Grants and Contributions to Support Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples

Context

The Government of Canada seeks to contribute towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples through improved coordination, supporting coalitions, and the broadening and strengthening of programming by identifying and addressing local needs of all Indigenous peoples whether on or off reserve, or in urban, rural, or northern communities.

Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples (UPIP), implemented by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), funds and supports activities that allow Indigenous organizations to serve clients, and to deliver effective culturally appropriate programs/services to urban Indigenous peoples, urgent infrastructure and housing supports to Indigenous persons residing in urban, rural, and northern areas, as well as invest in local stakeholder coalitions across Canada. It also provides opportunities for greater federal coordination of programming and supports research and pilot projects to better understand the urban Indigenous context.

In the context of Urban, Rural and Northern (U.R.N.) Indigenous Housing Strategy, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) allocates funding to support First Nations Peoples living off reserve, Inuit beneficiaries living outside of Inuit Nunangat; Métis citizens living in urban, rural, and northern areas; First Nation communities; Modern Treaties or Self-Government Agreement holders for citizens living outside of their community; and, Métis, Inuit and Non-Status Indians who self-identify and are not covered by existing distinctions-based funding and Métis and Non-Status "Indians"/ First Nations organizations advocating for a direct role in delivering housing.

Scope

ISC has 6 grants and contribution funding streams to support the objectives of UPIP. The 6 streams are:

1. Organizational Capacity provides core funding to Indigenous organizations including Friendship Centres that deliver programs/services to urban Indigenous peoples
2. Programs and Servicesprovides project funding to organizations delivering a broad range of programs/services to urban Indigenous peoples
3. Housing provides funding for Indigenous housing projects, including building purchases, new construction, repairs, renovations, and to support a broad range housing related initiatives
4. Coalitions provides funding to local coalitions. These coalitions will bring together all orders of government, local organizations and other stakeholders to identify key local priorities and needs, and ensure efficient and coordinated delivery of urban Indigenous programs. The primary goals are to promote collaboration at the local level; identify local needs; and, develop local plans on how to best address these identified priorities. Coalitions would need to demonstrate inclusiveness and encourage active participation from a wide range of stakeholders
5. Research and Innovation provides funding to better understand the urban Indigenous reality; gather information on best practices, methodologies and programming approaches; and, pilot innovative programs/services
6. Infrastructure provides funding for major and minor infrastructure projects that increase the physical capacity and improve the safety, security, and accessibility of urban and rural Indigenous service delivery organization's facilities to deliver new programming or to respond to increased demand for existing programs (e.g., addictions, disabilities, seniors services, navigator services, training, youth mentoring.)

Funding investments made through UPIP will contribute towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples through collaborative community and regional stakeholder engagement and participation, and by identifying and addressing local needs of all urban Indigenous peoples.

General

In the 2023-24 Departmental Results Framework, this authority is listed under the Urban Programming for Indigenous peoples in the Program Inventory which falls under the Core Responsibility of Indigenous Well-Being and Self-Determination. In the context of COVID-19, this authority will be also address the Core Responsibility of 'Indigenous self-determined services' to reflect the support provided to communities in their response to COVID-19, which is a public health event of national concern.

A. Contribution funding

B. Grant funding

All of the above criteria for contribution funding also applies for grants funding. The maximum amount of grant payable to each recipient will be limited by the vote appropriated for this purpose and the foregoing criteria and will not exceed, for all streams, the maximum amount payable as outlined in section 8.

