Inter-Action (Projects): Funding Guidelines

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Objectives
• Eligible Recipients
• Eligible Project Activities
• Eligible Expenditures
• Ineligible Expenditures
• Funding
• Service Standards
• Assessment Criteria
• Glossary

Introduction

Inter-Action, Canada’s new Multiculturalism Grants and Contributions Program, is administered by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). The Program supports CIC’s mandate, as well as the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, by assisting in the socio-economic integration of individuals and communities and helping them to contribute to building an integrated and socially cohesive society.

The Inter-Action Projects stream provides funding for long-term, multi-year community development/engagement projects to promote integration. Applications are usually considered during a Call for Proposals (CFP) process. [ Note 1 ]

These guidelines will help you complete the General Application Form (GAF).

Objectives

Funding provided under the Inter-Action Projects stream focuses on projects aligned with one or more of the following program objectives:

1. Building an integrated, socially cohesive society by:
   • building bridges between communities to promote intercultural understanding
   • fostering citizenship, civic memory, civic pride, and respect for core democratic values grounded in our history
   • promoting equal opportunity for individuals of all origins.
2. Improving the responsiveness of institutions to the needs of a diverse population by:
   • assisting federal and public institutions to become more responsive to diversity by integrating multiculturalism into their policy and program development and service delivery.
3. Actively engaging in discussions on multiculturalism and diversity at the international level by:
   • promoting Canadian approaches to diversity as a successful model while contributing to an international policy dialogue on issues related to multiculturalism. (Funding for this objective will be primarily for activities that take place in Canada.)

Eligible Recipients

The following individuals, groups, and institutions are eligible for project funding:

• Canadian not-for-profit organizations or associations
• non-federal public institutions, such as boards of education, schools, colleges, and universities, chambers of commerce, law enforcement and police agencies, hospitals and other health care institutions
• regional and municipal governments and their agencies
• First Nations and Inuit governments, band councils, and Aboriginal organizations
• private sector (eligible for contributions only) - applications from the private sector must include at least one not-for-profit partner providing financial or in-kind support
• Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

Eligible Project Activities

Eligible types of activities are:

• mentorships and unpaid internships
• skills development initiatives for project beneficiaries
• network and partnership development
• leadership and volunteerism initiatives
• knowledge sharing initiatives
• conferences (eligible for contributions only)
• meetings, events, and workshops as part of a larger initiative
• development of public educational materials
• development of programs, policies, and services related to diversity and integration.

Eligible Expenditures

Eligible expenditures must relate directly to the project activities and may include (this list is not exhaustive):

• salaries [ Note 2 ] and employee benefits, including professional, consulting and legal fees (normally not to exceed 50% of total approved funding)
• equipment rental/services not normally used in an organization’s daily operations
• domestic & international travel [ Note 3 ]
• liability insurance [ Note 4 ]
• Hospitality [ Note 3 ] (meals and refreshments for workshop participants only as per Treasury Board Secretariat Guidelines)
• audit & evaluation [ Note 5 ]
• expenses related to meetings/workshops/conferences
• administration (see below)
• communications/publicity
• child care directly related to an activity
• project-related materials

NOTE: Administrative costs should not exceed 15% of the total approved funding from the Inter-Action Projects stream. Administrative costs may include:

• bank charges
• utilities
• office supplies
• postage, courier
• telephone, fax, Internet
• photocopying/printing
• rent for office space
• translation from one to another Official Language

Ineligible Expenditures

The Inter-Action Projects stream does not fund (this list is not exhaustive):

• core program expenses such as:
  • any type of Director’s fees for volunteer members of Boards or other governing bodies
  • annual or regular executive board meetings of an organization or association
  • ongoing production or development of newsletters, websites, newspapers, magazines, journals, or radio and television broadcasts
  • capital costs or expenditures
  • start-up and operational costs for organizations
• activities already undertaken or completed before the signing of a contribution agreement
• eligible costs that exceed the Government of Canada’s Travel and Hospitality Directive profit-making activities
• provision of certain direct, one-to-one services, e.g. individual counseling and paid internships
• contingency/miscellaneous fees
• in-kind expenses.

Funding

Although funding for recently approved projects has ranged from $25,000 to $1.4 million per project, precise amounts will be based on such factors as value for money, project duration, planned activities, scope of project and funding from other sources. Other factors such as availability of funding in relation to the number of applications will also be taken into consideration.

Service Standards

• Proposals will be acknowledged no later than 7 business days after the Call for Proposals [ Note 6 ] closes.
• Applicants will be advised of applicant and project eligibility no later than 30 business days of the date of CIC’s acknowledgement letter. This determination will be based on whether:
  • the General Application Form is complete
  • the project responds one or more of the program objectives
  • the applicant is an eligible recipient
  • the project activities are eligible.
• Eligible applicants will be provided with a funding decision within 90 business days of CIC advising applicants of their application and project eligibility, or will be notified if any additional processing time is required.

