based on your applicant type.

Public institutions (such as a school board) and any non-federal governments

• Letter of support from each financial partner that is contributing funds toward the proposed project (if applicable). No other letters of support are required. Letters of support are uploaded in Section 5 of the GCS application.

Other organizations (including non-profits)

• At least one of the following: Constitution, By-laws, Letter of Incorporation or similar instrument of governance
• Most recent Annual Report
  • Indicate the end date of the year to which this report pertains in the Date of Period End column
• Full financial statements including comparative information for the last two fiscal years (audited preferred). If your organization is relatively new and lacks full financial statements for two full fiscal years, provide the information for the period of time the organization has been in existence
  • Indicate the end date of the year to which these financial statements pertain in the Date of Period End column
• Names of persons on Board of Directors
• Other supporting documents (e.g. Names of any former public servants associated with this application, if applicable)
  • You are not required to attach other supporting documents if none apply.
• Letter of support from each financial partner that is contributing funds toward the proposed project (if applicable). No other letters of support are required. Letters of support are uploaded in Section 5 of the GCS application.

After you have attached the mandatory documents, indicate whether your organization is currently involved, or has been involved over the past (3) years, in any legal proceedings (Yes/No). If yes, you must click on the link below the question where you can provide details about those proceedings.

Individuals

• Curriculum vitae;
• Proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status; and
• Letter of support from each financial partner that is contributing funds toward the project. No other letters of support are required. Letters of support are uploaded in Section 5 of the GCS application.

Finalizing and submitting your proposal

Once you have completed and reviewed all of the information entered into each section, you can finalize and submit your proposal.

On the Status page, the status of each section (except Submit Application) should be “Completed”. If the status of any section is “Not Started” or “In Progress”, you will have to complete any missing fields before proceeding.

At the bottom of the Status page, you may add the names of your organization’s employees who should receive email notifications about the status of your proposal. Note that only individuals who have an account in the GCS Partner Portal can receive these notifications.

Once the status of all sections is “Completed”, your organization’s executive director, or an approved delegated administrator, can submit the application by completing the following steps:

1. On the Status Page, click “Submit Application”
2. Check the box to attest to the accuracy and legitimacy of all documents and information contained in the application
3. Review the Executive Declaration and Notice Regarding Personal Information
4. Check the box to agree to the Declaration of the Applicant
5. Check the box to indicate that you understand that you are providing an official electronic approval on behalf of your organization
6. Click Submit

You should receive an automatic email notification indicating that your application has been submitted. The email will include an official application number. Please save this number and refer to it in any future correspondence with IRCC about your application.