Employment and Social Development Canada · Employment or Innovation activities improving employment outcomes of Indigenous people. 2016 Skills and Partnership Fund Call for Proposals

6/3/2016 Skills and Partnership Fund (Aboriginal) | ESDC

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Funding: Skills and Partnership FundThe Skills and Partnership Fund is a demanddriven, partnershipbased program that supportsgovernment priorities through strategic partnerships by funding projects contributing to the skillsdevelopment and training of Indigenous workers for longterm, meaningful employment.

The Government of Canada is currently accepting applications for funding from Indigenousorganizations interested in receiving financial assistance from the Skills and Partnership Fund (SPF).

The purpose of this Applicant Guide is to provide information to assist you with the completion of yourApplication for Funding to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). It is recommended thatyou read the Applicant Guide in its entirety before you start completing the Application for Funding.

Objective of this Call for Proposals

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) invites the submission of an Application forFunding from Indigenous organizations interested in obtaining timelimited SPF contribution funding.Proposals must demonstrate partnershipbased approaches to the development of Training toEmployment or Innovation activities improving employment outcomes of Indigenous people.

2016 Skills and Partnership Fund Call for Proposals information sessions

You are invited to join us for one of the three free webinars taking place on:

Tuesday, June 7, 2016 from 13:00 – 14:30 EST (English)

Wednesday, June 8, 2016 from 10:00 – 11:30 EST (French)

Wednesday, June 8, 2016 from 13:00 – 14:30 EST (English)

Send an email to ALMPPAMT@hrsdcrhdcc.gc.ca to register, specifying which session you wish toattend.

Call for Proposals Summary

The maximum duration of projects is four years (48 months).The total amount of funding requested from ESDC must not exceed $10 million per project.Under the Training to Employment stream, proposals will receive additional consideration if atleast 50% of the total project value comes from partners (e.g. from large, privatesectororganizations).As this is a competitive process, not all proposals submitted under this CFP will be selected;funding is limited and subject to ESDC’s annual budget considerations and allocation of funds byParliament.The Government of Canada reserves the right to accept a proposal, in whole or in part, and giveconsideration to factors such as geographic coverage, and official language requirements.

Apply Now

ESDC is currently accepting applications for funding from Indigenous organizations interested inreceiving financial assistance from the Skills and Partnership Fund (SPF).

Employment and Social Development Canada

http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/home.shtml

http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/index.shtml

http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/aboriginal/index.shtml

http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/aboriginal/partnership_fund/index.shtml

mailto:[email protected]

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Eligibility Information

Highlights

For this Call for Proposals (CFP), ESDC encourages applicants to submit their application on its newGrants and Contributions Online Services (GCOS) system. GCOS is a secure web environment forapplying for programs that will allow you to manage your agreements with ESDC online in anefficient way (e.g. with 24/7 access and the ability to submit financial claims and reportselectronically). Registering with GCOS can take up to two (2) weeks; therefore, we invite you toregister on the GCOS Registration site if you have not already registered.

Information on submitting applications via mail or email is available under the Apply tab.

Eligible Projects

For the purpose of this CFP, funding will be provided to successful applicants whose proposalsdemonstrate partnershipbased approaches to improving employment outcomes of Indigenouspeople in the Training to Employment and/or Innovation funding stream. If an applicant wishes toapply for funding under both the Training to Employment and Innovation streams, a separateapplication must be submitted for each stream.

Each of the following requirements must be met in order for projects to be considered eligible forfunding:

Training to Employment

A target of a minimum of 50 employed clients over the course of the project, in skilled andlongterm jobs (i.e. at least one year duration). Proposals with commitments for less than 50employed clients, particularly if the job opportunities are skilled and longterm, may also beconsidered. However, preference will be given to those projecting to meet or exceed thistarget.Effective project management oversight, through equitable representation of Indigenous andcontributing partners, and federal officials as exofficio members, on established advisorycommittees overseeing the project.Direct link to an Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy (ASETS) agreementholder or other service delivery provider (e.g. educational institution, other ESDC programs,etc.) for projects that include preemployment or essential skills training activities.Total administration costs to be covered by ESDC do not exceed 15% of the total ESDCfunding requested.Evidence of efforts to engage the provincial or territorial government as a partner, or a clearexplanation of why they are not an appropriate partner.A clear breakdown of cash and inkind contributions, accompanied by written confirmationfrom partners.

Innovation

Effective project management oversight, through equitable representation of Indigenous andcontributing partners, and federal officials as exofficio members, on established advisorycommittees overseeing the project.Direct link to an Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy (ASETS) agreementholder or other service delivery provider (e.g. educational institution, other ESDC programs,etc.) for projects that include preemployment or essential skills training activities.Total administration costs to be covered by ESDC do not exceed 15% of the total ESDCfunding requested.Evidence of efforts to engage the provincial or territorial government as a partner, or a clear

Eligibility Assessment Develop Your Application Apply FollowUp

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explanation of why they are not an appropriate partner.A clear breakdown of cash and inkind contributions, accompanied by written confirmationfrom partners.

Across both streams of this CFP, the earliest anticipated start date could be October 1, 2016.

Partnerships

The proposed project must demonstrate a partnershipbased approach.

There is a significant difference between support and partnership. A supporter endorses a project,whereas a partner makes a contribution and plays an active role. Under the Training to Employmentstream, proposals will receive additional consideration if at least 50% of the total project value iscontributed by partners (e.g. from large, privatesector organizations). Other federal governmentfunding cannot be considered a cash contribution. An applicant may not identify a separatedepartment or division of its own organization as the sole partner. The Application for Funding mustidentify confirmed partners and the contributions they are committing to the project and what thefunding will be used for.

A partner commitment letter template is included under the Apply tab. Use of the template is notmandatory but is highly recommended to ensure that partner letters include a sufficient level ofdetail of what their contribution will be to the project and explain how the partner will participate inthe operation and oversight of the project.

Eligible Recipients

Only Indigenous organizations* are eligible to submit proposals. This may include (but is not limitedto): incorporated forprofit and notforprofit Indigenous controlled organizations; Indigenouscontrolled unincorporated organizations; Indian Act bands; band or tribal councils; and Indigenousselfgovernment entities.

A nonIndigenous organization cannot apply on behalf of an Indigenous organization.

* As per Treasury Board Aboriginal Business Procurement Policy and Incentives – Contracting PolicyNotice 19962, an Indigenous organizations defined as a sole proprietorship, limited company,cooperative, partnership, or notforprofit organization in which;

Indigenous persons have majority ownership and control, meaning at least 51 percent; and,in the case of a business enterprise with six or more fulltime employees, at least 33 percentof the fulltime employees are Indigenous persons.

Eligible Participants

Eligible participants in Training to Employment and Innovation projects must be IndigenousCanadians.

Eligible Activities

Stream 1: Training to Employment

The Training to Employment stream will target projects that aim to enhance the skills and access toemployment of Indigenous people.

Training to Employment activities may include: jobspecific education, skills training and upgrading;apprenticeship support; job retention counselling; job supports, including child care for parentsparticipating in labour market programming; targeted training for specific client groups (e.g. youth,women, persons with disabilities, urban, rural, offreservation); selfemployment programming; andtargeted employer partnerships with small and medium enterprises.



Training to Employment activities will be assessed on the following:

clarity of described activities and delivery model;how activities are linked to the project objectives;locations of activities and activity providers are identified;provision of approach for support and guidance (e.g. job coaching, followups, etc.) toparticipants;activities have a logical flow, and timelines are clearly identified and reasonable; andhow activities focus on trainingtoemployment leading to concrete employment outcomeswhich may include jobfocused skills, development training and service deliveryimprovements.

Preference will be given to projects that include a strategy in place targeting the skills developmentand training needs of women and youth.

Stream 2: Innovation

The Innovation stream will target projects that test innovative approaches to enhance theemployability of Indigenous people by addressing a broader range of socioeconomic challengeswithin Indigenous communities (e.g. homelessness, addictions, lower education attainment). As acomplement to the Training to Employment stream, projects funded through the Innovation streamwill be expected to test new approaches to delivering communitybased labour market programmingthat will address challenges in skills development and labour market participation of Indigenouspeople.

Examples of projects that meet the objective of the Innovation stream include:

The development of a new business model to support the ongoing (sustainable) funding oftrainingtoemployment opportunities in a sector;Testing different types of trainingtoemployment approaches that are more appropriate inaddressing the challenges of increasing the employability of Indigenous communities, aremore cost effective or improve overall success rates (e.g. clients trained to employed ratio);New types of partnerships (e.g. charitable foundations, entrepreneurial notforprofitorganizations) that provide an innovative response to the usual barriers to employment forIndigenous people, as well as a new type of collaboration in addressing these broader socioeconomic challenges; andMultisector projects addressing multiple barriers to employment (e.g. skills developmentand homelessness or addictions), aiming at systemic changes through innovativeapproaches.

Innovation activities will be assessed on the following:

clarity of described activities and delivery model;how activities are linked to the project objectives;locations of activities and activity providers are identified;provision of approach for support and guidance (e.g. counselling, case management, followups, etc.) to participants;activities have a logical flow, and timelines are clearly identified and reasonable; andhow activities focus on innovative approaches to addressing socioeconomic issues whichmay include skills development training and service delivery improvements leading toimproved employability.

The evaluation criteria will be weighted differently to allow recognition of the innovative approach.Preference will be given to projects that include a strategy in place targeting the skills developmentand training needs of women and youth.

Eligible Costs



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Eligible costs include:

project administration and overhead costs, such as wages and benefits, rental of officespace, and telecommunication costs that are directly related to the administration or deliveryof the project;equipment rental (capital asset purchases may be allowed where it can be demonstrated tobe more costeffective over the life of the project), such as computers and office equipment;materials and supplies directly related to the project;costs associated with printing, translation and dissemination of project reports;communications activities, including promotional material and activities, through print, webbased and other media;costs related to the case management of participants, such as counselling, mentoring, skillstesting and needs evaluation, preemployment training, postsecondary training,apprenticeship training, technical training, onsite training, literacy and essential skillstraining;Income support for participants, such as allowances, child care, wage subsidies or wagesimulations, accommodation and transportation;costs for the provision of food to participants in training activities where it providesnourishment that is considered to contribute to the participants' successful completion oftheir training;costs of participant wages and the employer's share of employmentrelated costs forparticipants;professional fees related to audit, evaluation and assessment;professional fees for expertise not available through the organization or partners (forexample, services provided by Indigenous elders; individuals receiving a salary from thesponsoring or partner organizations are not eligible to be paid as consultants);travel within Canada that is directly related to the project activities; andother costs that, in the opinion of the Minister, are necessary to carry out the project.

Ineligible costs include:

capital improvements, such as the construction or renovation of buildings (other than repairsor renovations to support the participation of persons with disabilities);administrative overhead not directly related to the administration of the project;international travel;costs associated with fundraising activities;Canada Revenue Agency or payroll penalties and interest;traffic fines and penalties;parking passes;food, other than described under Eligible costs;legal fees and court awards for inappropriate dismissal or other inappropriate/illegal activity;membership fees for private clubs, golf clubs, gyms, etc.;staff salary bonuses;purchase of alcoholic beverages;mentor wages (under Youth projects); andgifts or payments for recognition (e.g. honoraria, ex gratia payments).

