Language selection

Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada

Search

Who can apply

This page explains:

Eligibility

To apply, you must meet all the following eligibility criteria.

Applicants

Your organization must be 1 of the following types:

  • not-for-profit organization
  • municipality
  • provincial or territorial government, institution or Crown Corporation
  • Indigenous organization including:
    • band council
    • tribal council
    • self-government entity
  • coalition, network or committee
  • research organization or institute
  • educational institution
  • public health and social services institution
  • for-profit organization provided that the nature and intent of the activity is non-commercial and does not generate profit

The following organizations are eligible with the agreement of their provincial or territorial government:

  • post-secondary institutions
  • social service and public health institutions
  • provincially/territorially funded institutions

Note to organizations in Québec

The Protocol of Agreement sets the terms for the cooperation between the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec. It is for the implementation of the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP). The application process was discussed with Quebec's Secrétariat aux aînés. This process is consistent with the Protocol.

Organizations can only submit 1 application. Proposals that include multiple locations within an overall organization cannot exceed a total of $25,000 per organization. For example:

XYZ Senior's Centre has 5 locations managed by the organization, operating under the same business number with the same Board of Directors. Each location wants to propose different activities (for example, one wants to start an intergenerational crafting circle, and another wants to expand their Monday coffee chat to happen on Wednesdays as well).

For this scenario, there are 2 options to apply:

  • Option 1 - Each XYZ location can apply separately for the project activities taking place at their location, however, the total accumulated requested amount cannot be higher than $25,000.
  • OR
  • Option 2 - XYZ Senior's Center can submit one application requesting up to $25,000 for all the project activities that would take place at the different locations.

To compare:

123 Veteran's Society has 7 independent chapters, each with their own Board of Directors, their own unique Business number and operate independently. Each chapter can apply for up to $25,000 using their Business Number.

Projects

Your project must meet all of the following criteria:

  • be no longer than 52 weeks
  • request no more than $25,000
  • meet at least 1 program objective
  • seniors will lead or play a vital role in its planning and/or delivery
  • seek to benefit seniors and communities
  • demonstrate cost effectiveness

Activities

Applications must demonstrate the active participation of seniors in the eligible activities

Examples of eligible activities:

  • seniors sharing their knowledge, skills and experience with other seniors
  • seniors promoting awareness of elder abuse, including financial abuse
  • seniors reaching out to vulnerable seniors, such as those who are socially or geographically isolated, including newcomers, Indigenous seniors, or 2SLGBTQIA+ members
  • volunteering, mentoring, leadership training and skill matching for activities for seniors
  • seniors involved in developing/sharing tools and resource materials to benefit other seniors
  • equipment purchase or replacement for programs and activities for seniors
  • renovations and repairs to facilities for programs and activities for seniors
  • transportation to provide a personal service to seniors in urban, rural and remote areas (transportation services for appointments, home visit or service call, meal delivery service, etc.)
  • travel to the main activity location in case low-income seniors are unable to reach it otherwise, if the main activities are eligible
  • developing partnerships to encourage new and emerging cohorts of seniors to be more actively involved in community activities
  • adapting approaches (policies and tools) to more effectively attract, recruit and retain diverse cohorts of senior volunteers
  • seniors engaging in intergenerational learning and relationship building to grow their community networks

Examples of ineligible activities include, but are not limited to:

  • activities where the role of seniors is minimal or not clearly described
  • activities where tourism is the main project activity
  • transportation for the sole purpose of leisure activities
  • activities that are not led by seniors and/or not volunteer based
  • core operational tasks
  • core activities (proposed activities already being delivered by the organization, as listed in their organization mandate with no proposed expansion of the activities)
  • previously-funded activities for a past recipient of the New Horizons for Seniors Program Community-based stream with no proposed expansion of activities
  • activities of a medical nature and/or a health intervention
  • fundraising activities
  • activities requiring the purchase of vehicle(s)
  • projects seeking funding to renovate or maintain an establishment that is:
    • not owned by the applicant; and
    • does not provide direct seniors' programming (for example theatres, healthcare establishments such as health and foot clinics)
  • activities that can be supported under another funding program provided by ESDC

Note: For activities that will contribute to greater access to programs, services and supports for persons with disabilities by improving accessibility in facilities (for example ramps, accessible doors or washrooms, elevators), please see ESDC's Enabling Accessibility Fund

What the funding can be used to pay for

Eligible costs

To be eligible, all costs must be reasonable and directly related to project activities and their development and implementation outside of project administrative costs.

Projects costs must be tied to projects that are designed by seniors and/or delivered for seniors. These costs must empower seniors in their communities and contribute to improving their health and well-being.

Costs cannot exceed $25,000.

