Apply to become a Western intermediary under the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative

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Application period

Current status: Closed

This call for proposals ran from March 8, 2021 to April 7, 2021 at 3:00 pm Eastern time.

Applicants should not start their proposed projects until:

  • they receive approval of their project from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
  • an agreement has been signed between the organization and a representative of ESDC

Please note that not all applications submitted under this process will be approved. Funding is limited. It is subject to budget considerations of ESDC and allocation of funds by Parliament.

Decisions are final and there is no appeal process.

Learn more about other funding opportunities

You can apply between March 8, 2021 to April 7, 2021 at 3:00 pm Eastern daylight time (EDT).

Description of the funding

Eligible organizations in Western Canada or the Territories can apply for up to $1.4 million for a period of 3 years.

We will select one organization, located in Western Canada or the Territories, that will act as an intermediary to:

  • launch calls for proposals
  • sign funding agreements with eligible organizations
  • provide support to Black-led not-for-profit organizations across Canada

Objective

This call for proposals will provide funding to a high capacity organization that will support grassroots organizations to address the needs and improve the lives of Black Canadians by:

  • engaging black communities across Canada in both official languages
  • distributing funding using transparent processes to grassroots organizations
  • monitoring and reporting on the use of that funding
  • evaluating and reporting on results

Eligibility

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

Eligible applicants

Your organization must:

  • be a not for-profit organization
  • be located in Western Canada or the Territories
  • indicate that your organization is Black-led:
    • minimum two-thirds of the leadership positions, at all levels of your organization’s management and governance, are held by people who self-identify as Black
    • have a mandate to serve Black Canadian communities
  • be in operation for at least 6 years
  • have audited financial statements for the last 2 years (2018 and 2019)

Eligible projects

Your project must meet all of the following criteria:

  • run no longer than 36 months
  • must end by March 31, 2024
  • request cannot exceed $1.4 million for a period of 3 years

Note: We will only consider one application per organization.

How we assess your application

We will review your application in 3 steps by:

  1. screening for eligibility against the mandatory eligibility requirements and in questions 3 to 9 and 22 in the applicant guide
  2. assessing how project meets the program objectives and in questions 49, 55 to 58, and 69 to 71 in the applicant guide and the budget detail template
  3. considering other criteria to select the Western Intermediary and in question 49 in the applicant guide

Note: It is important to submit a complete application. Make sure you have all the documents you need before you apply. If your application is incomplete, we will notify you by email. You will have 15 business days to submit the missing information. If your application is not complete by that time, we will reject it from the process.

Screening for eligibility

We will assess your project only if all of the following eligibility requirements are met and the necessary documentation has been provided:

  • application is received by the deadline
  • organization is eligible:
    • not-for-Profit (questions 3, 4 and 5 in the applicant guide)
    • operating for at least 6 years (question 6 in the applicant guide)
    • located in Western Canada or the Territories (questions 7, 8 and 9 in the applicant guide)
    • organization indicated “yes” to the eligibility questions on Black-led organization and mandate serves Black Canadian communities (question 22 in the applicant guide)
  • application is complete, including:
    • all mandatory information (questions 3 to 9, and question 22 in the applicant guide)
    • completed budget detail template and part 3 of the application form
    • audited financial statements from the last 2 years (2018 and 2019)
    • completed attestation (part 4 of the application form)
  • project activities are eligible

Project assessment

We will assess your application based on the following criteria:

Organization’s capacity

  • Describe your organization’s capacity to ensure sound financial management
  • Describe your existing community network and partnerships that would demonstrate your ability to carry out this project
  • Demonstrate your effective governance
  • Demonstrate your experience in reporting on results

Project objective

Describe how your organization will support grassroots organizations to address the needs and improve the lives of Black Canadians.

Project activities

  • Describe how your organization will establish partnerships with other Black-led organizations in Canada
  • Describe how your organization will manage and redistribute funding to grassroots organizations to support Black Canadian communities
  • Provide clear and relevant description of the project activities
  • Provide clear and feasible timelines to complete the project activities

Project impact and results

  • Describe what your project will achieve and how it aligns with the objective of this call for proposals
  • Describe how Black-led grassroots organizations in Canada will benefit from your organization serving as a Western Intermediary
  • Describe how your project will impact the lives of Black Canadians
  • Outline how your organization plans to collect, measure and report on your project’s results

Project costs

  • Provide a brief and clear justification of how you intend to use the money
  • Demonstrate that your project costs are reasonable, detailed and support the project activities
  • Your administrative costs can be no more than 25% of the total funding by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), which is $1.4 million

Additional assessment considerations

In selecting the Western Intermediary, we will give further consideration to proposals from organizations that currently serve communities in multiple geographical locations.

Steps to apply

Gather your supporting documents

Documents to send:

  • completed application form
  • 2 audited financial statements for the past 2 years (2018 and 2019)
  • completed budget detail template

Apply by email or mail

  1. Read the applicant guide to complete your application form. This guide includes details and more information for each question of the form
  2. Complete the application form and budget detail template online or by hand
Tips for PDF application form

Our 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:
    1. Select the “Open with” option
    2. 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:
    1. ESDC-EMP 5679.pdf (secured) – Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, or
    2. ESDC-EMP 5679.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.

Beware 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
  1. Send your complete application package by email or by mail:
    • by email to:
      EDSC.ACNC-SBCC.ESDC@canada.gc.ca
    • by mail to:
      Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative
      Coordination unit mailstop 402
      National Grants and Contributions Delivery Centre
      140 Promenade du Portage Phase IV Floor 4
      Gatineau QC  K1A 0J9

If you cannot email the required documents, you can send them by mail to the address above. In your email, tell us if you are sending other documents by mail.

Note: We will only consider complete application packages.

After you have applied

We will review your application and decide if you are selected to become the Western intermediary.

We will select the successful organization by summer 2021.

  • By email

    We will confirm reception of your application by email.

  • By mail

    We will confirm reception of your application by email within 21 calendar days.

    We will use the email address you provided in your application.

Contact us

If you have questions email us at EDSC.ACNC-SBCC.ESDC@canada.gc.ca.

We will answer questions sent before April 7, 2021 at 12:00 pm EDT.

Information sessions

We will hold information sessions in mid-March 2021. You can participate online or by teleconference. If you are interested, send an email to EDSC.ACNC-SBCC.ESDC@canada.gc.ca.

In your email, indicate if you would like to attend an information session in English or French. Also, specify if you need accommodations.

We will provide you with the instructions on how and when to attend.

Glossary

Black-led organizations

  • Have a mandate to serve Black Canadians in Canada
  • Minimum two-thirds of the leadership positions, at all levels of your organization’s management and governance, are held by people who self-identify as Black

Intermediary

  • A high capacity Black-led organization
  • Support to grassroots, non-profit community organizations
  • Build grassroots organizations’ capacity to address the needs and improve the lives of Black Canadians
  • Distribute funding to grassroots organizations through open and transparent processes

Western Canada and the Territories

Include the provinces of:

  • Manitoba
  • Saskatchewan
  • Alberta
  • British Columbia

The Territories include:

  • Yukon
  • Nunavut
  • Northwest Territories

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