Total administration costs to be covered by ESDC must not exceed 15% of the total ESDC fundingrequested.

Next Step: Assessment



Eligibility Requirements

1 – Complete Application for Funding

1. The completed Application for Funding was received no later than the stated closing date(July 5, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. EST) for the Call for Proposals (CFP).

2. The Application for Funding was submitted by the authorized representative(s) of theorganization and contains signatures of your organization’s signing officers.

3. All required documents are attached to the Application for Funding:

Partner commitment letters (must be signed and on partner's letterhead).The completed Budget Detail Template.Forecast of Project Expenditures by Fiscal YearOrganizations bylaws or letters of incorporation.A copy of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) determination ofwhether or not an Environmental Assessment is required.

4. The Application for Funding does not exceed the maximum number of pages (30).

2 – Eligible Recipient

The Application for Funding was submitted by an Indigenous recipient.

Only Indigenous organizations* are eligible to submit proposals. This may include (but is not limitedto):

incorporated forprofit and notforprofit Indigenous controlled organizations;Indigenouscontrolled unincorporated organizations;Indian Act bands, band or tribal councils; andIndigenous selfgovernment entities.

3 – Eligible Project

1. The maximum duration of the project is four years (48 months).2. The amount of funding requested from ESDC does not exceed $10 million per project.3. The proposed project must demonstrate a partnershipbased approach.4. The project is identified as one of the two following streams:

a. Training to Employment; orb. Innovation

The application must meet all the eligibility requirements stated above in order to be deemedeligible for funding. An application that does not meet one or more of the requirements will berejected.

Assessment Criteria

A – Project Relevance (Max score / 15)

1. Understanding of the objectives of this CFP and overall relevance of the proposal to CFPrequirements (Max score / 15):

Proposals must demonstrate partnershipbased approaches to the development of Training toEmployment or Innovation activities.

B – Plan to Manage the Project (Max score / 40)


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B – Plan to Manage the Project (Max score / 40)1. Project activities (Max score / 20):

Proposals must provide a clear description of each activity. Activities should be specific,realistic and relevant to the project objectives and demonstrate how the project outcome(s)will be achieved. Timelines must be clearly established and feasible.

2. Experience in delivering similar activities and achieving positive results (Max score / 5):

Proposals must include a description of past projects (with ESDC/Service Canada or otherfunders) and their achievements in order to demonstrate that:

the applicant has previous experience in delivering Training to Employmenttypeprojects for Indigenous clients; andthe applicant has successfully delivered past projects and achieved positive results.

3. Expected results of the project (Max score / 15):

The expected results of Training to Employment projects will be assessed on the following:

Project outcomes are clearly identified.Inclusion of short and longterm impacts on the participants and the region.Inclusion of number of participants to be a) served, and b) employed through theproposed activities.Outcomes are clearly measurable and linked to project activities, and includesustainability of employment.

The expected results of Innovation projects will be assessed on the following:

Project outcomes are clearly identified.Inclusion of short and longterm impacts on the participants and the region.Inclusion of number of participants to be a) served and b) who will have improvedtheir employability through the proposed activities.Outcomes are clearly measurable and linked to project activities.

The expected results must also be specific, concrete and measurable.

Proposals must include qualitative and quantitative results measurement indicators. Theresults must be measurable and clearly linked to this CFP’s objectives, projectspecificobjectives and project activities.

C – Budget (Max score / 15)

1. Eligible and reasonable project costs (Max score / 15):

The project costs must be eligible, realistic and reasonable given the number of participants,the type and length of the activities, the geographic region and the projected employmentoutcomes.

D – Partnerships and Impacts (Max score / 30)

1. Partnerships (Max score / 20):

Training to Employment proposals must outline:

the level of contribution from each partner;the clarity and scope of partners' roles and responsibilities (must be confirmed inpartner commitment letters);a target of a minimum of 50 employed clients, over the course of the project, inskilled and longterm jobs (i.e. at least one year duration). Proposals withcommitments for less than 50 employment opportunities may also be considered,




particularly if the job opportunities are skilled and longterm; however, preferencewill be given to those projecting to meet or exceed this target;the relevance of partnership to the project;effective project management oversight, through equitable representation ofIndigenous and contributing partners, and federal officials as exofficio members, onestablished advisory committees overseeing the project;evidence of efforts to engage the provincial or territorial government as a partner, oran explanation of why they are not an appropriate partner; anda direct link to an ASETS agreement holder or other service delivery providers (e.g.educational institution, other ESDC programs, etc.) for projects that include preemployment or essential skills training.

Innovation proposals must outline:

the level of contribution from partners;the clarity and scope of partners' roles and responsibilities (must be confirmed inpartner commitment letters);the relevance of partnership to the project;the nature of partnerships with nontraditional stakeholders (e.g. social enterpriseorganizations, Indigenous enterprise organizations);effective project management oversight, through equitable representation ofIndigenous and contributing partners, and federal officials as exofficio members, onestablished advisory committees overseeing the project;evidence of efforts to engage the provincial or territorial government as a partner, oran explanation of why they are not an appropriate partner; anda direct link to an ASETS agreement holder or other service delivery providers (e.g.educational institution, other ESDC programs, etc.) for projects that include preemployment or essential skills training.

2. Contributions from other sources (Max score / 10):

Training to Employment proposals will receive additional consideration if at least 50% of thetotal project value is contributed by partners (e.g. large, privatesector organizations). Aclear breakdown of cash and inkind contributions, accompanied by written confirmation frompartners must be provided.Innovation stream proposals must have a clear breakdown of cash and inkind contributions,accompanied by written confirmation from partners.

