Funding: Enabling Accessibility Fund

Purpose

• Objective of this program
• Objective of this CFP
• Expected Results

The Government of Canada is currently accepting applications from organizations interested in receiving financial assistance from the Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) from either the Workplace Accessibility Stream or Community Accessibility Stream.

The purpose of this Applicant Guide is to provide information to assist you with the completion of the Standard Grant Application for Funding. It is recommended that you read the Applicant Guide in its entirety before you start completing your application, as it provides important details on the information and supporting documentation Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) requires to assess your application. We also suggest that you print or save a copy of this guide, in order to refer to it once this Call for Proposals (CFP) is closed. After July 26, 2016 this guide will no longer be available online.

If you have enquiries about this CFP process, please send them to the following address: fpa-eaf@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca. Enquiries will only be answered between May 31 and July 12, 2016. During this time, to ensure fairness and transparency, additional information stemming from the enquiries received will be posted under the Enquiries tab.

Objective of this program

The EAF works with organizations to improve physical accessibility and safety for people with disabilities by supporting the capital costs of renovation, construction and/or retrofit activities in workplaces and communities across Canada.

For more information on the program, please refer to the EAF website.

Objective of this CFP

This CFP has two streams: the Workplace Accessibility Stream and the Community Accessibility Stream. Please pay careful attention to the objectives and eligibility requirements of each stream to determine which one is best for your project.

The objective of the Workplace Accessibility Stream is to provide funding for small projects that improve accessibility and/or safety for people with disabilities in workplaces^{Footnote 1} across Canada. Improvement to accessibility and safety must be addressed through renovation, construction and/or retrofit activities or through the provision of accessible technologies^{Footnote 2}, 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 employee, the measures to be implemented must be usable/transferable to other 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).

The objective of the Community Accessibility Stream is to provide funding for small projects that improve accessibility and/or safety for people with disabilities in communities across Canada. Improvement to accessibility and safety must be addressed through renovation, construction and/or retrofit activities or through the provision of accessible technologies^{Footnote 2}, in facilities where programs and/or services are offered, or will be offered, to people with disabilities. Projects must be developed to respond to collective accessibility needs as opposed to the specific needs of one individual.

Organizations can only submit one Standard Grant Application for Funding per funding stream under this CFP, to a maximum of two applications per organization. If more than one application is submitted by an organization under the same funding stream, only the first application received will be considered.

If an organization submits two applications, one per stream, the project activities (e.g. installation of speech recognition software, construction of a ramp), project costs and expected results must be specific to each project/application and be entirely different from one another (i.e. no overlap). If your organization is submitting one application per stream, please use two separate Standard Grant Application for Funding forms.

The following questions will help you determine under which stream to apply:

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^{Footnote 1} accessible and/or safe for the purpose of maintaining or creating new job opportunities for people with disabilities?

• Is the project aimed at creating or maintaining job opportunities for employees with disabilities?

• Does the project involve the renovation, construction or retrofitting of a workplace where employees with disabilities work or could work in the future?

• Does the project involve the renovation of an existing workplace to increase accessibility and/or safety for employees with disabilities in their work environment?

• Does the project provide accessible information and communication technologies^{Footnote 2} 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 facility accessible 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 a new accessible community facility where programs and/or services will be offered to people with disabilities?

• Does the project involve the renovation/construction/retrofit of an existing community facility where programs and/or services are currently offered to people with disabilities?

• Does the project provide accessible information and communication technologies^{Footnote 2} in a community facility where programs and/or services are offered to people with disabilities?

Expected Results

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.

Your project, through your own established expected results, should contribute to the achievement of EAF’s results and objectives.

Projects submitted under the Workplace Accessibility Stream must demonstrate both of the following expected results:

• increased workplace^{Footnote 1} accessibility and/or safety; and
• creation and/or maintenance of employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Projects submitted under the Community Accessibility Stream must demonstrate both of the following expected results:

• increased accessibility for people with disabilities in facilities that are open to the public and 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.

This is a competitive process and not all applications submitted under this CFP will be selected, as funding is limited and subject to ESDC’s yearly budget considerations and allocation of funds by Parliament.

The Government of Canada reserves the right to accept an application in whole or in part and give consideration to factors such as geographic coverage and official languages requirements.

Eligibility

• Eligible Projects
• Eligible Grant Recipients
• Eligible Activities
• Eligible Expenditures

For the purpose of this CFP, funding will be provided to successful applicants based on the eligibility of the project, recipient, activities and expenditures.

Eligible Projects

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

• Projects must demonstrate that they meet the CFP objective related to their stream (see Background, Objective of this CFP);
• Projects must demonstrate that they meet all the expected results related to their stream (see Background, Expected Results);
• Projects must include eligible activities;
• The duration of proposed projects must be a maximum of 52 weeks (one year);
• Funding from ESDC cannot exceed $50,000 per project;
• Cash and/or in-kind contributions equal to or greater than 35% of total eligible project costs must be provided through sources other than the Government of Canada (which can include the applicant’s own organization). Applicants must provide letters confirming all cash and/or in-kind support from contributors with their application. For further details please see Filling in Your Application (Section B, Part 3A - Anticipated Sources of Funding);
• Projects must demonstrate community support for their project. For further details, please see Filling in Your Application (Section B – Part 2B – Question 47); and
• All required documents must be submitted with the Standard Grant Application for Funding. For a list of required documentation, please see Apply/Checklist.