Examples of eligible costs:
  • capital assets linked to eligible project activities which will continue to exist after the funding period
  • staff wages to prepare, present and deliver content of direct project activities by staff already employed by the organization
    • This includes salary, wages and mandatory employment related costs (MERCs)
  • professional fees for a professional not already employed in your organization, for example:
    • instructor
    • presenter(s) for topics in a lecture series
    • external facilitators
  • costs related to event planning and implementation
  • shipping costs for equipment, materials or supplies
  • honoraria to express gratitude or to symbolize respect
  1. Should your project require renovations, you must provide a minimum of 1 quote.
  2. Administrative costs for the administration of the project can be up to 25% of project costs. Costs for internal staff to facilitate and delivery project activities should not be included in this category as they are direct project costs.

Ineligible costs

Ineligible costs include, but are not limited to:

  • core operational expenses of an organization, such as:
    • salary dollars unrelated to project activities
    • utilities
    • day-to-day maintenance of facilities including general operating costs of your organization that are not related to this project
  • activities where the role of seniors is minimal or not clearly described
  • salaries for caregiving services
  • purchase of items of a personal or medical nature such as:
    • wheelchairs
    • scooters
    • cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
    • first aid equipment
    • automated blood pressure monitor
    • defibrillators
    • hearing aids
    • medical or therapeutic treatments
  • purchase of gift card
  • purchase of vehicle
  • purchase of land or buildings
  • purchase of alcohol, tobacco (outside of specific cultural rituals), etc.
  • repairs or renovations to a building or the purchase of equipment for the new building that your organization does not yet occupy
  • new construction, including physical expansion of an existing structure that would increase its overall square footage/footprint
  • decorating and beautification costs, such as:
    • painting
    • landscaping for aesthetics purposes
  • unexpected costs, planned contingency costs, or costs for potential price increases
  • programs or services that fall within the responsibility of other levels of government
  • transportation costs for leisure activities (for example sightseeing trips) that do not have a clear educational or social engagement of seniors with other groups
  • travel/touristic costs constituting the main expenses in a project proposal
  • costs incurred to prepare and submit the application for funding, such as:
    • costs used to pay for third parties assisting the applicant in obtaining Government of Canada funding usually seen under professional fees (for example lobbyists)
    • grant writer costs to submit the application
  • costs incurred before the project has been officially approved for the NHSP Community-based stream (if applicable).
  • any other cost that does not directly benefit seniors.

How ESDC assesses your application

ESDC will refuse applications that are incomplete or contain errors.

ESDC will contact you to request any mandatory information if it is missing from your application. ESDC will do this before ESDC determines if your application is eligible. If you receive such a request, you must respond within 5 business days of the date ESDC sent the request. If you do not respond before the deadline, ESDC will assess your application with the information on file.

ESDC will review your application in 3 steps by:

Step 1: Screening for eligibility

ESDC will screen for eligibility based on whether the:

  • application is received by the deadline
  • application is complete
  • organization is eligible
  • project is eligible

It is important to submit a complete application. ESDC will assess your project only if all of the eligibility requirements are met.

Things that may impact your eligibility:

  • your past performance may impact the eligibility of your application including:
    • missing reports
    • financial irregularities
      • missing or inconsistent supporting documents
      • issues of default
    • inconsistencies with terms of agreement
    • overall grant and contribution management issues

Step 2: Assessing on program objectives

ESDC will assess your application based on the following criteria:

National priorities: 10% of overall assessment

  • If applicable, demonstrate how your project meets at least 1 of the national priorities
  • If your project meets any of the criteria in this section, it will receive extra points in the assessment process

Senior involvement: 10% of overall assessment

  • Demonstrate how seniors will be actively involved in the planning, development and/or implementation of your proposed project
  • Outline the participation of seniors in the project activities

Benefits to seniors: 15% of overall assessment

  • Demonstrate how seniors will benefit from the project
  • Demonstrate how the project will address the identified needs of seniors

Benefits to the community and community support: 15% of overall assessment

  • Describe how your project will benefit the community
  • Provide a support letter from another organization or group

Cost effectiveness: 10% of overall assessment

  • Provide a brief and clear justification of how your organization will use the money
  • Demonstrate that the costs are reasonable and support the project activities

Project activities: 10% of overall assessment

  • Clearly describe activities, timelines and milestones that are specific, detailed and realistic (such as activities and timelines that can be achieved)
  • Indicate the expected results of your project and how they will be achieved. They must be clearly defined and realistic

Consideration for new recipients or not recent recipients: 10% of overall assessment

Your organization is considered new if you have not received any NHSP funding before, or if you have received funding prior to 2019.

Priorities for funding allocations: 20% of overall assessment

Funding is distributed as equitably as possible with reach across all provinces and territories in Canada. Funding may be prioritized for projects that:

  • specifically target vulnerable seniors' populations : 10% of overall assessment:
    • have low income
    • are Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis)
    • are 2SLGBTQIA+
    • are Black or racialized
    • are members of Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs)
    • are persons with disabilities
    • are immigrants or newcomers
    • are living in rural and remote communities
    • are at increased risk of social isolation due to factors such as being an informal caregiver or living alone
    • are veterans
  • specifically target (or reach out) to seniors in rural and remote areas : 10% overall assessment.

Page details

Date modified: