Application guide

2024-2025 call for applications

This guide is intended to assist you in completing your Veteran and Family Well-being Fund application. We strongly recommend that you review this guide prior to starting your application.

For clarifications or technical issues, please email us at veteraninnovation@veterans.gc.ca.

Program information

Budget 2024 proposed an additional $6 million over three years, starting in 2024-2025, to Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) for the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund (VFWF) to provide funding to private, public, and academic organizations to advance research projects and innovative approaches that deliver services to Veterans and their families. A portion of the funding will focus on projects for Indigenous, women, and 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans.

Available funding & eligibility

• Grants may be provided up to $500,000 per fiscal year for a maximum of three years.
• Contributions may be provided up to $1,000,000 per fiscal year for a maximum of three years.

To be considered for funding you must be a:

• Non-profit organization;
• Registered charity;
• For-profit organization (provided that the nature and intent of the project is non-commercial, not intended to generate profit, and supports program priorities and objectives);
• Research organization/institute;
• Educational institution;
• Public health and social services institution; or
• Indigenous organization.

Projects are ineligible if they:

• are of a commercial nature and allow the organization to generate profits or increase its economic value;
• represent or establish a requirement for ongoing funding or create a dependency;
• are complete before a proposal is submitted; or
• have revenues that cover or exceed expenditures.

Program objectives and priorities

The Fund's objectives are to:

• Drive progress on new knowledge and understanding of Veteran and family well-being using the determinants of health model;
• Build capacity within the non-profit and volunteer sectors on issues specific to Veterans and their families such as homelessness, careers and employment, and transition to civilian life;
• Encourage coordination between multiple players such as; agencies, institutions and associations; and
• Support new ideas for adapting existing programs or forming new programs and services to address ill-and-injured Veterans' treatment and care needs.

The Fund contributes to the following direct outcomes:

• Partnerships and networks are fostered to build knowledge and understanding of the social issues and challenges facing the Veteran population. Activities may include identifying current gaps in knowledge and approaches; contributing to the base of evidence; providing input during the design, piloting and implementing project tools; disseminating information and resources; and program development.
• Determine better approaches in the way we identify and respond to existing and emerging social issues that impact Veterans and their families. The VFWF helps organizations explore, recognize and develop innovative approaches that address Veterans' and their families' social needs. Approaches could include programs, services and resources that are designed to identify and meet these social needs.
• Knowledge of existing and emerging social issues is developed and shared. Understanding the needs of Veterans and their families will be enhanced through the development of research, best practices, and innovative solutions. This funding will help develop, disseminate, promote and share this knowledge to better serve Veterans and their families.

Organization contact section

Name of organization

Indicate the legal name of your organization that is associated with the certificate of incorporation or registration, or Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business number. If it is an acronym, indicate the legal name in full.

Indicate any alternate names you may use for external communications (e.g., website, news release).

Please provide your organization's mailing address and website

Indicate your full mailing address including city/town/village, province/territory, country and postal code. Include the website of your organization, if applicable, and indicate if your organization's address is confidential.

Contact name, position within the organization, email address and telephone (including area code)

Indicate the name, position title, telephone number, and email of the main contact person.

All correspondence will be sent to the primary contact person's email address.

Language of choice for communications

Indicate if you would prefer English or French for communication with Veterans Affairs Canada.

Organization information section

Organization status

Indicate the status of your organization, either non-profit or for-profit.

Organization type

Indicate your type of organization, (i.e. Research Institution, Academic Institution, Healthcare Provider, Community Organization, Indigenous Organization or Other). If you choose other, please specify the type of organization.

Registered charitable number

Indicate your registered charitable number.

A complete charity registration number has three parts: the BN (first nine digits), the program identifier (two letters), and the reference number (four digits). Contact the CRA to find your charity number.

HST/GST number

Indicate your registered HST/GST number.

Business number

Indicate your business number.

A business number (BN) is a nine-digit number the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) assigns to a business or non-profit as a tax ID. Your BN number is listed at the top of the Welcome page on My Business Account at the CRA.