For the purpose of this CFP, activities involving retrofitting of motor vehicles are not eligible.

In addition, additional points will be awarded to applications that demonstrate that they will:

• involve people with disabilities and/or experts on disability issues in the design and/or realization of the project; and/or
• exceed the mandatory 35% of total eligible project costs in cash and/or in-kind contributions from sources other than the Government of Canada.

Eligible Grant Recipients

Eligible recipients for this CFP are:

• not-for-profit organizations, including social enterprises;
• small businesses^{Footnote 3} (maximum 99 full-time equivalent^{Footnote 5} employees);
• small municipalities (population under 125,000 as per census data);
• Indigenous organizations (including band councils, tribal councils and self-government entities); and
• territorial governments.

Note: Self-employed individuals are not eligible for funding.

Small businesses that apply for funding must be the same organization where the project activities will take place and where job opportunities will be created and/or maintained. Small businesses that rent or lease facilities or office spaces to other small businesses in which job opportunities could be created for people with disabilities are not eligible for funding under this CFP.

In addition, organizations that apply for funding can own or lease the facility in which they propose to undertake the project. In the case of a lease, the applicant will need to demonstrate that they have the prior consent of the landlord by providing a letter of authorization with their Standard Grant Application for Funding.

Eligible Activities

Eligible activities for projects under this CFP must meet the CFP objective related to their stream (see Background, Objective of this CFP).

For examples of eligible activities, please see the Examples tab.

To be considered eligible for funding under the Workplace Accessibility Stream, proposed activities must address systemic accessibility^{Footnote 4} and/or safety issues in a specified workplace^{Footnote 1}. The activities must be aimed at eliminating accessibility barriers of the workplace, or reducing safety concerns of people with disabilities in their workplace environment through renovation, construction and/or retrofit activities and/or the provision of accessible technologies^{Footnote 2}, with the ultimate intent of creating or maintaining job opportunities for people with disabilities in the workplace.

The following types of activities are eligible for funding through this stream:

• renovation, construction or retrofit activities designed to increase accessibility and/or improve safety for people with disabilities in workplaces^{Footnote 1}; and/or
• purchase of accessible information or communication technologies^{Footnote 2}, and any associated renovation, construction or retrofit activities required for the installation of the material, which will reduce systemic accessibility^{Footnote 4} barriers in workplaces.

To be considered eligible for funding under the Community Accessibility Stream, proposed activities must address systemic accessibility^{Footnote 4} and/or safety issues in facilities that are open to the public and where programs and/or services are offered, or will be offered, to people with disabilities. The activities must be aimed at removing barriers and increasing accessibility for people with disabilities in Canadian communities through renovation, construction and/or retrofit activities and/or the provision of accessible technologies^{Footnote 2}.

The following types of activities are eligible for funding through this stream:

• renovation, construction or retrofit activities designed to increase accessibility and/or improve safety for people with disabilities in facilities where programs and/or services are offered, or will be offered, to people with disabilities; and/or
• purchase of accessible information or communication technologies^{Footnote 2}, and any associated renovation, construction or retrofit activities required for the installation of the material, which will reduce systemic accessibility^{Footnote 4} barriers in facilities where programs and/or services are offered, or will be offered, to people with disabilities.

Ineligible Activities (both streams):

The following activities are not eligible under this CFP:

• any activity that would result in increasing accessibility for only one individual based on personal needs;
• retrofit of motor vehicles; and/or
• renovation, construction or retrofit of Government of Canada property or of private homes or dwellings.

Project activities must go beyond your organization’s normal activities, as the EAF does not fund your organization’s core, existing or ongoing activities.

Eligible Expenditures

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;
• 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^{Footnote 2};
• costs related to the purchase of universally accessible/ergonomic accessories and furniture; and/or
• other costs necessary to support the purpose of the funding, as approved by ESDC.

Please note that all eligible expenditures are subject to assessment and negotiation. Applicants must provide cost estimates for their proposed activities, as well as supporting information to demonstrate accuracy and reasonableness of their project costs (see Filling in Your Application, Section 3B - Budget).

Ineligible expenditures include, but are not limited to:

• costs that are not directly related to improving accessibility in a workplace^{Footnote 1} or in the public space of a facility where programs and/or services are offered, or will be offered, to people with disabilities;
• costs linked to renovating, constructing and/or retrofitting Government of Canada properties or private homes/dwellings;
• costs linked to retrofitting and modifying vehicles;
• wages and other employment benefits of any employees of the recipient;
• overhead expenditures of the recipient (i.e. direct or indirect operating or administrative expenditures);
• training expenditures associated with the project;
• costs linked to feasibility and planning studies, including environmental assessments;
• any expenditure for which the recipient or a third party is eligible for a rebate;
• expenditures of land or any interest therein, and related expenditures;
• costs associated with the lease of land, buildings or vehicles;
• costs associated with the purchase of buildings or vehicles;
• financing charges and interest expenditures;
• legal fees;
• routine repair and maintenance expenditures of buildings; and
• costs associated with any consultation and/or preparation of the application.

Assessment Criteria

These sections outline the criteria used to review your Standard Grant Application for Funding:

The Eligibility Requirements – Mandatory Criteria section indicates what is required for an application to be considered eligible for funding. The eligibility requirements are considered during the screening process. If it does not meet these mandatory criteria, your application will not be considered further and will not be assessed.

The Assessment Criteria section indicates how a variety of elements in your application are weighted in order to evaluate its overall quality in comparison to other projects submitted in this competitive process.

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

How to fill out the Standard Grant Application for Funding

It is recommended that you consult this section while filling in the Standard Grant Application for Funding, as it provides important details on the information and supporting documentation ESDC requires to assess your application. Provide your answers on the application form found here and attach only the documents requested (see Apply/Checklist).

For ease of use, below are links to each section of the Standard Grant Application for Funding:

Section B - Application

Part 1 – Organization

Part 2 – Project

Part 3 – Funding

Part 4 – Additional Information (Optional)

Part 5 – Signatures

Section C – Articles of Agreement

Schedule A - Project Description and Signatures

All required documents must be attached; otherwise, your application will be considered incomplete and screened out. You are required to submit your application in one complete package by the closing date of the CFP.

If you need additional space to answer any of the questions, please use the space provided in Part 4 – Additional Information.

As you prepare your application, you are encouraged to consult the ESDC Accessibility Resource Centre website and/or an organization that works with people with disabilities to discuss your accessibility requirements. Such organizations have a good knowledge of the modifications that would need to be done and will be able to provide guidance to applicants on the types of accessibility measures that are required for specific disabilities.

Section B - Part 1 - Organization

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. Usually, this is the name associated with your registration with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), or the name that would appear on funding cheques.

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

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

Question 3 - CRA Business Number

Please provide your 15-digit CRA business or registration number. You are also required to submit a document from the CRA that includes your business or registration number (e.g. tax related documents, CRA correspondence).

Example: 123456789 RR 0001

For more information, please visit the CRA website.

Question 4 - Other Registration Number (specify from where)

Not applicable for this CFP.

Question 5 - Organization Type

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

• not-for-profit organization (includes social enterprises);
• small business^{Footnote 3} (maximum 99 full-time equivalent^{Footnote 5} employees);
• small municipality (population under 125,000 as per census data);
• Indigenous organization (including band councils, tribal councils and self-government entities); or
• territorial government.

For more details, please refer to Eligibility.

Question 6 - Organization Category

Not applicable for this CFP.

Question 7 - Year Established

Please indicate the year your organization was established.

Questions 8 to 12 - Organization Address

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

Questions 13 to 15 - Telephone, Fax and E-mail

Please indicate the telephone number, fax number (if applicable) and e-mail address of the organization.

Questions 16 to 20 - Mailing Address (if different from Organization Address)

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

Questions 21 and 22 - Telephone and Fax

Please indicate the telephone and fax numbers if different from your organization’s address.

Question 23 - Organization’s Mandate

Please describe the main activities of your organization, including your mission, mandate and objectives, if applicable.

Please describe the programs and services offered by your organization and indicate whether they are offered solely to people with disabilities or to the general population including people with disabilities.

Examples of activities, programs or services could include, but are not limited to:

• recreation, fitness and sports activities for children, adults and seniors;
• life skills programs for at-risk youth;
• health and wellness programs and services for women;
• training and education services for people with disabilities;
• multi-disciplinary programs such as dance, drama, music and visual arts for all ages; and
• seniors group programs or activities.

If there are any specific groups that use your facility, please identify them (e.g. children, people with intellectual disabilities, etc.). Please also identify if your organization offers, for example, the only meeting place and/or accessible communication/information technology in your community. Please also indicate whether there are other organizations using the facility regularly. This helps to demonstrate the impact of your proposed project within your community. Please note that all employees of your organization, including people with disabilities, must be paid at market rate and no lower than the prevailing minimum wage (i.e. equivalent pay for equivalent work).

If your organization is a small business^{Footnote 3}, please describe what your organization sells (i.e. types of goods and/or services).

If you are applying to the Workplace Accessibility Stream, please indicate whether your organization currently employs people with disabilities and how many.

1B - Organization Contact

Please provide a main contact for the purposes of communicating with your organization about this project. This could be the president/organization leader/owner/manager or a delegate of their choice.

Question 24 - Given Name and Surname

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

Question 25 - Position Title

Please provide the title of the organization contact identified in Question 24.

E.g. Business Owner, President, Executive Director.

Question 26 - Preferred Language of Communication

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

Question 27 - Organization Contact - Address

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

Questions 28 to 32 - Contact Address

If you selected “Different” in Question 27, please provide the address for the Organization Contact here.

Questions 33 and 34 - Telephone and Fax

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

Question 35 - E-mail Address

Please indicate the e-mail address of the Organization Contact. Please note that this is where all correspondence will be sent.

Section 1C - Organizational Capacity

ESDC uses the information provided in this section to help assess the organization’s capacity to manage a project.

Question 36 - How many employees does your organization currently have?

Please indicate the total number of people employed in your organization. The number of employees must be a whole number.

For more details, please refer to Eligibility.

Question 37 - Does your organization owe any amounts to the Government of Canada?

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

Question 38 - If an amount is owing, is a payment plan in place?

Please indicate whether or not payment arrangements have been made.

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

Section B - Part 2 - Project

2A - Project Identification

Question 39 - Project Title

Please provide a brief, descriptive project title.

Questions 40 and 41 - Planned Project Start and End Dates

Please indicate the planned start and end dates of your project.

Proposed activities cannot begin before your project is approved and the Standard Grant Application for Funding has been signed by both you and ESDC. Any activities that occur prior to the signing of the Standard Grant Application for Funding by ESDC cannot be reimbursed.

You should not assume any commitment on the part of ESDC until funding has been approved and the Standard Grant Application for Funding has been signed by a representative of ESDC. ESDC will notify you in writing of the outcome of the review of your application.

For the purpose of this CFP, agreements are not expected to start until late fall 2016.

2B - Project Description

Question 42 - Project Summary (Please provide a short description of the proposed project including main objective)

Please provide a short description of the proposed project. You should include the following information to help understand the need for your proposed project:

Workplace Accessibility Stream:

• Identify and describe the existing accessibility barriers within the current workplace environment and explain how they prevent people with disabilities from accessing job opportunities or job advancement within your organization; and
• Explain how the project will remove accessibility barriers and increase accessibility and/or safety for people with disabilities in the workplace.

Community Accessibility Stream:

• Clearly identify existing barriers within your facility and how they create challenges for people with disabilities and/or prevent people with disabilities from accessing your programs or services; and
• Describe how your proposed project would overcome these barriers.

Applications must indicate the funding stream (Workplace Accessibility Stream or Community Accessibility Stream) to which they are applying in this section.

In addition, please describe the physical location and the immediate surroundings of the facility where the renovation, construction and/or retrofit would be taking place, how the space is currently being used and how the project will affect the way people with disabilities use this space (e.g. for work, for accessing programs/services).

Question 43 - Project Activities (Please provide details on the activities that will be taking place)

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

Please list the project activities in a logical sequence, including timelines and/or duration of each, and descriptions where needed. Timelines must be clearly established and feasible. Each activity should be clearly linked to the project costs outlined in the budget (Sections 3B and 3C). This should demonstrate your expected progress and plans to complete the project on time and within budget.

The following is an example of a project to make the washrooms and entranceways of a community facility accessible to people with disabilities:

• Preparation (November 21 – December 14, 2016)
  • Removal of block wall at existing washroom
  • Removal of existing interior and exterior entrances
• Excavation and Backfill for Ramp (December 15, 2016 – January 2, 2017)
• Concrete Work (January 3 – January 25, 2017)
• Hand Rails and Grab Bars (January 26 – 27, 2017)
• Door Installation (January 26 – 27, 2017)
  • Installation of 2 hollow metal frames and wider doors
• Plumbing and HVAC (January 30 – February 27, 2017)
  • Removal of existing features in washroom
  • Installation of new waterlines; tie into existing waterlines, as required
  • Install new drains, waste and vents; tie into existing drainage and rework existing exhaust vent
  • Installation of new fixtures, including automated flush, faucets, soap dispensers and hand-dryers
• Electrical (February 28 – March 17, 2017)
  • Relocate existing switches and receptacle at front entrance
  • Wire 2 new door operators with hardwiring for 4 push buttons
• Drywall (March 20 – April 19, 2017)
• Painting (April 20 – 27, 2017)
  • Prime and paint new drywall surfaces, 2 new hollow metal doors and frames and apply rust paint to new railings on front steps and ramp
• Flooring (April 28 – May 25, 2017)
  • New flooring and base in new entrance, waiting area and into the enlarged washroom

To be considered eligible for funding under the Workplace Accessibility Stream, proposed activities must address systemic accessibility^{Footnote 4} and/or safety issues in a specified workplace^{Footnote 1}. The activities must be aimed at eliminating accessibility barriers of the workplace, or reducing safety concerns of people with disabilities in their workplace environment through renovation, construction and/or retrofit activities and/or the provision of accessible technologies^{Footnote 2}, with the ultimate intent of creating or maintaining job opportunities for people with disabilities in the workplace.

To be considered eligible for funding under the Community Accessibility Stream, proposed activities must address systemic accessibility^{Footnote 4} and/or safety issues in facilities that are open to the public and where programs and/or services are offered, or will be offered, to people with disabilities. The activities must be aimed at removing barriers and increasing accessibility for people with disabilities in Canadian communities through renovation, construction and/or retrofit activities and/or the provision of accessible technologies^{Footnote 2}.

Please refer to Eligibility for additional details on eligible and ineligible activities.

Question 44 - Please describe how the proposed project addresses the program objectives, and please identify the call for proposal priority under which you are applying (if applicable)

Note: This CFP does not have any specified priorities.

Applications should include clear and achievable objectives. The objectives should be described in terms of quantifiable and measurable goals to be achieved through this project. The application should demonstrate how the project’s objectives are linked to the CFP objective of the applicant’s chosen stream. Please pay careful attention to the objectives and eligibility requirements of each stream to determine which one is best for your project. Your chosen stream should be indicated in Question 42.

The objective of the Workplace Accessibility Stream is to provide funding for small projects that improve accessibility and/or safety for people with disabilities in workplaces^{Footnote 1} across Canada. Improvement to accessibility and safety must be addressed through renovation, construction and/or retrofit activities or through the provision of accessible technologies^{Footnote 2}, 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 employee, the measures to be implemented must be usable/transferable to other 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).

