Federal
Government of Canada - Employment and Social Development
07/26/17 11:59 PM PST
Grants of up to $50,000 to Canada nonprofits, social enterprises, for-profits, small municipalities, territorial governments, and indigenous organizations to improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Funding may be requested for capital construction, renovation, or retrofitting, as well as the provision of accessible technologies in workplaces and communities across Canada.
This CFP has two funding streams: the Workplace Accessibility Stream and the Community Accessibility Stream.
Objective of the Workplace Accessibility Stream: To provide funding for small projects that improve accessibility and/or safety for people with disabilities in workplaces across Canada.
These improvements must be addressed through renovation, construction and/or retrofit activities or through the provision of accessible technologies, in facilities where people with disabilities work or could work in the future. While proposed projects can address accessibility needs that are specific to one current or future employee, the measures/features to be implemented must be usable/transferable to other current or future employees facing similar accessibility barriers, and must remain with the organization for their use (e.g. an accessible workstation with adjustable countertops and cabinets with pull-out shelves meets the objective, whereas hearing aids would not).
Objective of the Community Accessibility Stream: To provide funding for small projects that improve accessibility and/or safety for people with disabilities in communities across Canada.
These improvements must be addressed through renovation, construction and/or retrofit activities or through the provision of accessible technologies, in community spaces where programs and/or services are offered, or will be offered, to people with disabilities.
If you answer “Yes” to one or more of the following questions, you should apply under the Workplace Accessibility Stream:
-Is the intent of the project to render a workplace accessible and/or safe for the purpose of maintaining or creating job opportunities for people with disabilities?
-Does the project involve the renovation, construction and/or retrofitting of a workplace where employees with disabilities work or could work in the future?
-Does the project involve the creation of accessibility features for a new workplace where employees with disabilities will work or could work in the future?
-Does the project provide accessible information and communication technologies for work use for employees with disabilities?
If you answer “Yes” to one or more of the following questions, you should apply under the Community Accessibility Stream:
-Is the intent of the project to render a community space accessible and/or safe for the purpose of offering programs and/or services to people with disabilities?
-Is the project aimed at increasing access to programs and/or services for people with disabilities?
-Does the project involve the creation of accessibility features for a new community space where programs and/or services will be offered to people with disabilities?
-Does the project involve the renovation/construction/retrofit of an existing community space where programs and/or services are currently offered to people with disabilities?
-Does the project provide accessible information and communication technologies in a community space where programs and/or services are offered to people with disabilities?
The expected results of the EAF are:
-Accessible communities and workplaces;
-Increased access for people with disabilities to services, programs and employment opportunities; and
-Increased opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in and contribute to community life and the economy.
If your application is submitted under the Workplace Accessibility Stream, it must demonstrate that the project aligns with both of the following expected results:
-Increased workplace accessibility and/or safety; and
-Increased opportunities for current or future employees with disabilities to obtain or maintain employment and participate in the economy.
If your application is submitted under the Community Accessibility Stream, it must demonstrate that the project aligns with both of the following expected results:
-Increased accessibility and/or safety for people with disabilities in community spaces where programs and/or services are offered, or will be offered, to people with disabilities; and
-Increased opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in and contribute to community life.
Eligible Activities
Project activities must include renovation, construction and/or retrofit activities, or the provision of information and communication technologies that will increase accessibility and/or safety to community spaces or facilities where programs and/or services are offered (or will be offered) to people with disabilities or where people with disabilities work (or could work in the future). More specifically, to be considered eligible for funding, projects must be directly related to removing barriers and increasing accessibility and/or safety for people with disabilities in Canadian communities and workplaces. Below are examples of eligible activities for both the workplace and the community accessibility funding streams:
Examples of Workplace Accessibility Stream projects:
-Installing an elevator or lift in the main lobby of a regional tourist center in order to allow access to offices on the second floor, as well as installing automated power doors in the entrance for employees with mobility impairments;
-Widening doorways and hallways that are too narrow for employees with guide dogs and/or employees using a wheelchair, electric scooter or walker in a local clothing store;
-Installing audio-visual fire alarm systems and/or software or peripheral hardware such as screen readers, symbolic software, voice recognition software and speech synthesizers for employees with hearing or visual impairments in a public library;
-Providing information and communication technologies such as interactive speech capability software on a computer used by employees in an IT company;
-Installing enhanced lighting in a coffee shop to accommodate employees with visual impairments;
-Lowering the counters and food serving areas and cashier service desk in a cafeteria to accommodate staff with mobility impairments.
Examples of Community Accessibility Stream projects:
-Installing an access ramp and automated door openers to enable the access of people with disabilities to the main entrance of a church.
-Enhancing lighting in a recreational center, to accommodate people with low vision;
-Replacing doorknobs that are difficult to grasp and turn with accessible levered handles and installing accessible washrooms in a local tourist information office;
-Installing appropriate signage, tactile cues, and painting baseboards and door frames in a community hall with contrasting colors for individuals with visual impairments;
-Building an accessible pathway between outdoor amenities at a municipal outdoor recreation area (i.e. between tennis court, picnic area, pool, playground, and park);
-Building an interior ramp at the main gathering hall in a community summer camp for children with disabilities.