Organization scope

Indicate the scope of your organization, (national, provincial/territorial, municipal or community).

Are your programs and services offered in English and/or French?

Indicate the language(s) in which the programs and services are offered by your organization.

Please briefly state your organization's mandate

Indicate your organization's mandate in 300 characters or less.

How many total paid staff does your organization currently have?

Indicate how many paid staff your organization currently has.

Name and title of person(s) authorized by the organization to sign financial agreements

Indicate the name and position title of the individual authorized to sign financial agreements for your organization.

Does your organization have an employee or board member involved in this project who is a current or former public servant/public office holder within the last 12 months?

Indicate if your organization has an employee or board member involved in this project who is current or former public service/public office holder within the last 12 months

The involvement of current and former public servants/officials must respect and comply with the Policy on Conflict of Interest and Post Employment and the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector.

Does your organization have an employee or board member who is employed or has been employed by Veterans Affairs Canada?

Indicate if your organization has an employee or board member that is currently or has been employed by Veterans Affairs Canada.

The involvement of current and former public servants/officials must respect and comply with the Policy on Conflict of Interest and Post Employment and the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector.

Please provide details surrounding the expertise, leadership and experience within your organization that will enable you to deliver this project

In 400 words or less, please provide details surrounding the expertise, leadership and experience within your organization that will allow you to deliver this project.

Has your organization had past experience with similar projects? If so, please provide a brief summary of those projects.

In 400 words or less, please provide details and a brief summary surrounding past experience with similar projects.

Project information section

Project title

Indicate the title of your project.

Project start date (YYYY-MM-DD)

Indicate the proposed start date of your project. Please note that only projects commencing in fiscal year 2024-2025 will be considered for funding.

If your organization's project activities begin before you receive a funding decision, expenses incurred prior to approval will not be reimbursed.

Project end date (YYYY-MM-DD)

Indicate the end date of your project.

Project scale

Indicate the scale of the project (i.e. national, provincial/territorial, municipal, community)

In what province will the project activities primarily occur? (choose 1) (if national, where is it led?)

Indicate which province the project activities will primarily occur. If the project is national, indicate where it will be led.

Nature of the project

Indicate the nature of the project (Research, Program Development, Program Delivery, Dissemination of Information or Resources, or Other)

Expected number of participants/beneficiaries

Indicate the number of Veterans and/or family members expected to participate/benefit from this project.

In 50 words or less, describe your project

In 50 words or less, provide a description of your project that could be used for briefing or communications purposes.

Project objectives section

Project objective(s)

Outline the objective(s) of your project. The project objective(s) are statements that describe the overall desired change to be accomplished/achieved by the end of your project and should align with the objectives of the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund (for more information see the Fund Objectives section below).

Project objectives should also be S.M.A.R.T.:

• Specific - Is your objective clearly defined?
• Measurable - Are you able to track your progress?
• Attainable - Can you achieve it with the available resources?
• Relevant - Does it fit with your overall organizational objectives?
• Time-bound - Can it be accomplished within a realistic timeframe?

Project activities section

List details regarding the planned project activities you will complete to achieve the project's objective(s). Include the expected timeframes, corresponding objectives and a brief description of each activity, outlining the steps (what will be done, and when) in order to achieve the overall project objective(s).

Activities should be specific, realistic, and relevant to the project objective(s) and demonstrate how the project outcome(s) will be achieved.

Project planning section

Performance measurement requirements

Indicate your expected outcomes (derived from the project's activities, indicator(s), and data sources) that will be used to confirm that a particular outcome has been achieved.

1) Outcomes

Clearly describe the expected outcomes that your project is proposing to deliver. Outcomes represent changes/results/consequences that are influenced by the project's activities.

Outcomes range from short-term to long-term, and are associated with changes in knowledge, awareness, behaviour, and skills.

It is important to set outcomes that are specific, concrete, and measurable so that you can track the success of your project.

