Drug Strategy Community Initiatives Fund: Guide for Applicants 2008-2009

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Please refer to the DSCIF Program Contacts for an updated list of contacts.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
  • Drug Strategy Community Initiatives Fund
    • Objectives of the Fund
• Call for Proposals
  • Application Requirements
• Funding Criteria
  • Eligible
  • Ineligible
• Project Evaluation, Dissemination and Sustainability
• Selection Process
• Projects Approved for Funding
  • Reporting Requirements for Projects Awarded Funding
• Program Contacts

Please read this document carefully before preparing your proposal application form. These funding guidelines contain important information about the Drug Strategy Community Initiatives Fund and its eligibility criteria. Funding awarded under this program is provided through contribution agreements.

Introduction

Illicit drug use is a serious concern for all Canadians. In the 2007 Federal Budget, the Government of Canada announced the National Anti-Drug Strategy with a goal of improving the health, safety and security of Canadians by addressing both the demand for and supply of illegal drugs in Canada. Building on existing drug-related initiatives, it enhances collaboration between the federal, provincial, territorial governments, non-government organizations and communities.

Drug Strategy Community Initiatives Fund

Given the complexities and interrelationships of the many challenges associated with illicit drug use, as well as the varying needs and priorities across the country, the Strategy recognizes that partnership and community activities are fundamental to achieving its goal. Health Canada, through the Drug Strategy Community Initiatives Fund (DSCIF), will contribute to reducing drug use among Canadians, particularly among vulnerable populations such as youth, by focussing on health promotion and prevention approaches to address drug abuse before it happens.

Objectives of the Fund:

1. to facilitate the development of local, provincial, territorial, national and community-based solutions to illicit drug use among youth;
2. to promote public awareness of illicit drug use among youth.

Call for Proposals

Application Requirements

For details and deadline for submissions as well as additional requirements in your region, see the Web site section on the Call for Proposals for 2008-2009 for details. Applicants must complete the Proposal Application Form.

Should you wish to receive a hard copy of these documents please contact one of the Health Canada offices listed at the end of this document.

Funding Criteria

Eligible

Eligible Activities

The DSCIF will consider projects that relate to health promotion and prevention.

Health promotion and prevention projects are designed to address the underlying behavioural, social and environmental determinants of illicit drug use. This includes discouraging the initiation of use and preventing the progression to more frequent or regular use among youth. The health promotion and prevention area covers a range of initiatives, such as public awareness campaigns, school-based programs and community-focussed projects, among others. These may be broad-based efforts targeted to the mainstream population or targeted to specific populations such as at-risk youth, the children of substance users and Aboriginal youth living off-reserve.

For example, projects could focus on: informing and educating the public about illicit drugs and the adverse health and social effects of use; facilitating the development of healthy attitudes, resiliency and coping skills among youth to avoid engaging in drug use; promoting healthy behaviours and supportive environments that discourage drug use; and improving access to proven approaches to reduce drug use among vulnerable groups. Activities could include: needs assessments, outreach to hard-to-reach youth, networking, conferences, training, development of resource materials such as toolkits, best practices and school curricula, awareness campaigns, development of peer support programs, pilot projects and evaluation of pilot activities.

The above is not intended to be an exhaustive list of projects and activities that could be funded, and does not preclude the submission of applications for
innovative projects.

Eligible Applicants

The following types of applicants are eligible for funding under the DSCIF:

1. Canadian not-for-profit health organizations such as hospitals, regional health councils, public health units and community health organizations;
2. Canadian not-for-profit organizations and registered not-for-profit charitable organizations (where there will be a preference for those that have historically dealt with problematic substance use);
3. Canadian institutions including universities, boards of education and other centres of education in Canada;
4. other levels of government including provinces, territories and municipalities, and their agencies;
5. Métis, Inuit and off-reserve First Nations not-for-profit organizations;
6. business sector associations; and
7. ad hoc groups or steering committees representing organizations that purposefully come together to address drug issues in their communities.