Eligible expenditures are costs considered necessary to support the purpose of the project. For this CFP, eligible expenditures include, but are not limited to:
-Professional fees, including consultants, technical expertise and/or construction contractors;
-Costs related to construction materials or supplies;
-Costs related to labour required to make the improvements to accessibility;
-Costs related to the purchase or rental of tools, equipment or machinery necessary to complete the project;
-Costs related to the purchase of accessible information and communication technologies;
-Costs related to the purchase of universally accessible/ergonomic accessories and furniture; and/or
-Other costs necessary to support the purpose of the funded project, as approved by ESDC.
Under the Workplace Accessible Stream, expenses must relate to projects taking place in facilities where people with disabilities work or could work in order to be considered eligible.
Under the Community Accessible Stream, expenses must relate to projects taking place in facilities that are open to the public and where programs and/or services are offered or will be offered to people with disabilities in order to be eligible.
Projects must demonstrate community support for their project.
GrantWatch ID#: 154538
Funding from ESDC cannot exceed $50,000 per project.
The duration of the proposed projects must be a maximum of 52 weeks (one year).
Eligible Grant Recipients:
-Not-for-profit organizations, including social enterprises;
-Businesses (maximum 99 full-time equivalent employees);
-Small municipalities (population under 125,000 as per most recent census data (2016));
-Indigenous organizations (including band councils, tribal councils and self-government entities); and
-Territorial governments.
Note that self-employed individuals are not eligible for funding.
For the purpose of this CFP, full-time equivalent is defined as the employment of one person for one full year or the equivalent thereof (e.g. the employment of two persons for six months each, or three persons for four months each).
Businesses that apply for funding (applicants) must also be the organization where the project activities will take place and where job opportunities for people with disabilities may be created and/or maintained. Businesses that rent or lease (leasor) a facility and/or space cannot apply on behalf of the organization renting or leasing (leasee) such facility and/or space where the project activities will take place.
In addition, in cases where the applicant is leasing or renting a facility or space within a facility in which they propose to undertake the project, the applicant will be required to provide a letter with their Standard Grant Application for Funding from the property-owner/landlord authorizing the project activities to take place.
The following activities are not eligible under this CFP:
-Any activity that would result in increasing accessibility based on personal needs of one individual, without being transferable to others;
-Retrofit of motor vehicles (e.g. automobiles, vans, buses), and/or
-Renovation, construction and/or retrofit of Government of Canada property or of private homes or dwellings.
Project activities must not include your organization’s regular activities, as the EAF does not fund your organization’s core, existing or ongoing activities.
Ineligible expenditures include, but are not limited to:
-Costs that are not directly related to improving accessibility and/or safety of people with disabilities in communities or workplaces;
-General operating costs of your organization, i.e. overhead expenditures (e.g. staff salaries and benefits, regular telephone and heating costs, rent, utilities, property taxes, insurance, audit costs, etc).
-Financing charges and interest expenditures;
-Legal fees;
-Training expenditures associated with the project;
-Costs linked to renovating, constructing and/or retrofitting Government of Canada properties or private homes/dwellings;
-Routine repair and maintenance expenditures of buildings or accessible features;
-Expenditures of land or any interest therein, and related expenditures;
-Costs associated with the lease of land, buildings or vehicles (e.g. automobiles, vans, buses);
-Costs associated with the purchase of buildings or vehicles (e.g. automobiles, vans, buses);
-Costs linked to retrofitting and modifying vehicles (e.g. automobiles, vans, buses);
-Costs linked to feasibility, planning, and marketing studies, including environmental assessments;
-Costs linked to research and development of a technology, or with the commercialization, marketing and promotion of a product or service;
-Costs associated with any consultation and/or preparation of the Standard Grant Application for Funding; and
-Any expenditure for which the recipient or a third party is eligible for a rebate.
The applicant must demonstrate that it has leveraged cash and/or in-kind contributions equal to or greater than 35% of the total eligible project costs from sources other than the Government of Canada by including letters confirming cash and/or in-kind contributions towards the project. The proposed contributions from other sources must be reasonable and must be related to eligible project activities.
Note: For the purpose of this CFP, the 35% leveraging requirement does not apply to organizations from the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Emailed inquiries will be answered between May 31 and July 12, 2017.
The deadline to apply is July 26, 2017 at 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time (PST).
Eligibility:
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/enabling-accessibility-fund/eligibility.html
Developing Your Application:
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/enabling-accessibility-fund/develop-application.html
How to Apply:
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/enabling-accessibility-fund/apply.html
Review Process:
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/enabling-accessibility-fund/review.html
Before starting your grant application, please review the funding source's website listed below for updates/changes/addendums/conferences/LOIs.
You are encouraged to apply for funding through the Grants and Contributions Online Services (GCOS):
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/gcos.html
If you have inquiries about this CFP process, please send them to: fpa-eaf@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
Canada: Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland and Labrador Northwest Territories Nova Scotia Nunavut Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon
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