Apply for funding for Social Development Partnerships Program – Children and Families – Financial Empowerment of Low-Income People

From: Employment and Social Development Canada

On this page

• Application period Closed
• Description of the funding
• Objective
• Eligibility
• How we assess your application
• Steps to apply
• After you’ve applied
• Contact us
• Glossary

Application period

Current status: Closed

Learn more about other funding opportunities

You can apply from May 25, 2021 at 12:00 pm (noon), to July 6, 2021 at 12:00 pm (noon) Eastern daylight time.

We expect to make funding decisions in fall 2021.

Description of the funding

Eligible organizations can apply for up to $3,000,000. We will fund projects that increase the financial wellbeing of low-income adults.

Projects cannot extend past March 31, 2026.

You may also be eligible for the Social Inclusion of Vulnerable Children and Youth Call for Proposal. You can only submit an application for 1 of the 2 Calls for Proposals. If you submit more than 1 application, we will only review the first one.

Objective

This funding supports projects that focus on the following objective:

• develop and carry out financial empowerment services and supports to help increase the financial wellbeing of low-income adults

Projects must address more than 1 aspect of financial wellbeing, and must offer more than 1 type of service.

Find more information about the Social Development Partnerships Program.

Eligibility

To apply, you must meet all the following eligibility criteria.

Eligible applicants

Your organization must:

• be located in Canada
• have:
  • proof of a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business number, or
  • CRA registration number, or
  • proof of provincial incorporation or registration
• be 1 of the following organization types:
  • not-for-profit (including charities and other qualified donees)
  • Indigenous (including band councils, tribal councils and self-government entities)
  • provincial/territorial entities, such as (but not limited to):
    • educational institutions: school boards, colleges and universities
    • health and social services: hospitals, community health centres, community centres
    • municipalities: towns, cities or municipal government departments and agencies

Eligible projects

Your project must meet all of the following criteria:

• must end by March 31, 2026
• request no more than $3 million per project
• meet the objective of this funding process
• include at least 1 formal partnership
• offer chances to low-income adults to actively contribute to the project’s design and implementation
• activities must take place in Canada
• propose activities to increase the capacity of your organization in the areas of:
  • engaging and collaborating with partners
  • sustainability planning

For your application to be considered complete, you must meet all of the eligibility requirements above and provide the necessary documentation:

• submit your application before 12:00 pm (noon) Eastern daylight time, July 6, 2021
• a complete application package including the following 4 items;
  • completed form with all mandatory information (questions 3 to 9 and question 22 in the applicant guide)
  • completed attestation (part 4 of the application form)
  • completed budget detail template
  • a document that includes the address of your organization and your:
    • Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business number, or
    • registration number, or
    • proof of provincial incorporation or registration

How we assess your application

Read and follow the applicant guide Financial Empowerment of Low Income People to complete your application form. This guide includes details for each question of the form.

If your project is eligible, we will assess it as follows:

1. Project objectives – (refer to question 55 of the applicant guide)

Show how your project will achieve the program objectives.

2. Organization’s capacity (refer to question 49 of the applicant guide)

Demonstrate your recent, significant, and relevant experience in delivering programs and services, which could include (not limited to):

• financial coaching
• tax clinics
• programs and services that help people increase:
  • their financial knowledge and skills, or
  • their confidence to be able to take action to improve their financial situation

Recent experience: delivering programs and services at any time within the past 5 years.

Significant experience: delivering programs and services for 2 years.

Relevant experience: delivering programs and services that target:

• similar target group as the proposed project, and
• similar objectives as this Call for Proposals

3. Project activities, timelines and feasibility (refer to question 56 of the applicant guide)

Your application must:

• give a clear description of your project activities:
  • activities need to align with the project objective
  • activities need to show how they support the achievement of the project outcomes
• give clear and realistic timelines to complete the project activities
• have at least 1 formal partnership:
  • clearly describe the roles and responsibilities of each partner for each activity
  • describe your strategy for engaging and collaborating with partners
• propose activities to increase the capacity of your organization in the areas to:
  • engaging and collaborating with partners
  • sustainability planning
• offer chances for community members targeted by the project to actively contribute to its design and implementation. This will ensure that the project will reflect their needs.

4. Project results and impact (refer to questions 57 and 58 of the applicant guide)

Your application must describe your project’s expected results, outputs and outcomes:

• describe what your project will achieve and how it aligns with the objective of this funding process
• describe how your project will impact the financial wellbeing of low-income adults
• describe how your project will impact the capacity of your organization in the areas of:
  • engaging and collaborating with partners
  • sustainability planning
• outcomes and outputs must be:
  • specific
  • concrete
  • measurable
• outline how your organization plans to collect, measure, and report on your project’s results

5. Project budget (refer to part 3, Section B – questions 70 to 76 of the applicant guide and the budget detail template)

• Give a short and clear explanation of how you intend to use the money
• Show that your project costs are reasonable, detailed and support the project activities

6. Considerations (refer to question 55 of the applicant guide)

• Include rural or remote coverage
• Focus exclusively on Official Language Minority Communities
• Target diverse groups of vulnerable adults

Steps to apply

Gather your supporting documents and information

Before submitting your Application for funding, make sure that you have included all of the required documents in your application package. A complete application package includes the following 4 items:

We will only consider complete application packages.
1. completed application form
2. completed attestation (part 4 of the application form)
3. completed budget detail template
4. document that confirms your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business or registration number or proof of provincial incorporation or registration (document must include the address of your organization)

Decide how to apply

Apply online using GCOS

1. Create your GCOS account. It may take up to 10 business days to create your account
2. Read the applicant guide to complete your application form. This guide includes details for each question of the form
3. Complete the budget detail template (EMP5570)

Apply by email

1. Read the applicant guide to complete your application form. This guide includes details for each question of the form
2. Complete the application for funding (EMP5523) and budget detail template (EMP5570) on your computer or by hand
3. Print, sign and scan the appropriate sections of the application for funding
4. Send your complete application package by email to EDSC.DGOP.PPDSEF.AF-FE.SDPPCF.POB.ESDC@servicecanada.gc.ca

Apply by mail

1. Read the applicant guide to complete your application form. This guide includes details for each question of the form
2. Complete the application for funding (EMP5523) and budget detail template (EMP5570)
3. Print and sign the appropriate sections of the application for funding

4. Send your complete application package by mail to:

   Mailing address

   Social Development Partnerships Program – Children and Families – Financial Empowerment

   Coordination Unit mailstop 402

   National Grants & Contributions Delivery Centre (ESDC)

   140 Promenade du Portage Phase IV 4th Floor

   Gatineau QC K1A 0J9

Application form tips

The application form uses PDF form technology. You must have a PDF reader installed to use the form correctly. There are several readers available on the Internet for free that support our form.

Adobe Reader 8 or higher, for example :

• Adobe Acrobat DC Reader
• Foxit Reader

Downloading the application form

1. Make sure that you have Adobe Acrobat Reader 8 or higher or Foxit Reader installed on your system
2. Select the application form
3. When prompted to open or save the form, select the down arrow on the save button, and select Save as
4. Select your folder location and save (file type must be PDF)
5. Reopen the form from your computer:
   • A. select the Open with option
   • B. choose option to open with either Adobe Acrobat Reader or Foxit
6. Make sure that the form opens in one of the Reader Softwares (Adobe or Foxit), by looking at the top of your screen. For example, you should see:
   • C. ESDC-EMP 5523.pdf (secured) – Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, or
   • D. ESDC-EMP 5523.pdf (secured) – Foxit PhantomPDF
7. Begin inputting and save your information
8. Before submitting your application make sure that, the Application form is completed and all information saved properly

Moving within a form

To move from one field to the next on the form, hit Tab. This ensures that you do not accidently skip over any fields.

Forms that perform calculations

Some sections of the form perform calculations based on the amounts you enter and will automatically calculate totals in the appropriate fields.

You are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of any information submitted. Please double-check all data you enter.

Be aware that these issues will impact your form

• Not using recommended reader software. For example:
  • old versions of Adobe
  • preview reader on a Mac
• Completing the form in a browser
• We cannot accept links to cloud based documents

Part 4 Attestation (mandatory)

To be considered eligible, an official representative who has the authority to submit proposals on behalf of your organization must attest that they:

• have the authority to submit the application for funding on behalf of the applicant organization
• certify that the information provided in the application for funding and supporting documentation is true, accurate and complete, and
• have read the applicant guide and understood the program’s requirements

To do this, the official representative must:

• check the 3 boxes of the attestation, and
• provide their names, titles and the date

As this is an attestation, no signature is required.

