Deadline: 23-Jul-2024
Applications are now open for the Enabling Accessibility Fund to make communities and workplaces across Canada more accessible for persons with disabilities.
It will fund projects that create more opportunities for persons with disabilities to take part in community activities, programs and services, and access employment.
Program Objectives
- Successful projects under this Call for proposals (CFP) will receive funding for new construction, renovation and/or retrofit activities, that will improve accessibility and safety for persons with disabilities in:
- a facility where persons with disabilities work or could work in the future (Workplace Accessibility Stream)
- a community space where programs or services are, or will be available for persons with disabilities (Community Accessibility Stream)
Funding Priorities
- The Department will prioritize funding to projects based on the following:
- $5 million allocated for projects that increase accessibility and safety in facilities that deliver at least one of the following fundamental services to address poverty:
- Housing security: shelters for persons experiencing homelessness and/or violence
- Food security: food banks and emergency meal services
- Clothing security: charities that offer second hand clothing (e.g., thrift shops, the snowsuit fund)
- $2 million allocated for Indigenous community projects that will improve accessibility and safety for Indigenous persons with disabilities.
- of note, priority may also be given to applications based on geographic distribution, community needs and other emerging priorities that support the objective of the EAF.
- organizations that received funding from the 2022 small projects CFP will only be considered after those that did not receive funding through the 2022 small projects CFP.
What this program offers?
- The Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) provides funding for projects that make communities and workplaces across Canada more accessible for persons with disabilities. EAF creates more opportunities for persons with disabilities to:
- take part in community activities, programs and services, and
- access employment
- This CFP will provide up to $14.7 million in funding for eligible projects across Canada.
- Eligible organizations can apply for funding up to $125,000 per project (1 application per Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Business Number only).
Project Activities
- Successful projects under this CFP will provide funding to eligible organizations that will contribute to increasing access to programs, services and support targeted for persons with disabilities by improving accessibility barriers and/or safety concerns in Canadian communities and workplaces through:
- renovation, construction, and retrofit activities
- the purchase of accessible equipment/devices
- the provision of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and systems so long as they meet the following criteria:
- the project/activities enable access to programming and/or services for multiple persons with disabilities (i.e., cannot be for a single user)
- the project/activities enable persons with disabilities to maintain or gain employment so long as the accessibility features are not specific or personalized for one individual and are thereby transferrable to other persons with disabilities
- The items funded under EAF remain the property of the funding recipient and are not transferrable to the user on a permanent basis.
- Projects must be ready to start as early as Winter 2025 and must be completed within a 2-year timeframe.
- Please note that the Department will not pay or reimburse funding for any activities that take place before you have a signed agreement with ESDC.
Eligibility Criteria
- Your organization must be one of the following:
- not-for-profit organizations
- for-profit organizations with up to 99 full-time equivalent employees
- municipal governments
- Indigenous organizations
- territorial governments
- organizations that provide transitional, temporary or emergency housing
- registered and/or licensed Early Learning and Child Care centres (ELCC). ELCC centres situated in or on public school property will be required to demonstrate that the proposed project activity is exclusively for the use of the child care centre/program. In question 9 of the application, please provide your ELCC registration number(mandatory)
- Indigenous ELCCs, ESDC recognizes that not all Indigenous ELCC centres (including those on reserves, operating in Inuit communities, or operated by Self-Governing First Nations or Modern Treaty Holders) are issued a registration or licensing number. These organizations are still eligible to apply under this call. In question 9 of the application for funding form, please include a statement if this is the case
Ineligible
- Your organization is ineligible if it is one of the following:
- federal and provincial governments
- public schools (primary and secondary), including organizations submitting proposals for projects that would take place on publicly funded school property with the exception of registered and/or licensed Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) centres located on public school property and when the proposed activity is solely for the use of the childcare centre/program
- public health care facilities, including projects that take place on public health care property
- home-based childcare centres
- crown corporations and entities that are controlled by the federal or a provincial government or on land owned by the federal or a provincial government
- long-term care facilities not specifically serving persons with disabilities
- residential housing organizations such as condo boards and co-op boards – this does not include transitional housing for persons with disabilities or for activities in the common spaces of housing exclusive to persons with disabilities
For more information, visit Employment and Social Development Canada.