E – Additional Priorities (Max score / 10)

1. Jobs for Women and Youth (Max score / 5):

Proposals that contain a strategy targeting the skills development and training needs ofwomen and youth are eligible to receive additional points.

2. Additional Government Priorities (Max score / 5):

Proposals that address departmental priorities (e.g. onreserve health care, water and wastewater treatment, housing, green industries) are eligible to receive additional points.

Next Step: Develop Your Application



How to Complete Your Application for Funding

Please read this section carefully before completing your application. Provide your answers on theApplication Form template and attach only the documents requested.

All required documents must be attached; otherwise your application will be considered incompleteand screened out. You are required to submit your application to Employment and SocialDevelopment (ESDC) in one complete package by the closing date of the Call for Proposals (CFP). Ifyou need additional space to answer any of the questions, please use the space provided inAppendix A of the Application for Funding.

There is flexibility in the Application for Funding for situations where the information requested maynot apply to all organizations or may be best provided through some other means. You may leave asection blank only where the following terms are present:

“if applicable”“if different”

Additional Documents Required

Listed below are additional document(s) that are required to be submitted with your Application forFunding.

Please ensure that your submission package includes all of the following:

a signed, completed Application for Funding template;a copy of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) determination of whetheror not an Environmental Assessment is required;a signed, completed Budget Detail Template (Annex B);a Forecast of Project Expenditures;partner commitment letters (must be signed and, on partner's letterhead);organization bylaws/letters of incorporation; andsignatures of your organization’s signing officers.

The Application for Funding must not exceed 30 pages. Any information after page 30 will not beconsidered. Electronic links to additional information will not be considered. Other requireddocumentation, such as partner commitment letters and the applicant organization’s bylaws orletters of incorporation, is not included in the 30page limit.

Part 1 – Organization

Section 1A – Organization Identification

ESDC uses the information you provide in this section to establish your organization’s identity.

Question 1 – Legal Name

Please provide the legal name of your organization. This is the name associated with yourregistration with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). This must be an exact match to what wascaptured when your organization registered with the CRA. This could also be the name that appearson funding cheques.

If there is a discrepancy between these two sets of information, the Department will be unable tovalidate your application.

Question 2 – Operating (Common) Name (if different from legal name)


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Please provide the operating (or common) name of your organization if it is different from the legalname.

Question 3 – Business or Registration Number

Please provide your 15digit CRA business number or, for registered charities and notforprofitorganizations, your registration number.

Example: 123456789 RR 0001

For more information, please visit the CRA website.

Question 4 – Organization Type

Your answer to this question must be one of the following:

1. NotforProfit2. Private; or3. Public.

Indigenous organizations are eligible recipients under the SPF program. This may includeincorporated forprofit and notforprofit Indigenous controlled organizations, Indigenous controlledunincorporated associations, Indian Act bands, tribal councils and Indigenous selfgovernmententities. An organization may be eligible for multiyear agreements, based on the strength of theproject proposal.

Question 5 – Organization Category

Please select the appropriate category from the following:

NotforProfit

1. Indigenous NotforProfit Groups2. Associations of Workers and/or Employers3. International Nongovernmental Organizations4. Local Community, Charitable, Voluntary Organizations5. Nongovernmental Organizations with a focus to encourage employment6. National Nongovernmental Organizations7. NotforProfit Band Councils8. Provincial Nongovernmental Organizations9. Sector Councils10. Unions

Private

1. Banks2. Businesses, Bodies Incorporated or Unincorporated3. Indian Band Corporations (profit basis)4. International Sector5. Band Councils6. Private Universities and Colleges

Public

1. Contributions to Provinces and Territories2. International Government Organizations3. Municipal Governments and Agencies4. Provincial Governments and Agencies5. Public DegreeGranting Colleges6. Public DegreeGranting Universities

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bn/



7. Public Community Colleges and Vocational Schools8. Public Health9. School Board/Other Educational Institution Not Classified Elsewhere10. Territorial Governments

Question 6 – Year Established

Please indicate the year your organization was established.

Questions 7 to 11 – Organization Address

Please indicate the address of your organization. Applicants must provide a complete address in aformat recognized by Canada Post. Information is available on the Canada Post website.

Questions 12 and 13 – Telephone and Fax

Please indicate the telephone and fax numbers of the organization.

Question 14 – Email Address

Please indicate the email address of the organization.

Questions 15 to 19 Mailing Address

Please indicate the mailing address if different from your organization’s address.


Please indicate the telephone and fax numbers, if different from those for your organization’saddress.

Question 22 – Organization’s Mandate

Please describe the primary work of your organization, including your mission, mandate andobjectives.

Section 1B – Organization Contact

Please provide a main contact for the purposes of communicating with your organization about thisproject. This could be a project manager or coordinator, an executive director or someone else.Typically, the person responsible for the project is identified here.

Question 23 – Given Name and Surname

Please provide the name of the person in your organization who will be ESDC’s main contact for theproject.

Question 24 – Position Title

Please provide the title of the organization contact identified in Question 23.

Example: Executive Director

Question 25 – Preferred Language of Communication

Please indicate the preferred language of the organization’s main contact for both written andspoken communication.

EN indicates EnglishFR indicates French

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Question 26 – Organization Contact – Address

Please indicate whether the address for the Organization Contact is the same address as theOrganization Address or the Organization Mailing Address given in Section 1A. If different, pleaseindicate in the box.

Questions 27 to 31 – Contact Address

If you selected “Different” in Question 26, please provide the address for the Organization Contacthere.


Please indicate the telephone and fax numbers of the Organization Contact.

Question 34 – Email Address

Please indicate the email address of the Organization Contact. Please note that this is where allcorrespondence will be sent.

Section 1C – Organizational Capacity

The Department uses the information provided in this section to help assess the organization’scapacity to manage a project.

Question 35 – How many employees does your organization currently have?

Please indicate the number of people employed in your organization. The number of employeesmust be a whole number.

Question 36 – Has your organization undergone any important transformations inthe past two years?

Important transformations refers to events such as a change in leadership in the board of directorsor at the executive level, an important reduction, increase or turnover in staff, a merger with orsplit from another organization, a change in mandate or main activities, etc.

If you answer yes, please provide a description of the changes.

Question 37 – Please describe how your organization has the experience andexpertise to carry out the proposed project activities. If applicable, please includeany past experience with ESDC and the results of the project.

Please provide a description of your organization’s experience and expertise in administeringprojects. This information will help the Department to assess the extent to which your organizationis capable of undertaking the proposed project activities and achieving the expected results. Youmay wish to highlight related past achievements in addition to describing current expertise andactivities or projects.

If your organization has previously delivered Training to Employment projects or projects similar towhat you are proposing to deliver under the SPF, please provide examples to demonstrate yourdelivery capacity. If you have not previously delivered projects similar to what you are proposingunder the SPF, please describe your organization’s capacity to engage in partnerships for successfuldelivery.

Question 38 – Does your organization owe any amounts to the Government ofCanada?

If yes, please indicate the amounts owing in the spaces provided. See the following example:



Example:

Amountowing

Nature of amountowing

Department or agency to which money isowed

$10,000 Overpayment Employment and Social Development Canada

Answering "Yes" to this question will not invalidate your application. However, you must providedetails as to the type of debt owed and the arrangements that have been made for repayment.

Question 39 – If an amount is owing, is a payment plan in place?

Please indicate whether or not payment arrangements have been made.

Part 2 – Project

Section 2A – Project Identification

Question 40 – Project Title

Please provide a brief, descriptive project title.

Questions 41 and 42 – Planned Project Start and End Dates

Please indicate the planned start and end dates of your project. For the purpose of this CFP, SPFprojects may start as early as October 1, 2016, and must not exceed four years (48 months)duration.

Activities cannot begin before your project is approved and an agreement has been signed by boththe recipient and ESDC.

You should not assume any commitment on the part of ESDC until funding has been approved and aformal agreement has been signed by a representative of ESDC. ESDC will notify you in writing ofthe outcome of the review of your application.

Section 2B – Project Description

The Department uses the information you provide in this section as part of the assessment indetermining whether or not your proposed project is eligible for funding.

The project description must describe what the project will accomplish and provide information onhow it meets the objective of the SPF program.

The objective of the SPF is to enable Indigenous organizations to experiment and to be innovativeby using partnerships to create appropriate labour market products and services for Indigenouspeople.

Information in this section must provide:

clear indication of what the project is and why it is important;clear and relevant labour market information that demonstrates why the project is needed;analysis of the regional Indigenous labour force, including current education and skill levels;anda solid rationale for why the project should be funded by ESDC.

Question 43 – Project Objectives

Please outline the objectives of your project.



Project objectives should (but are not limited to):

be consistent with the funding program’s objectives;identify a specific outcome(s) that the project is designed to accomplish (e.g. expectedemployment results);ensure that these outcome(s) are measurable;identify who will benefit from the project (e.g. Official Language Minority Community); andshow how meeting the project objectives will help to achieve the identified outcomes.

In this section, the project objectives must:

be clear, reasonable, and achievable within the project budget and timeframe; anddescribe how the project will prepare Indigenous people for current and future employmentopportunities.

Question 44 – Project Activities

Please describe, in full detail, the proposed project activities.

Project activities are the steps that will be taken to meet the objectives of the project. Activitiesshould be specific, measurable, realistic and relevant to the project objectives and demonstrate howthe project outcome(s) will be achieved.

Your project should be broken down into various steps (milestones) that reliably show your expectedprogress and plans to complete the project on time and within budget.

Please include details about how the project will be delivered. For example, will there be thirdpartyagreements, or will the organization deliver all aspects of the project?

There should be a clear link between the project activities and the project costs outlined in theproject budget. The information you provide here will have a significant bearing on the assessmentof your project and of your organization’s ability to undertake the project successfully.

There are natural stages in a project timeline. The description of project activities should be brokendown into those natural stages (or their equivalents):

Project TimelinesThis section is not meant to describe the project duration. Project timelines includeactivity progress, milestones, and participant progress

Setup and RecruitmentInclude information on how the project will be set up as well how staff andparticipants will be recruited.

ActivitiesDescribe in detail the activities of the proposed project.It is important to identify the roles and responsibilities of partners or serviceproviders related to each activity.

Action/Milestones (implementation and/or testing and/or validation)Please describe how you will measure the activities and milestones of your project.This section will be used to monitor the progress of your project.

Wind down and closeout“Wind down” refers to the project’s closing down operations, usually within the lastquarter of the project.Please describe how you will wind down your project activities, taking into accountdisposal of any capital assets, and any overpayments to the Department.Closeout occurs when the project has come to an end and the Department hasreceived and processed required information. This process determines and documents



whether the organization has:met project objectives;completed activities; and,achieved expected results.

Reporting and Evaluation

Example:

If you need to run a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to contract two facilitators for contractsgreater than $25,000 in value, the RFP process should be among your startup activities and shouldinclude realistic timeframes. The activities carried out by the facilitators would not begin until thedevelopment or action stages, or at least until after the RFP selection process is complete.

Question 45 – Expected Results of the Project

Please summarize the expected results of your project. The expected results of the project must beclearly linked to the project objectives. They must also be specific, concrete and measurable.