Assessment Criteria

Eligible projects will be assessed against the following criteria:

Project design, goals and rationale

1. Proposal demonstrates that the project contributes to one or more of the program objectives.
2. Project supports one or more of the priorities outlined in the Call for Proposals.
3. The need for, and the value-added of, this project are supported by evidence clearly expressed in the proposal.
4. Project has confirmed partners to provide financial (in-kind or cash) and/or other types of support.
5. Proposed activities create concrete opportunities for positive interaction between different communities.
6. Project activities are clearly described and are directly related to the results of the project.
7. Stakeholders/beneficiaries are active participants in project design and implementation.

Results, budget integrity, and value for money

8. Expected project results are realistic and measurable.
9. Project is designed to effectively reach appropriate target audience and beneficiaries.
10. Proposed budget is reasonable and reflects due regard for efficient and prudent use of public funds.
11. Proposed budget is balanced and sufficiently detailed. All costs and revenues related to the project have been itemized and explained in detail.

Ensuring project success

12. Applicant has demonstrated experience and capacity to deliver (with regard to past experience, financial situation, human resource capacity, and governance structure).
13. Resources are planned to allow for successful, efficient, and timely implementation of the project.
14. Project has an effective performance measurement plan to measure/report on results.
15. The project has a dissemination plan to share results.

Glossary

This glossary provides definitions for some important terms used in the Funding Guidelines and the General Application Form.

• Administrative costs: Administrative expenses, such as office supplies, telephone, fax, Internet, utilities, postage, courier, photocopying/printing, rent for office space, and translation costs. Only administration costs directly related to the project are eligible for funding under the Inter-Action Projects stream.
• Audit: If your organization is approved for funding, audited financial statements may be required in the contribution agreement reporting requirements. These statements must be certified by a Certified Accountant (the auditor) according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Benefits: The employer portion (net of payroll deductions from employees) related to:
  • statutory benefits, such as Canada Pension Plan, Régime des rentes du Québec, employment insurance, vacation pay, workers’ compensation premiums, and provincial health plans where applicable
  • non‑statutory benefits, such as group insurance coverage for medical, dental, disability, life insurance, and other items.
• Contribution: Transfer payment subject to performance conditions specified in a funding agreement. A contribution is to be accounted for and is subject to audit.
• Core operating expenditures: Capital expenditures incurred to acquire physical assets that have a useful life beyond the life of the project (i.e., property, equipment), or that add to the value of existing physical assets, as well as everyday expenditures incurred by your organization.
• Evaluations: Systematic collection and analysis of data needed to make decisions involving assessing the strengths and weaknesses of a project. Evaluations are mandatory for all contributions to ensure that expected results have been met.
• Event: An organized activity or an intercultural or interfaith celebration open to the general public. It should provide for short-term community interaction (typically from a few hours to a few days) for a diverse audience independent of any long-term program or project. Examples of events are found in Eligible Events.
• Expected results:  Benefits, consequences, or changes expected to occur as a result of the project. Results should demonstrate the present status of the issue or gap and indicate to what extent it will be improved or changed. Results can be identified as short‑, mid‑, or long‑term. Short‑ and mid‑term results should be specific and measurable (quantitatively and qualitatively) by the project’s end, or shortly after.
• Fiscal year: The12‑month period used by an organization as its accounting period. (i.e., the Government of Canada’s fiscal year runs from April 1 of a given year to March 31 of the following year).
• Grant: Transfer payment subject to pre-established eligibility and other entitlement criteria. A grant is not subject to being accounted for by its recipient or subject to audit by the Department. The recipient will be requested to report on results achieved.
• Honorarium: Payment to a professional person for services for which fees are not legally or traditionally required.
• Hospitality: Provision of food and drink.
• In‑kind contribution: Contribution by an individual, business, or organization, of materials, goods, services, or time that would otherwise be a necessarily incurred expense. In‑kind contributions are considered real contributions to the cost of the proposed activities but are not reimbursable. Donated goods and services may be considered in-kind contributions if they are essential to a project’s success; if they would otherwise have to be purchased or paid for by the recipient; if they can be measured at fair market value (i.e., in relation to similar goods and services); and, if they are balanced by an equal expense in the project budget.
• Liability insurance: Any public event funded by the Inter-Action Projects stream must be covered by insurance.
• Mentorship: Refers to a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or knowledgeable person helps a less experienced or knowledgeable person.
• Partner: All parties (individuals, communities, community-based organizations, public and private sector institutions, and funding bodies) with an interest in an issue.
• Professional fee: Payments for services rendered by an individual who is not an employee of the organization, or by a firm that is separate from the organization. For example, this could include fees for, or in respect of, services provided by writers, translators, and accountants for auditing the project.
• Project: Specific set of activities that contribute to the attainment of identified objectives. It has a definite beginning and end and is separate from the activities normally carried out by an organization. A project may be presented in phases, with each given consideration as an individual project.
• Project objective: Specific targets to reach project goals with clear, concise objectives that are realistic and achievable; given organizational constraints, time frames, and resources available, they should relate to identified needs.
• Outcome: Approach to planning and managing projects that clearly articulates what projects will do and what they will change.
• Outputs: Most immediate tangible results of your project activities.