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Indigenous Community Support Fund: Urban and off-reserve Indigenous organizations and communities

Funding to help Indigenous organizations and communities providing services to Indigenous peoples in urban centres or off reserve prevent, prepare and respond to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).


Quick Access: Application Form


About the call for proposals

This call for proposals allows Indigenous organizations providing services to Indigenous peoples in urban centres or off reserve to access funding from the Indigenous Community Support Fund to prepare for and react to the spread of COVID-19.


Who can apply

  • national, regional and local Indigenous service delivery organizations supporting Indigenous peoples living in urban centres

  • national, regional and off-reserve Indigenous organizations supporting their members living away from their communities (for example, Indigenous representative organizations and Tribal Councils)

  • other Indigenous organizations or communities providing services to Indigenous peoples living off reserve or in urban centres that are not eligible for funding under the distinctions-based streams of the Indigenous Community Support Fund (for example, non-status groups and independent communities)

Deadline


The deadline to submit an application is April 13, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.


How to apply


Help on accessing PDF forms

The application form may not open with some internet browsers. Our recommendation when accessing a PDF file is to:

  • right-click on the link

  • select "save link as" or "save target as" (depending which browser you are using)

  • save the document to your desktop (or any other location)

  • right-click on the file or document and open with Adobe, separate from the browser

If you still have difficulty accessing the form, consult the Indigenous Services Canada help page.


  • Complete a proposal and budget using the Project or Work Plan Funding Application (PDF, 140 Kb, 1 page) or submit the same information in another format, such as Microsoft Word or Excel

  • In the budget section, list all potential sources of funding from other sources to support your COVID-19 response, including any funding that has or will be received from the First Nations, Inuit or Métis Nation streams of the Indigenous Community Support Fund.

  • Make sure your proposal package includes:

  • organization type:

  • First Nation, Inuit or Métis community

  • Indigenous government or representative organization

  • Indigenous incorporated not-for-profit organization

  • other Indigenous association, group or organization

  • who this proposed activity will reach and who will benefit (number of people and audience, such as community members, women, youth, Elders, homeless)

  • If your proposal has multiple activities or sub-activities, provide a prioritized list, in case your proposal can only be partially funded

  • Joint proposals must list all the partners and what their roles and activities will be

  • National or regional organizations that will distribute the funding to service delivery organizations must list those organizations and how funding would be allocated

Email your proposal to aadnc.icsfru-fscaru.aandc@canada.ca.

Only proposals submitted electronically will be considered. We will confirm receipt of your proposal and may contact you for further clarification.

Proposals will be assessed against the selection criteria below once they are received.


Selection criteria


Proposal assessment criteria

  • Population served: What is the reach of the proposed activities? Who are the participants for each activity (for example, community members, women, youth, Elders, homeless)? How many individuals are expected to be reached?

  • Activities and timelines: Will the proposed activities address urgent, immediate community needs to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak?

  • Budget: Does the budget reflect reasonable costs for the proposed activities, including administrative costs within the 15% maximum?

  • Impacts: Does the project offer direct, meaningful benefit to the recipients or anticipated number of individuals?

Meeting these criteria does not guarantee funding. Proposals will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, depending on total available funding and the number of proposals submitted. We may also consider geographic representation.


Examples of activities that can be funded

  • support for Elders, women, caregivers and vulnerable populations (for example, individuals at an elevated medical risk, or people with disabilities)

  • food bank or nutritional assistance for community members (for example, care packages of food, water, cleaning products)

  • learning packages for children (for example, workbooks, school supplies, educational flashcards)

  • emergency response services

  • childcare assistance for workers providing essential services

  • mental health services

  • assistance applying for government supports (for example, Canada Child Benefit, Emergency Care Benefit, Emergency Support Benefit)

  • development and distribution of information that can help individuals and communities more fully respond and access available services and supports

  • transportation costs for community members who can no longer use public transportation or need access to essential activities of daily life (such as grocery shopping, medical appointments)

  • other activities related to supporting COVID-19 preparedness and response measures


Project costs


  • Overhead administrative costs (for example, supplies, IT equipment, rent) cannot exceed 15% of the direct project costs

  • For example, $50,000 in direct costs can request up to $7,500 in administration costs for a total project cost of $57,500


  • Project expenses must be incurred by the project completion date, as set out in the approved project proposal, and no later than March 31, 2021

  • For example, salaries can only be paid for the duration of the project and cannot be used for permanent positions


Contact us


By email: aadnc.icsfru-fscaru.aandc@canada.ca


Indigenous Services Canada staff are available to assist you with the submission of your proposal.


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