The objective of the Community Accessibility Stream is to provide funding for small projects that improve accessibility and/or safety for people with disabilities in communities across Canada. Improvement to accessibility and safety must be addressed through renovation, construction and/or retrofit activities or through the provision of accessible technologies^{Footnote 2}, in facilities where programs and/or services are offered, or will be offered, to people with disabilities. Projects must be developed to respond to collective accessibility needs as opposed to the specific needs of one individual.

Examples of specific project objectives could be:

• To eliminate barriers to accessibility in the main hallway and the washroom of an accounting firm to increase the workplace accessibility and consequently allow future and/or current employment of people with disabilities.
• To enhance the level of accessibility of pathways surrounding a community facility to enable more autonomy of patrons with disabilities when they are going to various buildings’ locations.

Question 45 - If the proposed project involves construction or renovation activities, does your organization own the building?

Please indicate whether your organization owns the building and/or real property (e.g. worksite, playground) where the renovation, construction or retrofit activities will take place and include the appropriate documentation as required. Please provide:

• proof that the project activities will not take place on Government of Canada property nor in a private home or dwelling (e.g. building ownership proof, lease agreement); and/or
• a letter of consent from the landlord/lease provider if the applicant currently rents/leases the facilities.

Question 46 - Approximately, how many individuals will benefit from the proposed project activities, and how?

Please estimate how many people with disabilities you expect the proposed project will benefit one year after the completion of this project in comparison to before the project was implemented. Also, please describe in what ways people with disabilities will benefit from this project. Applicants are invited to provide any information pertaining to their employees, clients, the population they serve, geographical factors, etc. that would help to contextualise the impact of the project.

Question 47 - Please describe the community support for this project.

Applicants are required to demonstrate that they have support from their community to undertake their projects. Proposed projects must be supported by at least one of the following organizations:

• an organization whose mandate is to advance the cause of people with disabilities;
• an organization that provides programs and services targeted to people with disabilities;
• an organization with whom the applicant organization is collaborating, or to whom it is referring clients/patrons for programs/services and/or employment opportunities; and/or
• a municipal or provincial government agency or official.

In order to demonstrate community support for your project, please provide the following information regarding the organization(s) supporting the proposed project:

• name of the supporting organization;
• web site address;
• name of contact person;
• e-mail address;
• area code/telephone number;
• preferred language of correspondence (English or French); and
• type of organization (e.g. not-for-profit, municipality).

Question 48 - Please indicate how the proposed project will increase opportunities for the target group (seniors for New Horizons for Seniors Program and people with disabilities for Enabling Accessibility Fund) to participate in and contribute to community events and programs.

Please describe the expected results of your project. The expected results of the project must be specific, concrete and measurable and clearly linked to the project objectives and activities. They should also be linked to the CFP objective and expected results of your chosen stream.

Applicants to the Workplace Accessibility Stream must demonstrate the following:

• how your proposed project will increase workplace^{Footnote 1} accessibility and/or safety for people with disabilities; and
• how your proposed project will create and/or maintain employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Applicants to the Community Accessibility Stream must demonstrate the following:

• how your proposed project will increase accessibility for people with disabilities in facilities that are open to the public and where programs and/or services are offered, or will be offered, to people with disabilities; and
• how your proposed project will increase opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in and contribute to community life.

Question 49 - If applicable, please indicate how the target group (seniors for New Horizons for Seniors Program and people with disabilities for Enabling Accessibility Fund) will be involved in the design and/or realization of the project.

As it is an excellent practice to involve people with disabilities in the design and/or realization of your project, additional points will be awarded to applicants who intend on doing so. If applicable, please describe how your project will involve people with disabilities and/or experts on disability issues during the different stages of the project (e.g. planning, implementation, inspection).

Applicants are invited to consult the ESDC Accessibility Resource Centre website, where they will find tools to help improve accessibility for people with disabilities. Applicants are also encouraged to consult organizations or specialized businesses that work with or represent people with disabilities to ensure that proposed measures meet accessibility standards, as well as the specific needs of people with disabilities. Such organizations have a good knowledge of the modifications that would need to be done and will be able to provide guidance to applicants in the types of accessibility measures that are required for specific disabilities.

Question 50 - Will this project allow your organization to offer/introduce new activities and/or services? If so, please explain how.

Please indicate if and how this project will allow your organization to offer new employment opportunities (Workplace Accessibility Stream) or new activities and/or services (Community Accessibility Stream).

Question 51 - Will the proposed project or any of its activities involve or benefit people in English or French-language minority communities? If “Yes”, please provide an explanation and any details on the measures taken to communicate with the targeted audience of your proposed project.

ESDC is committed to enhancing the vitality of the English and French linguistic minorities in Canada by supporting and assisting their development and fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society. Official language minority communities are English-speaking communities established within the province of Quebec and French-speaking communities established outside the province of Quebec.

If your project will involve official language minority communities, you should answer "Yes" to this question and provide the following information:

• Indicate the linguistic profile of the beneficiaries targeted by the project;
• Identify any special needs of the official language minority communities;
• Indicate whether or not the official language minority communities were consulted; and
• Describe the measures taken to communicate with the targeted audience of your proposed project.