Expected results may be defined in different ways, for example (but are not limited to):

To meet the mandatory requirement set out in the Assessment Criteria of this document, applicantsunder the Training to Employment stream must target a minimum of 50 employed clients, over thecourse of the project, in skilled and longterm jobs (i.e. at least one year duration). Proposals withcommitments for less than 50 employment opportunities may be considered, particularly if the jobopportunities are skilled and longterm. However, preference will be given to those projecting tomeet or exceed this target.

Example of expected results under the Training to Employment stream:

# participants will be served over the life of the project; and# participants will become employed by the end of the project.

Example of expected results under the Innovation stream:

# participants will be served over the life of the project; and# participants will improve employability by the end of the project.

Section C – Project Details

Question 46 – Does the project include results measurement indicators?

Please describe how you will meet and track the expected results of the project.

Having a clear strategy to measure results is the best way to ensure that you know how your projectis progressing towards meeting the expected results. The Department uses the information youprovide in this section to assess the quality of your application and your capacity to demonstrateresults.

Please indicate how you will monitor the project over its duration, including the activities, budget,partner contributions and results, to know whether the project is on track and meeting itsdeliverables. Explain how and when you will collect the data needed to measure the results, andhow you will review and adjust the activities and management of the project if milestones andexpected results are not being met or activities are not successful.

To assist your organization in developing this section of the proposal, it may be helpful to be awareof monitoring and reporting requirements set out in the SPF contribution agreement. SPF agreementholders must:

provide individual participants and thirdparty agreement holders in receipt of funding with



clear expectations for the objectives and results of their funding;monitor project investments, including activity monitoring of individuals, and activity andfinancial monitoring of third party agreements. Monitoring must be documented. Activitymonitoring may include such things as periodic site visits, telephone calls andquestionnaires;provide thirdparty agreement holders with the advice and support needed to implement theagreement, and take appropriate measures to correct agreement breaches;collect specific personal information about project participants, including the type ofinterventions followed and outcomes achieved through the SPF project. This information willneed to be uploaded electronically quarterly to Canada;submit monthly or quarterly financial claims to Canada; andsubmit a final report to Canada at the end of the project period.

Should you choose to conduct a formal evaluation during the project, the expenses associated withthe evaluation are eligible for reimbursement and should be included in your budget. Details of theformal evaluation should be included in the Application for Funding.

Question 47 – Does the proposed project fit with your organization’s otheractivities?

Please describe how the project relates to the ongoing work of your organization. You may wish tohighlight how past achievements and current activities and/or projects are related to your proposedproject. This information helps the Department to determine the extent to which your organization isable to undertake the proposed project and to achieve the expected results.

Please explain how the project will be managed, including: the roles of key staff; use of contractedconsultants and contract oversight; financial control and oversight measures; and roles of the boardof directors, partners and other stakeholders (including, for example the project advisorycommittee).

Question 48 – Will any of the project activities be delivered in a different locationthan where your organization is located?

Please indicate “Yes” or “No”. If “Yes”, please list the main address first, followed by eachadditional location.

If there are more than five locations, please include relevant location information in Appendix A.

Question 49 – Is your project designed to benefit or involve people in English orFrenchlanguage minority communities?

ESDC is committed to enhancing the vitality of the English and French linguistic minorities in Canadaby supporting and assisting their development and fostering the full recognition and use of bothEnglish and French in Canadian society. Official Language Minority Communities are Englishspeaking communities established within the province of Quebec and Frenchspeaking communitiesestablished outside the province of Quebec.

If your proposed project will involve official language minority communities, you should answer ‘Yes’to this question and ensure that this is listed and described in your answer to Question 43 ProjectObjectives.

Please also identify the linguistic profile of the beneficiaries targeted by the project, document anyspecial needs of the official language minority community and indicate whether or not they wereconsulted. The related budgetary items can be identified in Part 3 of the Application.

Answering "No" to this question will not invalidate your application.

Question 50 – Will any other organizations, networks, or partners be involved incarrying out the project?



The SPF program requires applicants to secure the involvement of other organizations, networks, orpartners and that these stakeholders be part of an established project advisory committee. Pleasedescribe the nature of the partnerships and the expertise they will bring to the project. Pleasedescribe the role that the advisory committee will have in the oversight and success of the project.

This information will help the Department to assess the support base for your project.

To meet the mandatory requirement set out in the eligibility section of this Applicant Guide, SPFapplicants must clearly demonstrate a direct link to an ASETS agreement holder or other servicedelivery provider (e.g. educational institution, other ESDC programs, etc.) for projects that includepreemployment or essential skills training.

SPF projects must demonstrate partnershipbased approaches.

There is a significant difference between support and partnership. A supporter endorses a project,whereas a partner makes a contribution and plays an active role. Under the Training to Employmentstream, proposals will receive additional consideration if at least 50% of the total project value iscontributed by partners (e.g. from large, privatesector organizations). Other federal governmentfunding cannot be considered as a cash contribution. Both cash and inkind contributions by theapplicant organization or funding partner(s) will be accepted as combined leveraged funding.

Under the Training to Employment stream, a target of a minimum of 50 employed clients, over thecourse of the project, in skilled and longterm jobs (i.e. at least one year duration). Proposals withcommitments for less than 50 employment opportunities may also be considered, particularly if thejob opportunities are skilled and longterm. However, preference will be given to those projecting tomeet or exceed this target.

The information provided in this section of the proposal should clearly describe each partner's roleand contribution to the project and how the partnership is relevant to achieving the projectobjectives.

An applicant may not identify a separate department or division of its own organization as the solepartner.

Question 51 – Does the proposed project address the program’s national, regionalor local priorities?

Please indicate “Yes” or “No”. If “Yes”, please select all that apply.

All proposals submitted to the SPF should address the program’s current national priority ofpreparing Indigenous people for longterm, meaningful employment.

Question 52 – Does your project include activities that are listed in the CanadianEnvironmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) Regulations Designating PhysicalActivities established under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012?

Applicants need to verify if their proposed activities are listed under the above Act – Please visit theweb site to access the list of Regulations Designating Physical Activities.

Please indicate “Yes” or “No”.

If the answer is “No”, no Environmental Assessment will be required

If the answer is “Yes”, then, as per the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012, the applicantmust submit the project description electronically to the CEAA for further review. The CEAA willdetermine if an Environmental Assessment (EA) is required based on the project description.

Important: Departmental funding will be conditional upon receipt by the Department of CEAAconfirmation that an EA is not required, or a copy of the completed EA and confirmation that yourorganization is equipped to appropriately address the EA findings.

http://ceaa.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=9EC7CAD2-1

http://ceaa.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=63D3D025-1



organization is equipped to appropriately address the EA findings.Part 3 – Funding

Section 3A – Anticipated Sources of Funding Contribution

The Department’s funding programs generally encourage and/or require applicants to seek cashand/or inkind contributions for their proposed project from other sources of funding. Each programhas a “stacking limit”, that is, a maximum permitted amount of combined funding from federal,provincial, territorial and municipal governments for any one project or initiative. Contributions tothe project cannot exceed 100% of eligible expenditures.

The Department uses the information provided in this section to verify that your funding requestconforms to any stacking limit or requirement for funding from other sources.

“Other sources of funding” includes any source of funding (including from your organization) otherthan the program to which you are applying for funding.

Under the Training to Employment stream, proposals will receive additional consideration if at least50% of the total project value comes from partners (e.g. from large, privatesector organizations). Aclear breakdown of cash and inkind contributions accompanied by written confirmation frompartners is required.

A template partner commitment letter is included in Appendix D of the “Develop Your Application”tab. Your partners are not obligated to use the template in creating their commitment letters;however, use of the template is highly recommended to ensure that partner letters include asufficient level of detail and commitment and explain how the partner will participate in the project.

Question 53 – Source Name

Please include the name of the organization that will contribute funds and/or inkind contributions tothis project. The Department should be listed as the first source name and any other sources listedbelow.

Cash and inkind contributions must be committed to in writing by the contributing party in a letterthat contains:

the name and contact information of the contributing partner organization; andconfirmation of a committed contribution to the project, including the percentage of totalproject cost.

Each letter must be signed by an authorized authority of the contributing partner (e.g. ExecutiveDirector, Chief Financial Officer, etc.) attesting that the contributions are readily available once theproject is approved.

Question 54 – Source Type

Use the following list to identify the type of anticipated funding partner:

Crown CorporationFederal Department or AgencyForeign GovernmentsNotforProfitPrivate SectorProvincial/Territorial GovernmentRegional or Municipal GovernmentSponsor/Organization/RecipientUnionOther (please specify)

SPF applicants must identify all other federal government programs, agencies and departments that



may contribute funding to the project.

Question 55 – Cash

Please include the amount of funding that will be provided by partners to the project. Cashcontributions are funds given by a partner to the applicant organization, deposited in theorganization's bank account, and used toward eligible project costs.

Question 56 – Inkind ($ value)

Inkind contributions are nonmonetary goods or services that may be contributed to the project byyour organization or other organizations or partners for which your organization will not berequesting reimbursement. Inkind support may include donated equipment, services and/orfacilities necessary for the proposed project that would otherwise have to be purchased.

To be considered valid, inkind contributions should contribute to the success of the project, andtheir monetary equivalent be estimated at fair market value.

The amount listed should match the inkind valuations specified by the partners in their commitmentletters. The template partner commitment letter includes sample valuations of inkind contributions.

Question 57 – Confirmed Cash and InKind

Cash and inkind contributions should be committed to in writing by the contributing partner. Pleasecheck (x) if this has been confirmed.

Please submit signed copies of all partner commitment letters to the Department with the completedApplication for Funding.

Section 3B – Budget

The Department uses the information provided in this section to assess the overall cost of theproposed project, as well as the general nature of the expenditures to be covered by all anticipatedsources of funding.

The Budget Detail Template (located in Appendix B of the “Develop Your Application” tab) must beincluded as part of the application.

Question 58 – Cost Categories

Please summarize your project budget according to the Budget Detail Template attached in AppendixB.

Please note that a Budget Cashflow – Forecast Statement, located in Appendix C, will be requiredeach fiscal year along with a new activity plan for every year of operation of your project.

All costs must be directly related to implementing the SPF project. A list of eligible and ineligiblecosts is included in the “Eligibility” tab of this Applicant Guide.

Capital assets are any single or composite item costing $5,000 or more.

Total administration costs to be covered by ESDC must not exceed 15% of the total ESDC fundingrequested.

The project budget should demonstrate good value for money and economics of scale to the extentpossible. Economical approaches should be evident in the budget.

Question 59 to 61 – ESDC / Other – Cash / Other Inkind

Please provide the total planned expenditures by fiscal year.



For Question 59, the total ESDC budget must match the amount of ESDC funding requested inQuestion 55.The combined totals of Questions 60 and 61 must match the combined totals ofQuestions 55 and 56, minus the amount of funding requested from ESDC.

Section 3C – Budget Details

Question 62 – Associated Businesses or Individuals.

Please check all statements that apply to your planned expenditures of the Department’s funding.

In carrying out projects, contribution recipients may have to purchase various goods or servicesneeded to perform the project from contractors. Some recipients may also contract out with thirdparties (i.e. outside providers) to perform project activities and aid the contribution recipient toachieve the objectives of the project.