The following factors will also be used to determine eligibility for grant funding:

• the capacity of the organization to deliver on its existing mandate and undertake new initiatives
• the financial health of the organization, number of sources of income and the stability of its funding partners
• an overall low risk score per ISC's General Assessment process which provides a snapshot of each funded organization's performance relative to its funding agreement and highlights risks that may impact upon future performance

Organizational capacity stream

Eligible expenditures include:

• recipient salaries and benefits for the following positions:
  • chief executive officer or executive director
  • executive assistant or receptionist
  • youth coordinator
• organizational overhead costs such as office supplies and utilities required to support the staff holding the positions being funded under this stream and/or administration of the agreement and/or costs associated with regular operating and maintenance for a not-for-profit organization
• costs for preparing financial and other reporting documentation required to be compliant with the agreement

Ineligible expenditures include:

• compensation for the recipient's Board member's time in the administration of, or participation in, an initiative
• purchase of capital assets with a market value in excess of $5,000
• purchase of automobiles, land, or buildings cosmetic
• capital renovations
• hospitality
• international travel
• provision of food as an act of food security for individuals and families
• contingency/miscellaneous fees
• deficit recovery

Programs and services stream

Eligible expenditures include:

• salaries and employee benefits
• professional fees
• honoraria
• local travel and transportation
• meetings
• hospitality
• training and development
• equipment
• facilities, including rental fees
• translation and communications
• materials and supplies
• volunteer participation expenses

Eligible administration costs include:

• costs of an administrator or other staff time required to support or oversee the project activities and/or administration of the agreement
• organizational overhead and/or infrastructure costs applied to supporting the project activities and/or administration of the agreement, such as office supplies, telephone/fax, postage, rent, audit, insurance and utilities
• costs for preparing financial and other reporting documentation required to be compliant with the agreement to provide funding

Ineligible expenditures include:

• stipends for attendance in training, conferences/workshops
• compensation for the recipient's board member's time in the administration of, or participation in, an initiative
• compensation for an individual's administration of, or participation in, an initiative where they are already receiving compensation (salary, honoraria or per diem) for the same period of time
• international travel
• contingency/miscellaneous fees
• deficit recovery
• purchase of capital assets with a market value in excess of $5,000
• purchase of automobiles, land, or buildings

Housing stream

Eligible expenditures include:

• Type and nature of expenditures associated with new or enhanced housing related projects, including capital costs related to:
  • the purchase of buildings and land
  • materials, supplies, labour, tools and equipment
  • professional fees, permits and inspection fees
  • tendering costs
  • feasibility and design studies
  • travel, and associated hospitality for tradespeople working in remote areas
  • portable equipment or furnishings to accommodate accessibility needs
  • other reasonable capital construction or renovation costs directly related to the project
  • costs associated with the administration of the project
• Type and nature of operating expenditures to build and formalize the governance, management, and operational structures, including operating costs related to:
  • salaries and benefits
  • professional fees
  • facilities
  • equipment and supplies
  • communications
  • travel
  • meetings
  • legal fees
  • administration costs
  • provision of training and education
  • coordination of services/resources
  • capacity building and research and data collection

Ineligible expenditures include:

• land de-contamination
• cosmetic repairs
• financing expenses (for example term loans and real estate mortgages)
• deficit recovery

Coalitions stream

Eligible expenditures include:

• salaries and employee benefits for one coordinator position
• professional fees
• honoraria
• travel and transportation
• training for the coordinator position
• costs related to organizing local meetings/gatherings
• hospitality
• translation and communications

Eligible administration costs include:

• costs of an administrator or other staff time required to support or oversee the project activities and/or administration of the agreement
• organizational overhead and/or infrastructure costs applied to supporting the project activities and/or administration of the agreement to provide funding, such as office supplies, telephone/fax, postage, rent, audit, insurance and utilities
• costs for preparing financial and other reporting documentation required to be compliant with the agreement to provide funding

Ineligible expenditures include:

• stipends for attendance in training, conferences/workshops
• international travel
• compensation for the recipient's Board member's time in the administration of, or participation in, an initiative
• compensation for an individual's administration of, or participation in, an initiative where they are already receiving compensation (salary, honoraria or per diem) for the same period of time
• provision of food as an act of food security for individuals and families
• contingency/miscellaneous fees
• deficit recovery
• scholarships
• purchase of capital assets with a market value in excess of $5,000
• purchase of automobiles, land, or buildings

Research and innovation stream

Eligible expenditures include:

• salaries and employee benefits
• professional fees
• honoraria
• travel and transportation including international
• meetings
• equipment
• facilities, including rental fees
• translation and communications
• materials and supplies

Eligible administration costs include:

• costs of an administrator or other staff time required to support or oversee the project activities and/or administration of the agreement
• organizational overhead and/or infrastructure costs applied to supporting the project activities and/or administration of the agreement to provide funding, such as office supplies, telephone/fax, postage, rent, audit, insurance and utilities
• costs for preparing financial and other reporting documentation required to be compliant with the agreement to provide funding

Ineligible expenditures include:

• compensation for the recipient's board member's time in the administration of, or participation in, an initiative
• compensation for an individual's administration of, or participation in, an initiative where they are already receiving compensation (salary, honoraria or per diem) for the same period of time
• provision of food as an act of food security for individuals and families
• contingency/miscellaneous fees
• deficit recovery
• scholarships
• purchase of capital assets with a market value in excess of $5,000
• purchase of automobiles, land, or buildings

Infrastructure stream

Eligible expenditures include:

• major and minor capital costs for essential health and safety, accessibility, and energy efficiency projects such as:
  • renovation of a building, including materials, supplies and labour
  • building purchase, expansion or building replacement when it is demonstrated to be more cost efficient to do so
  • purchase or rental of tools, equipment or machinery necessary to complete the project
  • professional fees such as architectural, engineering, and project-specific consulting
  • permits and municipal inspection fees
  • tendering costs
• costs for preparing financial and other reporting documentation required to be compliant with the agreement

Ineligible expenditures include:

• purchase of automobiles or land
• land de-contamination
• cosmetic capital renovations
• hospitality
• travel
• miscellaneous fees
• deficit recovery
• financing expenses (e.g. term loans and real estate mortgages)
• portable equipment and furnishings

Administration costs

Organizations under all funding streams are eligible for reimbursement of administration costs up to 10% for eligible expenditures directly related to the administration of the funding.

Special circumstances:

Third Party Delivery Organizations under Organizational Capacity, Programs and Services, Infrastructure and Research and Innovation streams who further distribute the funding to ultimate recipients are eligible for reimbursement of administration costs up to 15% for eligible expenditures directly related to the administration of the funding. The 15% is inclusive of all administration, which includes the ultimate recipient.

Organizations identified to deliver set-aside allocations under the Organizational Capacity, Programs and Services, Infrastructure and Research and Innovation streams funding streams are eligible for reimbursement of administration costs up to 15% for eligible expenditures directly related to the administration of the funding.

Grants and contribution funding

The amount of funding is determined by completing an assessment of the proposed project objective(s), activities, and budget against these terms and conditions, then negotiating with the recipient the exact required amount of funding in order to achieve the proposed project objective. The department will also ensure that the funding amount is appropriate, in view of funding from other sources.

Factors that may be considered when negotiating funding amounts include:

• scope and duration of activities to be carried out
• validation of reasonableness and fair market value of proposed expenditures
• importance of projected expenditures to success
• reasonableness of overall cost given projected outcome/s compared to alternative options

Proposed costs are assessed based on reasonableness and necessity, ensuring that the level of funding is the minimum required for attainment of the results expected of the recipient.

For all programs, funding must remain within the maximum amount payable as outlined in the subsequent section.

Minor capital infrastructure projects are defined as projects with a maximum value of $1,000,000 (total project cost). Fund leveraging is encouraged. Minor infrastructure funding for set-aside allocation organizations will be delivered using UPIP's existing delivery mechanisms. An annual allocation will be provided to the set-aside allocation recipients to address their highest infrastructure needs within the parameters of these Terms and Conditions. Other eligible recipients will be able to apply for minor infrastructure funding through an open call-for-proposals.

Major infrastructure projects are defined as projects with cost estimates of more than $1,000,000 (total project cost). Such projects often extend over multiple years and can include major renovations and retrofits, expansions and new builds. Fund leveraging is encouraged.

Funding for major infrastructure projects will be allocated through an open call-for-proposals. A National Review Committee comprised of federal departments and representatives of Indigenous organizations will review project recommendations following internal assessments and provide views on funding recommendations.

For the purposes of the funding allotted for core housing needs in urban, rural, northern areas under the housing stream, funding will be initially based on regional or aggregate notional allocations and through single recipient allocations. Indigenous Services Canada will flow the funding directly to eligible recipients who signed agreements in order to support their members, citizens, and beneficiaries on housing related initiatives.

A. Grant funding

The maximum amount payable to any 1 single recipient is $50,000 a year.

The following maximum amounts were established to ensure that most circumstances could be funded as necessary. Recipients are not entitled to the maximum amount. Actual funding per recipient will depend on the overall availability of funding.

B. Contribution funding

A. Grant funding

A one-time payment of the total amount of the grant may be made upon approval of an application.

B. Contribution funding

Payments will be made based on achievement of pre-determined performance objectives or milestones as identified in the funding agreement and/or reimbursement of eligible expenditures. When utilizing progress payments, as defined by Treasury Board's Directive on Transfer Payments, a claim for reimbursement must be submitted, identifying sources of project revenue and project actual expenditure, as per the funding agreement. Where it is advantageous to the success of the activities, the department shall offer fixed or flexible funding approaches for contributions to Indigenous recipients, in accordance with Appendix K of the Directive on Transfer Payments. Please refer to: Directive on Transfer Payments for more information.

Where it is essential to the achievement of the proposed performance objectives, and is identified in the funding agreement, advance payments may be made in accordance with the Treasury Board's Policy on Transfer Payments. Please refer to: Policy on Transfer Payments for more information. Advance payments will be based on need as identified in the forecast of cash flow in the funding agreement, or will reflect the need for urgent COVID-19-related advance funding where a credible cash flow forecast cannot be prepared. In addition, a final accounting of eligible expenditures is always required.

Additional criteria for grant funding

In addition to the criteria above, grant funding will be assessed and determined on a case-by-case basis by the Department and may be assessed against the following criteria:

• applicant's organization must have a funding history with the department a minimum of 24 months
• applicant's organization must be in good standing with the department and must not be in default of a funding agreement
• applicant's organization may not further distribute funding to an entity (an agency, i.e. an authority, board, committee, or other entity authorized to act on behalf of the applicant)
• applicant's organization must maintain eligibility as a recipient as per these terms and conditions for the duration of the agreement

If an applicant's organization fails to demonstrate eligibility, grant funding will not be considered. If an applicant's organization is approved for grant funding but fails to maintain eligibility as a recipient through the duration of the agreement, grant funding will be revoked and a partial or total reimbursement may be required by the recipient to Canada. The amount will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

For the purposes of the funding allotted for core housing needs in urban, rural, northern areas under the housing stream, funding will be initially based on regional or aggregate notional allocations and through single recipient allocations. Indigenous Services Canada will flow the funding directly to eligible recipients who signed agreements in order to support their members, citizens, and beneficiaries on housing related initiatives.

Transfer payments to recipients

Where it has been determined that:

1. the target clientele eligible to participate in a project to be carried by the recipient is composed of members of both official language communities
2. the anticipated demand for project assistance by the target clientele in both official languages justifies the use of both official languages, the department requires the recipients to:
   1. make any announcements to the public concerning the project in both official languages
   2. actively offer project-related services to members of the public in both official languages
   3. make available in both official languages any documents or other information for the general public relating to the project
   4. encourage members of both official language communities to participate in the project
   5. provide its services, when appropriate, in such a manner as to accommodate the specific needs of both official language communities

If the department determines that the activities of a specific recipient may have an impact on official-language minority communities or be susceptible of promoting linguistic duality, the funding agreement will specify the recipient's linguistic commitments and ensure that additional expenses incurred as a result of these commitments are considered eligible. Commitments relating to the development of minority communities will be determined based on the needs of the community (determined after consultations with the community, if appropriate).

Terms and conditions effective date

These terms and conditions come into effect on March 21, 2024.