Any related budgetary items can be identified in Part 3 of the Standard Grant Application for Funding.

Answering “No” to this question will not invalidate your application.

Question 52 - Will any of the proposed project activities be delivered in a different location than where the head office of your organization is located?

Please indicate “Yes” or “No.” If “Yes,” please list the main address first, followed by each additional location where project activities will occur.

You must also demonstrate that your organization either owns the facility in each location or has consent to undertake proposed activities from the owner if the location is leased.

Note that to be eligible for funding, organizations that apply for funding must be the same organization where the project activities will take place.

Please refer to Eligibility.

Section B - Part 3 - Funding

3A - Anticipated Sources of Funding

ESDC will use the information provided in this section to verify that your funding request conforms to the requirement for funding from other sources.

“Other sources of funding” are any source of funding other than any Government of Canada programs/sources and may include, but are not limited to, the applicant organization itself, provincial/municipal governments, not-for-profit organizations, businesses, foundations, colleges/universities and Indigenous governments.

For the purposes of this CFP, 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 must be provided. These amounts must be reflected in this section and applicants must provide letters confirming all cash and/or in-kind support from contributors with their application, indicating the amount and nature of the contributions and confirming that they will be directly applied to project costs before EAF funding is provided.

Cash and in-kind contributions must be committed to in writing by the contributing party through the provision of a letter containing the following:

• name and contact information of contributing organization;
• confirmation of committed cash contributions to the project;
• confirmation of committed in-kind contributions to the project including a detailed description of the nature of the in-kind contribution; and
• signature(s) from authorized authority(ies) of the contributing organization (e.g. Executive Director, Chief Financial Officer), attesting that the cash and/or in-kind contributions are readily available once the project is approved.

Example of how to calculate the minimum required contributions from other sources:

For a project with an estimated total eligible project cost of $30,000, the minimum dollar value of contributions required from other sources is $10,500 and the maximum grant amount that can be requested from EAF for this project is $19,500. ($30,000 X 35) / 100 = $10,500.

Please note that additional points will be awarded to applications which exceed the mandatory 35% of total eligible project costs in cash and/or in-kind contributions from sources other than the Government of Canada.

Question 53 - Source Name

Please include the names of all the organizations that will contribute funds and/or in-kind contributions to this project (including ESDC as listed in the table).

Question 54 - Source Type

Please identify the type of organization that is contributing funds and/or in-kind contributions to this project from the following options:

• not-for-profit;
• private sector;
• chamber of commerce or business improvement association;
• provincial/territorial government;
• regional or municipal government;
• sponsor/organization/recipient; or
• other (please specify).

Question 55 - Cash

Please include the amount of funding that will be provided.

Question 56 - In-kind ($ value)

In-kind contributions are non-monetary goods or services that may be contributed to the project by your organization or other organizations. Organizations cannot request re-imbursement for these contributions. In-kind support may include donated equipment, services or labour necessary for the proposed project that would otherwise have to be purchased. Applicants must provide letters from contributors with their application, confirming in-kind contributions.

An assessment of the in-kind contributions will be included in the overall assessment of each application. Only in-kind contributions that are deemed to be estimated at fair market value and to contribute directly to the success of the project will be considered valid.

Question 57 - Confirmed Cash and In-Kind

All cash and in-kind contributions must be committed to in writing by the contributing organization(s). Please check (x) if this has been confirmed and include with your application letters from each contributing organization confirming cash and in-kind contributions.

3B - Budget

ESDC uses the information provided in this section to assess the overall cost of the proposed project, as well as the general nature of the expenditures to be covered by all anticipated sources of funding. Please refer to Eligibility to ensure your expenditures are eligible for funding.

At least three external estimates for each activity of the proposed project will be required from three separate contractors (for projects with a total cost of less than $5,000, one external estimate is sufficient). If you were unable to obtain three estimates for each activity, explain why three estimates are not available and the steps you undertook to ensure that your budget calculations are as accurate as possible. Please provide this information in Question 63 of the Standard Grant Application for Funding.

Project activities must go beyond your organization’s normal activities, as the EAF will not fund an organization’s core, existing or on-going activities.

Question 58 - Cost Category

Please break down your project costs into cost categories reflecting the steps involved in the renovation, construction and/or retrofit of your organization’s facilities, any preparatory work required to accomplish project activities (e.g. demolition), and/or the purchase and/or installation of accessible technologies^{Footnote 2}.

Questions 59 to 61 – Planned Expenditures ($) - ESDC/Other - Cash/Other - In-kind

Please provide the total planned expenditures and identify if the source is from ESDC, or any other source.

3C - Budget Details

Question 62 - Capital Assets: Will capital assets be among your planned expenditures with ESDC funding?

If you plan on purchasing capital assets, please explain how your project will benefit. A disposal plan for the capital assets should also be included.

A capital asset is any single or composite asset with a purchase value of more than $1,000 that is not physically incorporated into another product and that remains functional at the end of the project.

A composite asset is a collection of unique assets that form one identifiable functional unit, where all components are required for the asset to be functional. The collection of assets is treated as a single capital asset if the total cost of all individual items together is greater than $1,000.

For example, projector wheels for a Snoezelen room - composed of the projector and a screen - are a composite capital asset. Four $300 chairs are not capital assets because each chair is functional on its own and, as single units, fall below the established threshold of $1,000.

