Grants and Contribution Program to Voluntary Organizations (GCP-VOs)
Terms and Conditions

1. Authority

The authority of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (hereinafter referred to as "the Minister") to make grants and contributions is found at paragraph 6(1) (c) of the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Act, S.C. 2005, ch. 10.

2. Program Description and Objectives

The purpose of this grants and contributions program is to support voluntary organizations (VOs) that work in the area of criminal justice and whose objectives and activities support and promote the mandates and objectives of the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, as it relates to 'building a safe and resilient Canada'.

Grants provide funding for VOs to sustain their operations and activities. Contributions provide funding for VOs to create or expand application support services for individuals with criminal records who wish to apply for record suspension.

The VOs that are funded by the GCP-VO provide services in the area of corrections, conditional release and/or community reintegration, and therefore contribute to public safety. They also fulfill an important role in communities across the country in promoting training and development for criminal justice professionals and public education.

3. Expected Results and Outcomes

Immediate Term Outcomes

• Increased knowledge and understanding for decision-making in Canada's criminal justice and corrections systems.
• Increased capacity of VOs to fulfill their mandates.
• Increased community capacity to work with victims, offenders, individuals with criminal records, families, and local officials such as police and emergency first responders.
• Individuals are using services and support provided by VOs in the areas of corrections, conditional release, and/or community reintegration, fostering a safer, secure and more resilient Canadian society.

Intermediate Term Outcomes

• Shared knowledge including innovative approaches leading to enhanced delivery of services, such as dissemination of information.
• Improved inter-sectoral/interdisciplinary collaboration and delivery of services.
• Support services for record suspension application are implemented by VOs.

Ultimate Outcomes

• Organizations and communities in Canada experience improved outcomes across social determinants of justice
• Increased stakeholder and public trust and confidence in the criminal justice system

4. Eligible Recipients

The Minister may provide funding to the following classes of recipients in support of the objectives of the GCP-VO, only if they have the legal capacity to enter into an agreement:

1. Canadian Not-for-profit organizations

Government departments as defined in section 2 of the Financial Administration Act (including the RCMP), federal Crown corporations are not eligible for funding under the GCP-VO.

5. Eligible Types of Initiatives

The funding provided under this program supports the range of services provided by VOs in the area of corrections, conditional release and/or community reintegration, and therefore contribute to public safety.

Grants

Funding can be used to deliver direct services and programs to offenders, which can include:

• Cognitive skills development programs;
• Prison in-reach and release planning;
• Sex offender and substance abuse treatment programs;
• Residential beds in halfway and transitional houses;
• Legal and court support services;
• Women and Indigenous-specific programming;
• Black-specific initiatives;
• Federal parole supervision and community assessments;
• Peer-to-peer and self-support initiatives; and,
• Training and educational initiatives.

Funding can also be used to provide support to victims, families of offenders and communities by delivering:

• Victims assistance programs;
• Offender-family dialogue and reparation initiatives; and,
• Restorative justice and conflict resolution services.

Contributions

Funding can be used to deliver direct support services to individuals with criminal records looking to apply to the Parole Board of Canada for record suspension, which can include:

• Determining clients' eligibility for a record suspension;
• Subsidies for additional documentation costs (e.g., court records, police records, fingerprinting);
• Application completion support;
• Mailing services;
• Internet/computer services;
• Liaising with court, local police or RCMP personnel;
• Creation of communications products related project services; and,
• Training, education, or workshops related to accessing the Record Suspension Program.

6. Type and Nature of Eligible Expenditures

The Minister may consider reimbursement of eligible pre-execution expenditures incurred prior to the signing of the contribution agreement on an exceptional basis. Such exceptional basis entails the potential loss of critical project resources or the delivery of the project will be jeopardized.

The Minister will not pay for any eligible expenses incurred by a recipient prior to the date of approval of the project as per the Delegation of Financial Signing Authorities, and the reimbursement of pre-execution expenditures must not cross fiscal years. The Minister shall not reimburse an applicant for costs incurred should the agreement not be executed.

6.1 Eligible expenditures specifically for the purpose of delivering the project:

The following categories of expenditures are eligible:

1. Salaries, wages and benefits;
2. Rent (or equivalent to rent) costs, normal utilities, maintenance of offices and other buildings, insurance and taxes;
3. Office equipment, minor capital acquisitions (minor capital is defined as up to $10,000 per acquisition), program supplies and materials, and educational or outreach materials;
4. Travel and living expenses related to delivery of the project;
5. Training costs, including costs of developing training manuals and procedures;
6. Honoraria defined as time-limited remuneration or gift for a volunteer service or participation;
7. Professional and consulting fees directly related to the project objectives, including, where applicable, professional fees for the preparation of audited financial statements;
8. Computer services, library expenses, research costs and collection and analysis of statistics, including subscription and data access fees related to the project outcomes (i.e., electronic subscriptions and publications, services related to the collection, dissemination, provision, analysis and access to external data);
9. Translation and simultaneous interpretation activities;
10. Shipping charges, postage, printing and distribution costs;
11. Administrative expenses as agreed to by the parties of the Agreement, which should not exceed 15% of the Public Safety funding, if not already included in other line items. The amount must be supported by reasonable methodology and breakdown and be for costs directly related to the administration of the project.
12. Culturally appropriate expenditures including gifts (for a maximum of $100), community feasts, ceremonies and ceremonial meals, gatherings, and circles.

6.1 Ineligible Expenditures

1. Interest charges (i.e., cost of borrowing);
2. Travel expenses for delegates or participants not directly related to the project or initiative, invited by others, or voluntarily attending
3. Non-monetary transactions are not reimbursable (e.g., amortization).

7. Stacking Limit

The maximum level of total government assistance (federal, provincial, territorial and municipal assistance for the same purpose and eligible expenses) shall not exceed 100% of the eligible expenditures.

Recipients are required to disclose all confirmed and potential sources of funding for a proposed project before the start and at the end of a project.

GCP-VO will ensure that the grants and contributions assistance provided respects these stacking limits and that the federal contribution is based on the total government assistance received. This includes assistance such as:

1. Grants, contributions and any other assistance including non-monetary or in-kind contributions being considered;
2. New investments in the recipient business;
3. Provisions for potential losses on loan guarantees and loans;
4. Implicit subsidies;
5. Forgivable loans;
6. Investment tax credits; and
7. Any other grant or contribution for which the recipient may be eligible.

The repayment of any amount exceeding the total government assistance limit will be calculated on a prorated basis (based on total government assistance received toward the same eligible expenses).

8. Method Used to Determine the Amount of a Grant or Contribution

Contribution funding amounts will be determined based on an assessment of the recipient's planned activities and budget submission, previous financial performance, and capacity of the recipient to achieve results. The availability of Program funds and the number of successful applicants will also be used to determine the amount the recipient is eligible to receive.

Grant funding amounts will be determined based on an assessment of the recipient's planned activities and budget submission, previous financial performance, and capacity of the Recipient to achieve results. The availability of funds and the number of successful applicants will also be used to determine the amount the Recipient is eligible to receive. A prorated basis can be used based on total funds available and total eligible funding requests.

9. Maximum Amount

The maximum grant amount payable shall not exceed $1,000,000 per recipient and per fiscal year.

The maximum contribution amount payable shall not exceed $300,000 per recipient and per fiscal year.

10. Basis of Payment

Contribution payments will be issued to recipients pursuant to the provisions of the Treasury Board Policy on Transfer Payments and based on the reimbursement of eligible expenditures. Payment amounts will be based on cash flow requirements and the project's risk profile. The assessed level of risk will also determine requirements for a holdback provision to be included in the agreement.

Progress payments will be issued to reimburse the recipient for expenditures incurred. They will be based on receipt of financial and non-financial project reporting outlining activities and expenditures to date, and acceptance thereof by the Minister.

Where advance payments are required for the successful delivery of the project, they will be issued in accordance with the recipient's cash flow requirements and the project's risk profile.

Recipients must meet, and continue to meet, the specific requirements of the funding agreement, prior to payments being made.

Provided that the recipient has met the requirements of the contribution agreement, a final payment will be made only upon receipt and acceptance of final deliverables as stated in the agreement.

Grants will be paid in accordance with the Treasury Board Directive on Transfer Payments and based on a risk assessment.

11. Proposal Requirements

Proposals or applications to support specific projects should, as appropriate and applicable:

1. Include a signed and dated application with the name and address of the applicant, the period or duration of the project, and the name, title and address (including email address) of an individual with signing authority on behalf of the applicant;
2. Demonstrate that the proposal meets the objectives of the program and describes the need for the project, the activities and information that supports the efficacy of the proposed approach to be undertaken;
3. Include an appropriate work plan describing the project activities, timelines, and expected outcomes;
4. Provide a detailed budget including type and nature of expenditures, a disclosure of all sources of funding for the project (including in-kind contributions and government assistance), amount of funding requested under the program, audited financial statements of the applicant (if appropriate), previous financial support received from the Government of Canada;
5. List potential partners and their roles, and provide evidence of community support for the project;
6. Provide a detailed description of resources, tools, reports or other material to be developed by the project;
7. Include information related to the applicant's legal status and structure, names of project authorities, information on the background, history, mandate, objectives and accomplishments of the applicant, and names and contact information for the executive members of the board of directors of the applicant or similar information in the case of an ad hoc group (if applicable);
8. Provide sufficient information to demonstrate eligibility and capacity to undertake activities and attain objectives;
9. Declare amounts owing in default to the Government of Canada; and
10. Describe how the project will respect the spirit and intent of the Official Languages Act.

