Stakeholder Engagement and Call for Proposals for Employment Programs

Government of Canada's response to THE HUMA report on the Calls for Proposals Process (CFP)

Joint Service Canada / Voluntary Sector Working Group Report on developing new approaches to funding results

Service Canada / Voluntary Sector Joint Working Group Memorandum

• Letter to Sponsor
• Project Applicant Instruction Sheet
• Questions and Answers

NEW: Grants and Contributions Change Agenda: Administrative Changes E-Learning Module for Sponsors

Employment Program Related Forms

If you have any questions or would like more information on the administrative improvements that comprise the Gs and Cs Change Agenda, please send us your questions.

Service Canada is committed to a fair, transparent, responsive and accountable process for awarding project funding. In support of this commitment, the department follows four national directives (adopted on February 16, 2004) to guide grant and contribution project administration and the selection of project sponsors.

These directives apply to contributions under the following programs:

• Employment Assistance Services
• Labour Market Partnerships (including Youth Awareness)
• Research and Innovation
• Targeted Wage Subsidies (agreements for multiple individuals)
• Job Creation Partnerships (agreements for multiple individuals)
• Self-Employment (agreements with organizations)
• Career Focus (agreements with organizations)
• Community Coordinators agreements (i.e., Skills Development, Targeted Wage Subsidies, Self-Employment)
• Skills Link (agreements with organizations)

A key element is the implementation of a new process for calls for proposals for all contribution projects valued at or above $500,000. As part of this process, calls for proposals will be posted on this web site to facilitate access.

To access information on current and past calls for proposals for your region, including results, simply click on your province/territory below:

1. Yukon
2. Northwest Territories 
3. Nunavut
4. British Columbia
5. Alberta
6. Saskatchewan
7. Manitoba
8. Ontario
9. Québec
10. Newfoundland & Labrador
11. Prince Edward Island
12. Nova Scotia
13. New Brunswick  

14. National Career Focus (Youth Employment Strategy)

The Directives

In order to formalize and standardize the approach to the administration and management of contribution agreements, several directives were implemented on February 16, 2004, with the intent to:

• Increase transparency by formalizing the use of a call for proposals process for selecting sponsors for projects valued at or above $500,000
• Strengthen program integrity by including a mandatory audit clause in contribution agreements with HRSDC funding at or above $350,000
• Ensure due diligence by instituting an Internal Review Committee process
• Segregate duties within the management of a project’s life cycle

The Call for Proposals Process

Through the call for proposals process, Service Canada invites interested and qualified applicants to develop a project proposal and to submit an application for funding to carry out activities that meet a community need identified by the Department and that will be funded through one of its contribution programs.

Once all of the applications have been received, they will be assessed and ranked by Service Canada against a predetermined set of criteria which will be clearly outlined in the Guide for Applicants.  In determining the highest ranked applicant(s), Service Canada may also consider other factors.

Service Canada reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and will notify all applicants of the outcome of the call for proposal assessment.

Service Canada

With the creation of Service Canada on September 14, 2005, the administration of these programs, and responsibility for the four directives, was transferred to this new organization.

Service Canada integrates services from a number of federal departments to form an easy-to-access service delivery network.   These services touch all aspects of the lives of Canadians:  from parental and pension benefits, to matching employers with job seekers, applying for a passport and obtaining a Social Insurance Number.  Today, this network brings together 320 points of service in communities throughout Canada; a national 1 800 O-Canada (1 800 622-6232) telephone service providing Canadians with information about all federal government services; and a range of on-line services at servicecanada.gc.ca.