Veterans Affairs Canada's (VAC’s) mandate is to support the well-being of Veterans and their families, and to promote recognition and remembrance of the achievements and sacrifices of those who served Canada in times of war, military conflict and peace.
The Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund has been in place since 2018. This is the first evaluation of the grant and contribution program since its inception. An internal audit was completed in 2020.
1.1 Overview of the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund
The Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund (hereafter called the Fund or the Program) was created to fill a perceived gap in supporting innovation and research in Veteran health and well-being. Prior to establishing the Fund, the department regularly received requests from organizations to support research and/or the development of programs and services for Veterans and their families. However, VAC had no mechanism to contribute financially to these requests.
An Order in Council dated 15 December 2017, authorized VAC to pursue the creation of a grant and contribution program. Consequently, the Fund was established in April 2018, with a first call for project applications occurring in May 2018.
The intent of the Fund is to provide financial support to organizations that conduct research and/or develop/implement innovative programs and services intended to improve the health and well-being of Veterans and their families. Organizations who may qualify for funding include:
- Non-profit organizations;
- For-profit organizations, provided that the nature and intent of the activity is non-commercial, not intended to generate profit, and supports program priorities and objectives;
- Research organizations/institutes;
- Educational institutions;
- Public health and social services institutions; and
- Indigenous organizations.
There are four objectives established for the Fund:
- Drive progress on new knowledge and understanding of Veteran and family well-being using the determinants of health modelFootnote1;
- Build capacity within the non-profit and volunteer sectors on issues specific to Veterans and their families such as homelessness, careers and employment, transition to civilian life, etc.;
- Encourage coordination between multiple players: agencies, institutions, associations and other levels of government; and
- Support new ideas for adapting existing programs and/or forming new programs and services to address ill-and-injured Veterans’ treatment and care needs.
The Fund is structured to provide both grants and contributions. Projects approved under the Fund are eligible to receive:
- Grants up to $500,000Footnote2 per fiscal year, for a maximum of three years.
- Contributions up to $1 million per fiscal year, for a maximum of five years.
The Fund is allocated $3 million annually. However, Budget 2021 provided an additional $15 million over three years ($5 million per year), starting in 2021-22. The temporary budget increase was provided to VAC to expand and enhance the Fund through projects that will support Veterans in post COVID-19 recovery, including addressing homelessness, employment, retraining, and health challenges. In accordance with the Budget funding decision, a portion of this additional funding is to be designated to support projects that assist the vulnerable sub-populations of women and/or LGBTQ2+ Veterans.
To date, the Fund has contributed to 102 projects out of 509 submitted proposals. Over $36 million has been awarded since 2018. The Fund has only operated one year within its core budget of $3 million. Since the first year of operations (2018-19), the Fund’s annual budget has been temporarily supplemented with additional funds from within the Department, or through Budget 2021.
Management of the Fund has shifted between VAC directorates several times since 2018. Since 1 April 2021 the Fund has been administered and monitored by VAC’s Research Directorate which is part of the Strategic Policy, Planning and Performance Branch.
Overview of the application submission and assessment process
VAC generally issues a call for funding applications once per calendar yearFootnote3. When a call is open, VAC informs organizations through its website and multiple mailing list of interested applicants. Organizations have at least one month to submit a proposal online via a hyperlink from the Fund’s webpage on the VAC internet site.
Once the submission period closes, Fund staff conduct an initial review of applications to determine the eligibility of organizations and to determine where consultation with departmental subject matter experts may be required. Due to the technical nature of some proposals, Fund staff use feedback from subject matter experts to assist in assessing and scoring applications using an established scoring matrix. A standard template is used to record the assessor’s rationale for scoring the application. The current process for reviewing and assessing all applications takes approximately two-four weeks.
Projects that meet the program criteria are further reviewed by the program area to determine which will be recommended for approval based on: overall application score; variety of theme topic areas and geographic locations; and availability of funding. The recommendations are reviewed and finalized within the Policy and Research Division, and are then provided to the Assistant Deputy Minister of Strategic Policy, Planning and Performance for approval. A recommended project list is then shared with the Minister’s office where ultimate sign off occurs of approved projects. Successful applicants are informed directly, new recipients are highlighted on the programs website and events and press releases occur announcing the projects throughout the year. Prior to public announcement, Fund staff begin the process of developing funding agreements between VAC and recipient organizations. The funding agreements outline responsibilities of both parties, reporting requirements particular objectives/outcomes and specifics regarding payment(s).