2) Indicators

Include the performance indicators that will be used to measure the performance of each of the project's expected outcomes.

Indicators can be: Quantitative – measured in numeric terms, such as percentages/number, or Qualitative – measured in non-numeric terms, such as the quality or perception of an individual or group's participation or experience.

An outcome can have more than one indicator.

3) Data sources

Data sources must be provided for each performance indicator. These are simply a description of how /where you plan to collect your data on results achieved by your project.

Data sources may be collected via a variety of methods: pre- and post -questionnaires, satisfaction surveys, interviews, or focus groups, data from official sources (e.g., Stats Canada, organization or administrative records, etc.), observations.

Fund objectives section

The Veteran and Family Well-being Fund's objectives are to:

 

• Drive progress on new knowledge and understanding of Veteran and family well-being using the determinants of health model:
• Build capacity within the non-profit and volunteer sectors on issues specific to Veterans and their families such as homelessness, careers and employment, and transition to civilian life;
• Encourage coordination between multiple players such as: agencies, institutions and associations; and
• Support new ideas for adapting existing programs or forming new programs and services to address ill-and-injured Veterans' treatment and care needs.

In 400 words or less, please describe how your project addresses one or more of the Fund's objectives.

Please describe how your project addresses one of more of the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund objectives listed above.

Impact, innovation and risk assessment section

All projects will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Impact – the project will have a meaningful impact on Veterans' and their families' well-being, including a sustained impact after participation ends.
• Innovation – the project addresses an unmet need, offers a new approach to delivering a needed benefit, or finds a new way to reach Veterans and their families.
• Risk – the project is cost-effective, and the organization is adequately prepared for the complexity and duration of the project/service and has sufficient resources to administer and deliver it.

Describe how your project will have a significant impact on Veterans and their families' well-being, including a sustained impact after participation ends

In 400 words or less, indicate how your project will have a significant impact on Veterans and their families' well-being. How will you measure the sustained impact after participation ends? Include any evidence available to support your answer.

Who is the target audience for your project? Does your project focus on equity deserving groups such as women, 2SLGBTQI+, homeless and/or Indigenous Veterans?

In 400 words or less, indicate the target audience for your project.

Please describe how your organization has sufficient resources for administering and delivering this project and how quickly it can be implemented. If you are lacking resources or expertise how do you plan to address this?

In 400 words or less, indicate your various resources in place to administer and deliver this project. How will you address a lack of expertise or resources?

How does your project address an unmet need for Canadian Veterans?

In 400 words or less, please explain how your project addresses an unmet need for Canadian Veterans.

Please demonstrate how your organization meets regulatory standards and works within accepted scopes of practice. This includes proper screening of volunteers and staff who are working directly with program participants and/or equity deserving groups.

In 400 words or less, indicate the measures your organization takes to ensure safety for Veterans participating in this project. This includes how volunteers and peer supporters are screened when working with program participants including Veterans and/or equity deserving groups.

Please describe the financial controls in place to ensure the cost-effectiveness of your project and mitigation of financial risk in your organization.

In 400 words or less, describe the financial controls your organization has in place to ensure cost-effectiveness of your project and the mitigation strategies used for financial risk.

Do you foresee any potential unintended adverse consequences resulting from the project. How would your organization address these adverse consequences?

In 400 words or less, please list and describe potential unintended adverse consequences resulting from the project and how you will address these consequences.

Examples of adverse consequences could include: issues reaching target audiences, lower intended number of participants than anticipated, issues with partners or suppliers, etc.

If your project has a research component, is your organization prepared to seek ethics approval through research ethics board at an accredited academic institution.? If applicable, please describe how it adheres to the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines.

Projects should report how sex and gender were taken into account in the design of the study, whether they ensured adequate representation of males and females, and justify the reasons for any exclusion of males or females. Where appropriate, data should be routinely presented disaggregated by sex and gender. Sex and gender-based analyses should be reported regardless of positive or negative outcome. In clinical trials, data on withdrawals and dropouts should also be reported disaggregated by sex.

