Solicited call for proposals – Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities Program to support Canadians with a Learning Disability
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Application period
Current status: Closed
Solicited organizations were invited to apply from May 29, 2023 to June 16, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
Description of the program
The Opportunities Fund (OF) program helps persons with disabilities increase their economic participation and independence by:
- preparing for, finding, and keeping good jobs or becoming self employed, or
- advancing in their careers or taking on new or greater responsibilities
The program also provides supports to employers to help them make their workplaces more inclusive and accessible.
The OF program funds a wide range of supports and services, including:
- pre-employment and employability support
- skills development
- career advancement supports
Objectives of this solicited call for proposals
- This solicited process will support a pilot to test new approaches to identify and address learning disabilities among participants in foundational and transferable skills programming
- This pilot will:
- explore different ways of integrating learning disability detection and supports into various learning environments, and
- measure the impacts of participants' outcomes, such as:
- increased productivity
- skills improvement
- reduced anxiety
- higher graduation rates
- finding employment
Organizations solicited for funding
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is inviting 7 organizations to apply. ESDC chose these organizations based on their experience and demonstrated capacity, as listed below. They will not necessarily receive funding. Each invited organization must send a proposal for consideration.
Once ESDC makes funding decisions, they will disclose the names of successful applicants on the Proactive Disclosure page.
Eligibility
This solicited process is open to invited organizations only.
Eligible applicants
Your organization must be 1 of the following types:
- not-for-profit organizations
- for-profit organizations*
* For-profit organizations may be eligible for funding if the nature and intent of the activity:
- is non-commercial
- is not intended to generate profit
- supports program priorities and objectives
Your organization must show:
- how it has experience working with persons with learning disabilities, or
- how it can partner with other organizations who have this expertise
Your organization must also have:
- at least 3 years of experience within the last 5 years in providing essential skills training (or foundational and transferable skills training) to at least 1 of the following under-represented groups in the labour market:
- women
- persons with disabilities
- Indigenous people
- members of official language minority communities
- newcomers
- visible minorities, including Black Canadians and other racialized groups
- demonstrated capacity to work in partnership with other organizations towards common goals, and
- demonstrated experience with:
- piloting innovative approaches in skills training, and
- collecting and reporting reliable data
Note to organizations located and operating in Quebec: Ministère du Conseil Exécutif (M-30)
The Quebec National Assembly adopted an Act respecting the Ministère du Conseil exécutif (M-30). The provisions of this Act impose certain conditions on Quebec government bodies and certain other entities wanting to contract with the federal government.
You may consult the provisions of M-30 at the following website before submitting your Application for Funding to make sure you're complying with the Act respecting the Ministère du Conseil exécutif (M-30).
Any entity that is subject to the Act must get authorization before signing any agreement with the Government of Canada.
Consult the Act respecting the Ministère du Conseil exécutif for more information.
Eligible projects
Projects must be multi-year and must end by March 31, 2027.
The maximum amount per project is $2,000,000.
Projects must be National in scope. To be considered a national project, activities must:
- take place in 3 or more provinces/territories, or
- be delivered within a specific geographic region but have the potential to address the same or similar issues in other parts of the country
Projects must align with at least 1 of the program objectives:
- helping persons with learning disabilities:
- prepare for, find, and keep good jobs, or
- become self-employed
- helping persons with learning disabilities:
- advance in their careers, or
- take on new or greater responsibilities
- providing supports to employers to help them make their workplaces more inclusive and accessible for persons with learning disabilities
The department will consider proposed projects eligible for funding if they clearly demonstrate how they meet the objectives of this Solicited Call for Proposals.
Contact us
If you have questions or need help with this application process, contact ESDC.OF.REG-REG.FI.EDSC@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca.
Enquiries will be answered between May 29, 2023 and June 16, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. EDT.
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