After you’ve applied

We will review your application and decide if you will receive funding.

We expect to make funding decisions in the fall 2021.

Online

You will receive an automatic confirmation of receipt.

By email

You will receive an automatic confirmation of receipt by email.

By mail

You will receive a confirmation of receipt by email within 14 calendar days. We will use the email address you provided in your application.

Contact us

If you have questions, email us at EDSC.DGOP.PPDSEF.AF-FE.SDPPCF.POB.ESDC@servicecanada.gc.ca.

We will answer questions sent before July 5, 2021, at 4:00 pm Eastern daylight time.

If you need any accessibility-related accommodation, please email us with the details. We strive to accommodate all of your needs in line with accessibility standards. We will accept accessibility requests until July 6, 2021, at 12:00 pm (noon) Eastern daylight time.

Information sessions

We will hold information sessions in June. You can participate online or by teleconference.

If you are interested, send an email to us at EDSC.DGOP.PPDSEF.AF-FE.SDPPCF.POB.ESDC@servicecanada.gc.ca.

In your email, specify your preferred language (English or French) and if you require accommodations. We will provide you with instructions on how and when to attend.

Glossary

Adults

Persons aged 18 and older.

Collective impact

A form of teamwork to solve a large, specific social problem.

Financial empowerment

A way to help low-income people improve their financial wellbeing.

Financial wellbeing

Is the ability to meet one’s financial needs. Financial wellbeing can have an effect on overall quality of life.

Formal Partnership

Is a detailed, formal written agreement, such as a Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement should outline the roles, responsibilities and contributions to the project. For example:

• funding
• skills
• knowledge
• governance
• service delivery

Indigenous Peoples

• First Nations
• Inuit
• Métis
• Urban/Non-Affiliated people

Individuals experiencing homelessness

Individuals experiencing homelessness are those:

• who do not have a permanent address or residence
• whose living situation is not stable or permanent, or
• who do not have appropriate housing, or have the means of acquiring it

LGBTQ2+

Acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, 2-Spirit, plus additional identities

Low income

For the purpose of this Call for proposals, low income means not enough money to buy specific goods and services, including:

• food
• housing
• clothing
• transportation

Multi-sectoral partnerships

Refers to partnerships formed between those from private, public and not-for-profit sectors.

Newcomers

People who have been living in Canada for less than 5 years.

Official language minority communities

• A French-speaking population living outside of Quebec, where English is predominant, or
• An English-speaking population living in Quebec, where French is predominant

Organizational Capacity

The qualities, which help an organization, meet its goals and carry out its mission.

Partnerships

Groups or people that you collaborate with and that contribute to the project.

Persons with disabilities

A person with a disability is one who self-identifies as having a:

• permanent physical, or
• mental disability that restricts their ability to perform daily activities

Racialized communities

Racialization is the process of socially constructing groups as races, based on characteristics such as:

• ethnicity
• language
• economics
• religion
• culture
• politics

Race is a social construct, which means that society forms ideas of race based on:

• geographic
• historical
• political
• economic
• social and cultural factors, and
• physical traits

None of these legitimately classifies groups of people.

Remote

For this Call for proposals, we define a remote community as:

• groups of people who live far from, or have very little access to the main centres of population

Rural

For this Call for proposals, we define a rural community as:

• a population of less than 1,000
• no, or very little, access to the services of the closest municipality with a population of 1,000 or more exists

Seniors

For the purposes of this Call for proposals, seniors are defined as persons 55 years of age or older.

Social inclusion

The ability to take part in, and benefit from, the activities of society.

Sustainability

When the creation and delivery of activities continue after the funding ends with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

Value for money

The means to attain high quality results with efficient use of funds.

Vulnerable populations

Individuals or groups who face the greatest social or economic barriers. These would include those living in poverty and diverse marginalized groups who are at risk of social exclusion. Examples for this Call for proposals may include those who are:

• Indigenous
• individuals experiencing homelessness
• LGBTQ2+
• living in remote and rural communities
• members of Black and racialized communities
• newcomers
• official language minority communities
• persons with disabilities
• seniors
• women

Women

Female persons.