Describe how your project will include diverse perspectives in its design and delivery, and how Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) will be used to achieve the project's objectives. This includes the use of methods to reduce and mitigate unintended bias and that fall in line with federal objectives related to GBA Plus.

GBA Plus is an analytical process used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and non-binary people may experience policies, programs and initiatives. The “plus” in GBA Plus acknowledges that GBA goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences, such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability

Describe how your project will include a Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) in its design and delivery, and how GBA Plus will be used to achieve the project's objectives. This includes the use of methods to reduce and mitigate unintended bias and that fall in line with federal objectives related to Gender-Based Analysis Plus.

Indicate any considerations resulting from your GBA Plus and the evidence to support the existence of the identified need. This includes referencing evidence and explaining how and the extent to which the element(s) of the discriminatory system in question impact the target client population of your project.

If the project is intended to continue beyond the funded period, explain in detail how the project will be sustained

In 400 words or less, describe how you would plan to sustain the project after funding has ended in the event your project is awarded Veteran and Family Well-being Fund funding.

The objective of the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund is to fund projects of a finite duration. If a project is to continue past the funded period, the organization will be responsible for sustaining the project.

Have you ever applied for Veteran and Family Well-being funding previously? Have you been funded? If so, please indicate the year you were funded and under what organization name.

Indicate any previous applications to the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund and whether or not your project was approved for funding. If yes, please indicate the amount of funding received, the year funded and organization name (if different).

Project expenditures section

What are the total planned expenditures for this project and/or predetermined costs?

For each fiscal year 2024-2025, 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 please enter the planned expenditures for your project.

Total planned project expenditures

This box will fill in automatically with the total planned expenditures from the three fiscal years 2024-2025, 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.

Project revenue section

Secured and Anticipated Revenue

Indicate the secured and anticipated sources of revenue for this project from each source listed.

NOTE: In-kind is the type of funding that is given in goods and/or services rather than money.

Total anticipated revenue

The total amount of secured and anticipated revenue you will be receiving from other sources for this project will auto-populate.

NOTE: if total revenue covers or exceeds expenditures, VAC is unable to fund this project.

Funding requested from VAC section

The following project expenses are considered eligible:

• wages and benefits;
• professional fees;
• travel and accommodations;
• materials and supplies;
• rental, repair, renovation and/or maintenance of facilities
• printing and communication; and
• administration costs (not to exceed 20%).

Eligible expenditures are direct and indirect costs that are approved and incurred by the recipient in respect to eligible activities/initiatives and which are reasonable and necessary to carry out the activities/initiatives to which they relate.

Administrative costs are any expenses considered indirect costs. Indirect costs are expenses related to an organization's ability to administer and support project activities. For example; the salary for a psychologist who will work directly with Veterans for the project would fall under Wages & Benefits. However, the salary for an administrative professional who would do scheduling and taxes for the project would fall under Administration Costs.

The following are examples of expenses that are considered ineligible:

• construction of a building;
• purchase of a vehicle;
• purchase of equipment that could increase the organization's economic value;
• building improvements; and
• land purchase.

Completing the budget section

Please give a detailed budget breakdown of planned expenditures for which you are requesting VAC funding, for each fiscal year of your project. Choose which cost category the expense is part of, indicate the fiscal year and cost of that expense and provide a description of the expense.. Please group cost category expenditures together.

After your application has been submitted

Not all eligible applications will be selected for funding during this call for applications as funding is limited.

Approvals will be communicated via telephone call and those not approved will be confirmed via email.

The Minister of Veterans Affairs Canada makes all funding decisions.

Decisions regarding the assessment of applications are final and there is no appeal process. Any questions or concerns about the grant process or decisions should be sent to veteraninnovation@veterans.gc.ca.

If your project is approved, a departmental representative will contact you to establish a funding agreement.

Activities cannot begin before the project is approved and an agreement has been signed by both the organization and VAC.