Question 63 - Further Budget Details

Please provide further budget details using the format described below. The budget details are a detailed breakdown of the costs by project activity.

The “Activity” column represents a significant activity of a project, such as building a ramp or installing an elevator. In the “Estimated duration per activity” column, list the length of time required to complete each activity of your proposed project. In the “Cost per activity” column, indicate the total cost related to each activity.

Section B - Part 4 - Additional Information (Optional)

Additional Information

Please use this section to complete questions from previous sections of the Standard Grant Application for Funding and specify the question or section meant to be continued.

Section B - Part 5 - Signatures

Please ensure that your application is signed by an official, authorized representative of your organization. People with signing authority are normally one or more of the executive members of the board of directors (president, vice president, secretary or treasurer) and employees of the organization (chief executive officer, executive director, chiefs of finance or human resources).

The Standard Grant Application for Funding must be signed in accordance with the organization’s statutes, by-laws or other constituting documents. For example, the president and the chief financial officer may be required to sign all outgoing documents.

Section C - Articles of Agreement

Please ensure you have reviewed all the clauses contained in the Articles of Agreement.

Section C - Schedule A - Project Description and Signatures

The first page of this section is for ESDC to complete. Once ESDC has signed this page, the agreement will be returned to you. Only once ESDC has signed this section should the last page be signed. At that time, please ensure that page 21 is signed by an official, authorized representative of your organization, in accordance with the organization’s statutes, by-laws or other constituting documents.

You should not assume any commitment on the part of ESDC until funding has been approved and the ESDC Approval page of the Standard Grant Application for Funding has been signed by a representative of ESDC. ESDC will notify you in writing of the outcome of the review of your application.

Notice to organizations in Quebec

The contractual clauses set out in that portion of the document, with a view to grant agreements to be signed in 2016-2017 for projects that will be approved, remain subject to discussions to be completed with the government of Quebec to secure the validity of those agreements under Quebec law. Should adjustments be required, they will be communicated in due time to applicants whose projects will have been approved.

Notice to applicants

The information collected in your application will be used, and may be disclosed, for the purposes of assessing the merits of your application. As part of the assessment process, the information may be shared 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. In order to conduct these activities, various sources of information under the custody and control of ESDC may be linked. However, these additional uses and/or disclosures of information will not impact your project.

In the event that the application contains personal information, the personal information will be administered in accordance with the Privacy Act and the provisions governing the protection of personal information that are set out in the Department of Employment and Social Development Act. The application is also subject to the Access to Information Act (“ATIA”). The ATIA provides every person with a right of access to information under the control of the department, subject to a limited set of exemptions. Instructions for obtaining access to this information are outlined in the government publication entitled Info Source, which is available at InfoSource. Info Source may also be accessed on-line at any Service Canada Centre.

Apply/Checklist

Before sending your completed Standard Grant Application for Funding, please ensure that you have included all of the following documents in your application package.

Application Form

Submit your application

Your application must be submitted by e-mail no later than July 26, 2016 before 11:59 p.m. PT. Applications received after this deadline will be disqualified.

Please submit your application to: fpa-eaf@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Note that applications cannot be submitted through other means, including cloud storage service providers such as Dropbox or Google Drive. Applications sent using such means will be rejected.

Please sign the appropriate section(s) and provide a scanned image of the signed page(s) only.

If you are unable to scan all the required sections or any other documents, you may mail them to the following address:

EAF Submissions
Coordination Unit
Mailstop: 402
National Grants & Contributions Delivery Center (ESDC)
140 Promenade du Portage
Phase IV. 4th Floor
Gatineau, QC K1A 0J9

In your e-mail, clearly indicate if further documentation will be forthcoming by mail. For any documents mailed, clearly indicate the organization name and project title.

Follow-up after you apply

If you have submitted your application by email, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment within 24 hours. If you mailed your application through Canada Post, you will receive an acknowledgement within 21 calendar days.

All applicants will be notified of the status of their application within 90 days of the CFP closing date of July 26, 2016.

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

Decisions are final and there is no appeal process.

Enquiries

If you have enquiries about this CFP process, please send them to the following address: fpa-eaf@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca. Enquiries will only be answered between May 31 and July 12, 2016. During this time, to ensure fairness and transparency, additional information stemming from the enquiries will be posted under this tab.

Examples

Below you will find fictional examples of projects that could be successful in receiving EAF funding under this CFP for either the Workplace Accessibility Stream or the Community Accessibility Stream, as well as examples of eligible activities for either stream under this CFP.

• Workplace Accessibility Stream Case Study A
• Eligible Workplace Accessibility Stream Activities
• Community Accessibility Stream Case Study A
• Community Accessibility Stream Case Study B
• Eligible Community Accessibility Stream Activities

Workplace Accessibility Stream Case Study A

A thriving café specialized in the roasting of artisanal coffee employs a person with a visual impairment to run the cash register. The café located in a trendy part of town, has two full- height window walls facing the south. The intense daylight entering the facility combined with the fluctuating lighting in the service area makes it problematic for this employee to read the information required to operate the cash register and handle the growing volume of sales. This situation makes it difficult to keep this employee on staff. The small business has therefore applied to the Enabling Accessibility Fund in order to install solar shades and a controlled lighting system in the main work area. With the lighting system and shades, lighting levels can be adjusted at all times, making it easier to read information quickly. It will also significantly reduce eye strain.