”Associated businesses or individuals” means:

an officer, director or employee of your organization;a member of the immediate family of an officer, director or employee of your organization;a business in which an officer, director or employee of your organization, or a member oftheir immediate family, has a financial interest; ora business that is related to, or associated or affiliated with, your organization.

Contracts with third parties must follow the contracting procedures set out in the ContributionAgreement and may require written approval of Canada.

Question 63 Capital Assets: Will capital assets be among your plannedexpenditures with ESDC funding?

Explain how your project will benefit from the purchase of capital assets.

As per the SPF Terms and Conditions, only single or composite items with a purchase or lease valueof $5,000 or more (before tax) should be listed as capital assets.

A capital asset is any single or composite asset with a purchase value of more than $5,000 (beforetax) that is not physically incorporated into another product and that remains functional at the endof the project.

A composite asset is a collection of unique assets that form one identifiable functional unit, whereall components are required for the asset to be functional. The collection of assets is treated as asingle capital asset if the total cost of all individual items together is greater than $5,000 (beforetax).

For example, a personal computer composed of a harddrive, a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse andcabling is a composite capital asset. Four $300 chairs are not capital assets because each chair isfunctional on its own and, as single units; they fall below the established threshold.

Please list all planned capital asset purchases or leases and provide a rationale for their necessityto successful project implementation. A disposal plan for the capital assets should also be included.

Question 64 – Further Budget Details

Please provide any additional information or budget rationale that will assist ESDC to:

assess the budget information provided in Questions 58 to 61;confirm the eligibility of proposed expenditures;determine whether planned expenditures are reasonable for the proposed activities;determine value for money and assess fair market value; andsubstantiate the value of inkind contributions from other sources.




Part 4 – Declaration

If you are not submitting through GCOS, please ensure that your application is signed by an official,authorized representative of your organization. People with signing authority are normally one ormore of the executive members of the board of directors (President, Vice President, Secretary orTreasurer) and employees of the organization (Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director, chiefs offinance or human resources).

The Application for Funding must be signed in accordance with the organization’s statutes, bylawsor other constituting documents. For example, the President and the Chief Financial Officer may berequired to sign all outgoing documents.

Appendix A

Please use this section to complete relevant sections of the application; and specify the question orsection meant to be continued.

Appendix A: Application for funding (PDF 149 KB)

Appendix B

Appendix B: Budget Detail Template (PDF 43 KB)

Appendix C (Forecast of Project Expenditures)

Appendix C: Detailed Budget Forecast of Project Expenditures (PDF 1,021 KB)

Appendix D (Sample Partner Commitment Letter)

Appendix D: Sample Partner Commitment Letter (PDF 82 KB)

Next Step: Apply

http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/aboriginal/partnership_fund/appendx_a.pdf

http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/aboriginal/partnership_fund/appendix_b.pdf

http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/aboriginal/partnership_fund/appendix_c.pdf

http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/aboriginal/partnership_fund/appendix_d.pdf



Apply

Before sending your completed Application for Funding, you should ensure that you have includedall of the following documents:

The completed Application for Funding.Partner commitment letters (must be signed and on partner's letterhead).The completed Budget Detail Template.Forecast of Project Expenditures by Fiscal Year.Organization bylaws or letters of incorporation.A copy of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) determination of whetheror not an Environmental Assessment is required.

Submit Your Application

Your application must be submitted no later than July 5, 2016 before 11:59 p.m. EST.

You are encouraged to submit it using the Grants and Contributions Online Services (GCOS).

Apply Online

Registering to GCOS can take up to two (2) weeks; therefore, we invite you to register as soon aspossible using this link, if you are not already registered: Register for GCOS

Applications can also be submitted by email to the NCSPFFCPGD@hrsdcrhdcc.gc.ca or by mailusing the address below.

Applications received after July 5, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. EST will be disqualified.

Skills and Partnership Fund – 2016 Call for ProposalsEmployment and Social Development Canada 140 Promenade du PortagePhase IV. 4th Floor – Mailstop 421 Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0J9

Applications cannot be submitted through other means, including cloud storage service providerssuch as Dropbox or Google Drive. Applications sent using such means will be disqualified.

For enquiries about this CFP process, please use the Contact form on our website.

Notice to Applicants

The information collected in your application will be used, and may be disclosed, for the purposes ofassessing the merits of your application. As part of the assessment process, the information may beshared with external consultants, review committee members, officials in other departments,federal, provincial and/or territorial governments or Members of Parliament.

It may also be used and/or disclosed for policy analysis, research, and/or evaluation purposes. Inorder to conduct these activities, various sources of information under the custody and control ofEmployment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) may be linked. However, these additional usesand/or disclosures of information will not impact your project.

In the event that the application contains personal information, the personal information will beadministered in accordance with the Privacy Act. The application is also subject to the Access toInformation Act (ATIA). The ATIA provides every person with a right of access to information under


http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/epb/gcos/login.shtml

http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/epb/gcos/index.shtml

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.rhdcc-hrsdc.gc.ca/cgi-bin/contact/edsc-esdc/eng/contact_us.aspx?section=spf

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the control of the Department, subject to a limited set of exemptions. Instructions for obtainingaccess to this information are outlined in the government publication entitled Info Source. InfoSource may also be accessed online at any Service Canada Centre.

Next Step: FollowUp

http://www.infosource.gc.ca/index-eng.asp




Followup

If you are submitting your application through GCOS, you will receive an acknowledgementimmediately.

If you are submitting your application by email, you will receive an acknowledgment within 24hours.

All applicants will be notified of the status of their application within 90 days of the CFPclosing date.

Not all proposals submitted under this CFP will be approved. Funding is limited and is subject tobudget considerations of the Skills and Partnership Fund and Employment and Social DevelopmentCanada, and allocation of funds by Parliament.

Decisions are final and there is no appeal process.


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