In addition, to prevent the risk of conflict of interest, the applicant must:

11. Disclose the involvement of prospective recipients who are subject to the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service, the Conflict of Interest Act (S.C. 2006, c.9) or the Parliament of Canada Act (R.S.C., 1985, c.P-1);
12. When required by the Lobbying Act (LA), register lobbyists under the LA (applicants shall provide assurance that, where lobbyists are utilized, they are registered and that no actual or potential conflict of interest exists nor any contingency fee arrangement); and
13. Discuss the role of a departmental official if a departmental official is to participate on an advisory committee or board. Such involvement must not be seen to be exercising control on the committee or board or on the use of the funds.

11.1 Selection Criteria and Review Procedure

Proposals for consideration under GCP-VO will be reviewed against program criteria established by the Department to determine their eligibility, completeness and conformity according to specified mandatory requirements.

A formal funding selection process will be established to review all proposals under GCP-VO. Following the selection process, all proposals recommended for funding will be forwarded for approval to the delegated signing authority.

In reviewing and recommending proposals, the Department will take into consideration, as applicable and appropriate:

1. The extent to which the project would directly support and advance the objectives and priorities of the GCP-VO;
2. The amount of funding requested relative to the amount of resources available from the Department in any given year and whether expenses outlined in the proposal are eligible and reasonable;
3. The ability of the applicant to develop, implement, manage, monitor, document and evaluate activities within the specified time frame and budget;
4. The Department's previous experience in working with the applicant, the degree of collaboration and the quality of and success of the project(s);
5. The level of support of provincial or territorial governments, federal departments and agencies, other stakeholders and partners relevant to the project;
6. Any ethical considerations associated with project delivery and evaluation; and
7. The project's overall viability, including the potential for the project's transition post-federal funding.

Priority may be given to proposals that are able to meet the unique needs of distinct groups of people or unique services that would be beneficial in the completion of an application for record suspension.

For any given project, the Department will determine the most appropriate funding mechanism based on the level of complexity of the project, the level of funding requested, the type of recipient and the level of risks associated with implementing the project, planned activities and budget submission, previous financial performance, and capacity of the recipient to achieve results. The eligibility of an applicant as a Recipient of a grant is assessed based on risk as part of the assessment of each project proposal, which includes factors such as organization capacity, experience managing government funding, level of complexity and project sensitivity. Risk factors are assessed on a scale from very low to very high. Projects scoring a very low or low level of risk will be administered as grants. Those projects scoring from medium to very high will be administered through contribution funding.

Review Procedure

Grant applications and Contribution proposals will be reviewed by a committee which may be composed of officials from the Department, Correctional Service of Canada, the Parole Board of Canada, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or other relevant departments as determined by Public Safety Canada. Using the aforementioned criteria, the committee will also examine project activities and eligible expenditures to determine the minimum level of assistance required to attain objectives. It will examine costs and take into consideration similar projects and other sources of funding, as well as the remoteness of communities.

12. Reporting Procedure

Grants

In accordance with the Ministerial Grants and Contributions Risk Directive, the Minister will request performance reporting from recipients.

Based on an assessed level of risk, Recipients may be required to provide the Minister with an update on progress towards eligible activities, as deemed necessary. This will be used for monitoring and reporting purposes, to determine whether objectives and targets are being (or are likely to be) met.

Contributions

The following financial and performance reporting will be requested from recipients by the Minister:

1. Cash flow statements;
2. Non-financial reports;
3. Annual performance reports; and
4. Copies of any literature, reports or other products produced in the course of the initiative or research project (if applicable).

Recipients may be required to provide the Minister with an update on progress towards eligible activities, as deemed necessary. This will be used for monitoring and reporting purposes, to determine whether objectives and targets are being (or are likely to be) met.

13. Performance Measurement Strategy and Indicators

The Performance Measurement Strategy contains on-going performance measurement, evaluation and reporting. The following is a list of key performance indicators that will assist in measuring and monitoring the progress of the GCP-VO:

Grant Stream

Contribution Stream

Funded projects are responsible for providing reports based on the Performance Measurement Strategy. The reporting deliverables will be detailed in the funding agreement.

14. Official Languages

Funding will be consistent with all relevant policies and regulations of the Official Languages Act.

The Minister will work with applicants and recipients in their preferred official language. All the information published as it relates to GCP-VO will be made available and posted on the Department's website in both official languages.

GCP-VO's overall objectives are to be implemented within the broader context of the linguistic duality of Canada by supporting projects that will serve official language minority communities while being mindful of gender and diversity.

15. Further Distribution of Contribution Funding

Distribution of contribution funds by a recipient to one or more persons or entities must be clearly defined and pre-approved. The Department will ensure that fair and transparent processes are in place. The Department may review all documentation relevant to the selection process, but will not exercise control over the selection of those persons or entities. In making distributions a recipient will not be acting or representing itself as an agent of the Government of Canada.

16. Intellectual Property

If a project produces intellectual property, the recipient retains copyright for any work produced under the funding agreement. However, in situations where the Minister wishes to use the intellectual property produced by a recipient, additional clauses may be included in the funding agreement.

Date modified:

2025-12-08