Call for proposals: Youth Substance Use Prevention Program Stream 1: Incubator and Capacity Building

On this page

1. Overview
   1. Purpose and objectives
   2. Program design
2. Who can apply
   1. Eligible applicants
   2. Eligible activities
   3. Excluded organisations
3. Funding amount and duration
4. Application process
5. Contact us

1. Overview

Purpose and objectives

In the 2023 federal budget, the Government of Canada announced an investment of $20.2 million for a new, community-based program to prevent substance use and its related harms among young people. The Youth Substance Use Prevention Program ("the Program") is now being launched by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). Using a collaborative approach, it focuses on building protective factors that promote overall health and well-being, and prevent substance use harms among youth. These factors include:

• healthy relationships
• safe environments
• school and community connectedness

The Program is based on the Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM) which is recognized internationally for its collaborative approach to preventing substance use harms among youth. Developed by the Icelandic Centre for Social Research and Analysis (ICSRA), it applies a community-driven approach to influence the risk and protective factors associated with substance use. Since it originated in 1997, ICSRA has expanded their work to over 30 countries worldwide under the organization name of Planet Youth.

The Program aims to:

• build capacity in communities to implement an upstream youth substance use prevention model that follows the guiding principles and key steps of the IPM
• support the Canadian implementation of the IPM
• support the subsequent knowledge development and exchange based on the evaluation of the IPM in the Canadian context

This Call for Proposals (CFP) is only for Stream 1, the Incubator and Capacity Building Stream, of the Program. It is focused on supporting communities with building their capacity to implement the IPM.

The objectives of Stream 1 funding are:

1. Capacity building
   1. Funding recipients build organizational capacity at the community or local level to support upstream substance use prevention among youth
   2. Capacity-building activities may include, but are not limited to:
      1. development of project networks, coalitions and partnerships
      2. community-based knowledge dissemination and synthesis
      3. mobilization activities such as community and school meetings
      4. preparation for the collection and analysis of local data
2. Health equity
   1. Funding recipients develop an understanding of how to adapt the IPM to reach youth populations in their community disproportionately impacted by substance use, such as:
      1. Indigenous, Black and other racialized populations
      2. other priority populations, such as:
         • 2SLGBTQIA+ people
         • women or girls
         • youth who identify as women or girls
3. Partnership
   1. Funding recipients develop a partnership with Planet Youth and the Knowledge Development and Exchange Hub to support the implementation and adaptation of the IPM at the community or local level

Applicants under the Incubator and Capacity Building Stream must demonstrate the need for funding to support capacity-building activities and a willingness to implement the IPM in their community.

The goal of this CFP is to fund up to 4 projects for a period of 18 months. The funding will be available from March 2024 to August 2025. The maximum allowable budget per project is $125,000.

It is important to note that funding recipients under this stream will be required to enter into a service agreement with Planet Youth for the duration of the project. The total estimated cost associated with this service agreement is $29,960. The amount can be covered by the grant funding or by another funding source. A letter of confirmation will be required to validate the source.

Program design

The Program supports 2 streams of funding for recipients to implement the IPM. Only Stream 1 is part of this solicitation. A Knowledge Development and Exchange (KDE) Hub will also be established to support recipients in both streams of funding.

Stream 1: Incubator and Capacity Building

This Stream of funding is part of this solicitation. It will support the funding recipient to adapt and implement an upstream prevention model that follows the first 3 steps of the IPM:

• Maximum amount of $125,000 of funding for up to 18 months
• Funding will support the eligible recipient to work with other organizations in their community to:
  • build community capacity
  • identify local funding sources
  • prepare for data collection through community engagement
• Open solicitation and intake will happen between November 2023 and January 2024
• Organizations can apply now

Stream 2: Implementation Research

This second Stream of funding is not part of this solicitation. It will support eligible recipients to identify, test and rigorously evaluate an intervention in accordance with the core steps of the IPM.

• Maximum amount of $750,000 of funding for up to 3 years
• Applications by invitation only in a separate CFP, planned for Spring 2024
• Recipients must have completed steps 1 to 3 of the IPM prior to the project start date
• Funding will support the recipient to deliver and evaluate interventions that have been identified through real-time local data and engagement sessions
• Targeted solicitation and intake for Stream 2 will happen in Spring 2024 and Spring 2025
• As part of Stream 2, eligible recipients will also be required to work with a researcher to conduct Population Health Implementation research to measure the impact of implementing the IPM in their community

Knowledge Development and Exchange Hub ("the Hub")

The role of the Hub will be to support Stream 1 and Stream 2 funding recipients by:

• building the capacity of community-based projects funded through the program to support upstream substance use prevention among youth
• establishing and leading a pan-Canadian Community of Practice
  • The Community of Practice will include:
    • funding recipients
    • communities, jurisdictions, or organizations with high interest in the IPM and who are engaged in upstream substance use prevention activities
• developing a partnership with Planet Youth to support funding recipients with the implementation of the IPM in Canada
• capturing the Canadian experience and adoption of the IPM by consolidating evaluation results across Stream 1 and 2 funded projects at the pan-Canadian level

2. Who can apply

To be eligible for funding under the Incubator and Capacity Building Stream, applicants must demonstrate the following:

• how they will contribute to and align with the Stream 1 funding objectives
• how their funding request meets the eligibility criteria below

Eligible applicants

• Canadian not-for-profit organizations and unincorporated groups, societies, and coalitions involved in delivering programs or initiatives to teens or youth at the community or local level
• Regional and municipal governments and their agencies involved in the delivery of programs or initiatives to teens or youth at the community or local level
• In addition, organizations must be committed to working directly with both the KDE Hub and Planet Youth
  • This includes the payment of contractor fees to Planet Youth personnel in the amount of $29,260

Priority given to:

• Organizations or agencies who have experience engaging with educational communities and schools
  • Includes organizations with a demonstrated partnership with a school board
• Organizations or agencies with a mandate or mission related to youth substance use prevention
• Organizations or agencies serving youth populations disproportionately impacted by substance use related harms, such as:
  • Indigenous, Black and other racialized populations
  • other priority populations, such as:
    • 2SLGBTQIA+ people
    • women or girls
    • youth who identify as women or girls

Eligible activities

Capacity-building activities under Stream 1 may include:

• identification and development of project networks, coalitions, or partnerships
• community-based knowledge dissemination and synthesis
• mobilization activities, such as community and school meetings
• preparation for the collection and analysis of local data
• identification of existing and new funding resources to support the implementation of steps 4 to 10 of the IPM

Recipients under the Incubator and Capacity Building Stream are expected to complete the first 3 steps of the IPM over the 18 month funding period.

Excluded organizations

Organizations who have already signed on with Planet Youth are not eligible for this Stream of funding. A solicitation for Stream 2 will be issued by PHAC in Spring 2024. A targeted group of organizations will be invited to apply for Stream 2. These applicants will include organizations that are already engaged with Planet Youth, and who have completed the first 3 steps of the IPM.

3. Funding amount and duration

Applicants may request a maximum of $125,000 of funding. Funds will be issued by PHAC in the form of grants in March 2024. Funds should be used over a period of up to 18 months (that is, up to August 2025).

4. Application process

Interested and eligible organizations can apply for grants to support eligible expenses by completing PHAC's Funding Request Form. To obtain a copy of the Funding Request Form, please contact psrh-pmcs@phac-aspc.gc.ca with the subject line "Funding Request Form." Completed funding request forms should be submitted to psrh-pmcs@phac-aspc.gc.ca.

Applications must be submitted by 12:30 pm EST on January 15, 2024.

After applications are reviewed, it is anticipated that PHAC will issue grants to approved applicants in March 2024.

5. Contact us

To obtain additional information about this funding opportunity, please contact: psrh-pmcs@phac-aspc.gc.ca.