The total cost of the project is $6,000 including $1,000 for labour. Companies participating in the project have agreed to install their respective equipment free of charge. To meet the requirement that 35% of funds be raised from sources other than the Government of Canada, the café will pay $1,100 in addition to the partner’s $1,000 labour contribution.The Government of Canada will provide a $3,900 grant through the Enabling Accessibility Fund. With these improvements the small business plans to hire additional employees with visual impairments in the future.

Examples of eligible Workplace Accessibility Stream activities include, but are not limited to:

• installing an elevator or lift in the main lobby of a regional tourist centre 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 that are too narrow for employees using a wheelchair, electric scooter or walker in a local clothing store, as well as retrofitting the cashier’s service desk area to lower counter space;
• installing visual-audio fire alarm systems, as well as installing software or peripheral hardware, including screen readers, symbolic software, show-sound, voice recognition software and speech synthesizers for employees with hearing or visual impairments in a public library;
• replacing doorknobs that are difficult to grasp with accessible handles, and installing accessible washrooms for employees with various disabilities in an accounting firm;
• installing appropriate signage and tactile cues, and painting walls in contrasting colours for employees with visual impairments working in a recreational centre;
• installing adaptive technologies for a client services desk and for cashiers’ computers, to render them accessible for employees with disabilities in a local grocery store; and
• modifying the reception office in a town hall to provide enlarged space, adjustable counters with an opening underneath for sufficient knee space, as well as retrofitting the meeting room, to allow for sufficient clearance for movement and install an FM loop system in the meeting room.

Community Accessibility Stream Case Study A

A not-for-profit organization in Manitoba offers a range of services that meet the needs of children with specific physical, emotional, behavioural or medical challenges, including day and summer camps. Some camps focus on children with cancer or other medical conditions, while others offer programs for children with autism or attention deficit disorder.

Most of the facilities at these camps are adapted to meet the needs of the children they serve. However, one of their facilities is not accessible for their clients with autism spectrum disorders. It needs an accessible washroom with automated dispensers, new painting on the walls, aisles, door frames and base boards to remove all colour contrasts (in order to avoid excessive stimuli) and a security system for the main entrance door and the emergency exit door to ensure the safety of the children at all times.

The project costs are estimated at $60,000. The applicant organization has secured a grant from a local foundation in the amount of $25,000 and has been able to raise $5,000 through fundraising activities, resulting in a total of 50% of project costs (and thus meeting the mandatory leveraging requirement of contributions from sources other than the Government of Canada). They are seeking $30,000 from EAF in order to complete their project.

With this funding, they will be able to undertake the renovation activities which are all addressing certain accessibility needs of their clients (children with disabilities). As a result of this project, children with disabilities will be able to access recreational and leisure programs offered through day and summer camps.

Community Accessibility Stream Case Study B

A municipality would like to construct an accessible swimming pool in a new public park. The total cost of the project is estimated at $300,000. The applicant organization has secured funding of $205,000 in cash and $45,000 in in-kind contributions (in the form of volunteer labour). They are seeking $50,000 from EAF in order to complete their project.

This project supports the objective of a core municipal service: delivering sport and recreational services to all citizens of the municipality. Since there is no existing accessible exterior pool in the municipality, people with disabilities cannot actually benefit from the pleasure of swimming outdoors during the summer. The project will allow the construction of a new pool using the latest accessibility features. An accessible change room with an accessible washroom will also be built. Finally, accessible parking spots will be linked to the future pool via an accessible path.

As a result of this project, the accessible outdoor public swimming pool will allow people with disabilities in the community to socialize, swim and cool down on hot summer days.

Examples of eligible Community Accessibility Stream activities include, but are not limited to:

• renovations to widen hallways and doorways that are too narrow for a person using a wheelchair, electric scooter or walker in a community centre;
• lowering the counters and food serving areas in the cafeteria of a day-program centre;
• installing an elevator or lift in the main lobby of a small municipality’s public library;
• installing automated power doors and enhancing lighting in a recreational centre, to accommodate people with low vision;
• replacing doorknobs that are difficult to grasp with accessible handles, and installing accessible washrooms and showers in a community based fitness facility;
• creating a controlled multisensory environment, also known as Snoezelen room, in the facility of a not-for-profit organization providing daily programs for adults and/or children with autism and other cognitive/intellectual impairments;
• installing appropriate signage and tactile cues, and painting a community hall with contrasting colours;
• building continuous accessible pedestrian walkways between outdoor amenities at a small municipality’s outdoor recreation area, i.e. between tennis court, picnic area, pools, playgrounds, and parks. To be accessible, the routes must have proper grading; include signage directing people through the walkways; avoid ramps whenever possible; locate items such as cleanouts, vault covers, grates, and similar items outside of the pathway or when these items are located within the pathway, they shall be level with the surrounding routes; provide edge protection; and where possible, provide benches or other seating elements at landings;
• providing accessible technologies such as interactive speech capability software on a computer used by clients in a professional training centre, operated by a non-profit organization; and
• building a ramp at the main gathering hall in an Indigenous community centre.