Frequently Asked Questions about the 2023 Call for Proposals (CFP)

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1. What is Canada Service Corps (CSC), and what are the goals of this Call for Proposals (CFP)?
2. When will projects funded under the 2023 CSC CFP begin?
3. How is the CSC CFP different from the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program (YESS) CFP that was launched on October 4, 2023? Can I apply to both programs?
4. Can organizations apply to more than one program stream included in CSC’s 2023 CFP?
5. What changes have been made to the 2023 CFP to increase accessibility for applicant organizations?
6. Can I apply to deliver programming under the Accelerator Micro-grants and Micro-grants Diversity streams?
7. If my organization is currently delivering CSC programming, do I need to apply to this Call for Proposals?
8. Why can youth aged 12-14 not participate in micro-grant programming?
9. Are there any additional conditions placed on organizations who choose to serve younger youth (age 12-14)?
10. Can organizations without a CRA business number to apply to the CFP?
11. Can organizations from Quebec which are subject to M30 apply for funding?
12. What will the information I provide around diversity be used for?
13. Can an organization enter into a third-party agreement with another oganization to enable them to meet their project objectives?

1. What is Canada Service Corps (CSC), and what are the goals of this Call for Proposals (CFP)?

   Canada Service Corps (CSC) is a Government of Canada program that promotes civic engagement among young people through access to meaningful volunteer service opportunities. CSC programming is available to youth across Canada, including Indigenous youth and under-served youth.

   The current Call for Proposals has 3 funding streams:

   • Service Placements Regional stream (for ages 12 to 30)
   • Service Placements National stream (for ages 12 to 30)
   • Micro-grants stream (for ages 15 to 30)  

   Please review each application page for more information on CSC’s program and stream objectives.

   Some of the goals of this Call for Proposals are to:

   • Continue to expand and diversify programming and offer meaningful service opportunities to youth across Canada to have a positive impact on communities;
   • Prioritize projects that aim to serve Indigenous and under-served youth [hyperlink to definition];
   • Create longer-term service opportunities for youth by funding multi-year projects;
   • Broaden the range of available supports that can be offered to youth participants to increase their chances of successfully engaging-in and completing service opportunities; and
   • Expand the program’s reach by allowing younger youth (as young as 12 years of age) to participate in the program.
2. When will projects funded under the 2023 CSC CFP begin?

   Projects for all streams would be in place for up to 3 years, beginning as early as August 2024 and ending by March 31, 2027.

3. How is the CSC CFP different from the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program (YESS) CFP that was launched on October 4, 2023? Can I apply to both programs?

   Both Canada Service Corps and the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program (YESS) are grants and contributions programs that fund organizations to create opportunities for youth in Canada. However, while CSC funds volunteering opportunities and civic engagement, YESS provides employment services and supports, and helps youth build skills that will help them participate in labour markets.

   Organizations may apply to receive funding through both CSC and YESS. However, these must be separate project proposals and must meet the respective objectives and criteria of each program. Please note that paid opportunities for youth (i.e., wages, stipends, completion bonuses) are not eligible for funding under CSC.

4. Can organizations apply to more than one program stream included in CSC’s 2023 CFP?

   Eligible organizations may apply to more than one stream, but may only submit one application per stream. Projects must meet the eligibility criteria specific to the program stream for which the organization is submitting an application.

   You can find more information about each program stream at the links below:

   • Service Placements Regional stream
   • Service Placements National stream
   • Micro-grants stream
5. What changes have been made to the 2023 CFP to increase accessibility for applicant organizations?  

   The 2023 CFP offers simplified application criteria which is intended to diversify CSC organizations especially newly established organizations and those with more limited resources. Changes are aimed at increasing opportunities for youth, including:

   • Lowering the number of program streams that organizations may apply to from 5 to 3;
   • Increasing the application period from 6 to 10 weeks to allow sufficient time to complete an application;
   • Expanding the experience criteria to include staff experience, in order to accommodate newer organizations that may nonetheless have experienced staff.
   • Applying diversity-related prioritization criteria across all streams;
   • Removing the 25% leveraging requirement for new agreements as of April 1, 2024; and
   • Allowing more organizations to deliver programming to younger youth (ages 12 to 14) until March 2027 through both the regional service placements stream and the national service placements stream.
6. Can I apply to deliver programming under the Accelerator Micro-grants and Micro-grants Diversity streams?

   The Accelerator Micro-grants and the Micro-grants Diversity streams were introduced as pilots in the program’s 2022 Call for Proposals. The fall 2023 CSC Call for Proposals will not include these specific program streams. However, the diversity-related criteria that allowed organizations to apply for specific funding from the Micro-grants Diversity stream, is being applied more broadly across available streams of the 2023 Call for Proposals. For more information on diversity-related prioritization criteria, please refer to instructions for Questions 81 and 82 in the Applicant Guide.

7. If my organization is currently delivering CSC programming, do I need to apply to this Call for Proposals?

   All current projects in the regional service placements stream, national service placements stream and micro-grants stream will end on March 31, 2024.

   Organizations with current projects must  apply with a project proposal that meets all the requirements of the 2023 CFP. Note that project proposals can be similar to those submitted under previous CFPs, but the applicant must ensure project proposals are compliant with 2023 CFP requirements.

8. Why can youth aged 12-14 not participate in micro-grant programming?

   For the 2023 Call for Proposals, the age of eligibility for the Service Placements National and Regional streams is 12 to 30 years old at the time their service placement begins, while it is 15 to 30 years old for the Micro-grants Stream at the time their micro-grant project begins. As part of the 2022 Call for Proposals, the program allowed some organizations under the Service Placements National Stream to offer opportunities to youth aged 12 to 14 to pilot reaching youth sooner. To continue the explore how to best serve younger youth, the option to allow participants aged 12 to 30 has been expanded to all applicants under the Service Placement National and Regional streams.

   The age of eligibility for the Micro-grants Stream remains 15 to 30 years. Micro-grants projects are youth-led and usually require a greater level of initiative and responsibility on behalf of youth, as the design and implementation of projects come directly from them. While organizations from the Micro-grants streams provide youth participants with support and mentorship, there is a heavier reliance on youth the advance these projects, which may be more appropriate for youth who are further along in their service journey.

9. Are there any additional conditions placed on organizations who choose to serve younger youth (age 12-14)?

   No, there is no additional conditions placed on organizations who choose to serve younger youth. However, all funding recipients will be expected to provide safe and inclusive environments that are free from harassment and discrimination for both participants and organization staff. Please find below an example of a safety and security clause in the agreement:

   Safety and security: The Recipient shall implement safety and security procedures for the participants based on current best practices and legal requirements.

10. Can Indigenous organizations without a CRA business number to apply to the CFP using the Grants and Contributions Online Services (GCOS)?

    In order to apply to the CFP using the Grants and Contributions Online Services (GCOS), organizations or businesses need to have a GCOS account.

    To create a GCOS account, organizations or businesses need to have:

    • A Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business or registration number; and
    • The legal and operating name and address of their organization, as registered with the CRA

    Indigenous organizations that don’t have a business or registration number can apply by email or mail. .

    Organizations without a business number can apply via the methods described in the web form.

11. Can organizations from Quebec which are subject to M30 apply for funding?

    The Quebec National Assembly adopted An Act respecting the Ministère du Conseil exécutif (M-30). The provisions of this Act include certain conditions on Quebec government bodies and certain other entities wanting to contract with the federal government. 

    Entities subject to the Act respecting the Ministère du Conseil exécutif (M-30) must obtain an authorization from the Government of Quebec before signing any agreement with the Government of Canada, including a potential CSC agreement under this Call for Proposals. It is incumbent upon organizations to determine if they are subject to the M-30 and to seek approval from the Government of Quebec.

12. What will the information I provide around diversity be used for?

    The information provided in response to diversity questions will be used to assess project proposals for prioritization. Additionally, information provided through the application process may be used in an anonymized and aggregated form to inform future policy direction, as required by the program. 

13. Can an organization enter into a third-party agreement with another oganization to enable them to meet their project objectives?

    Eligible recipient organizations may choose to establish third-party agreements with other organizations that will enable them to achieve their project activities and objectives. Where the recipient further distributes contribution funding to a third-party organization to carry out project activities, payments from the recipient to the third party for expenditures to reimburse the latter for the expenditures incurred (refer to each program stream’s list of eligible expenditures) are also eligible expenditures.