For a list of ineligible applicants go to: Ineligible Applicants.

Eligible Project Costs

Only expenses directly related to approved project activities are eligible. Applicants are expected to secure other sources of support, including in-kind contributions towards the costs of the project. The eligible expenditures under the contribution agreement can include direct and indirect costs such as:

1. salaries and wages of individuals, including employees' benefits;
2. travel and accommodation;
3. costs of rental or leasing, or both, of meeting and conference facilities;
4. services provided under contract with a private contractor or consultant or a Canadian university, institute or community organization;
5. all reasonable project expenses including, but not limited to, office supplies, printing, publishing, distribution, promotion, rent, utilities, telephone, insurance, computer service rentals, repairs and maintenance; and
6. other costs that are time limited in support of the project and consistent with its objectives, such as honoraria, training, evaluation, audit requirements, etc.

Administrative costs should not exceed 15% of the total project budget, and must be described in detail.

For a list of ineligible project costs go to: Ineligible Costs.

Time Frame

Subject to the availability of resources, the DSCIF may consider funding projects for a period of up to three years.

Ineligible

Ineligible Activities:

1. projects that do not have youth illicit drug use issues and the underlying factors associated with youth illicit drug use as their primary focus;
2. projects and activities that contravene applicable federal, provincial or territorial laws, regulations, policies or guidelines;
3. programs and services that fall within provincial/territorial responsibility (e.g., regular service delivery such as methadone clinics, health care delivery services, treatment counselling, treatment and rehabilitation, hospital services, etc.);
4. ongoing core operations of an organization, including core interventions which fall under the mandate of other government agencies (federal, provincial, territorial, municipal);
5. projects and activities implemented outside of Canada; and
6. projects whose sole purpose is to conduct primary research and/or whose sole purpose is advocacy/activism.

Ineligible Applicants

The following types of applicants are not eligible for funding:

1. individuals;
2. for-profit groups;
3. Crown corporations/federal departments; and
4. organizations not listed under eligible applicants.

Ineligible Costs:

1. funding for existing or ongoing programs and services;
2. costs or debts previously incurred;
3. purchase of buildings, land, vehicles or other major capital costs over $5000; and
4. costs that are already supported by another funding source.

Project Evaluation, Dissemination and Sustainability

All proposals must include:

1. an evaluation plan describing how the project will be evaluated, including method, performance indicators and outcomes;
2. a description of the plan for sharing information and materials resulting from the project; and
3. a description of the sustainability plan for the project.

Selection Process

Proposals will be reviewed by Health Canada officials to determine their eligibility under the DSCIF criteria and, if appropriate, to provide technical assistance regarding the further development of eligible submissions. Once complete, these proposals undergo a detailed assessment that normally includes consultation with provincial or territorial governments, substance use/abuse experts and/or community representatives. Decisions resulting from the review process are final. Please note that the submission of a proposal does not guarantee that funding will be provided.

The following factors will be taken into consideration when reviewing proposals:

1. the eligibility of the organization;
2. the nature of the project and the extent to which it would advance the goal of the National Anti-Drug Strategy;
3. the extent to which the project would address the objectives of the DSCIF;
4. the extent to which the target population(s) of the project is involved in determining the need, developing, implementing and evaluating the project;
5. the quality of the project proposal (objectives and activities outlined in the detailed description of the proposed project, including information on participants, partnerships and collaboration, procedures, budget, milestones/expected results, deliverables/products, outcomes, evaluation, and sustainability plans);
6. its cost effectiveness;
7. evidence of consultations with relevant stakeholders regarding the proposed project;
8. evidence of the applicant's capacity to manage the project efficiently and effectively;
9. the quality of the plans for sharing, with other interested parties, knowledge and materials produced by the project;
10. whether the project is based on a needs assessment or previous evaluation results; and
11. previous project funding provided to the applicant by Health Canada and/or other Government of Canada funding programs, and the applicant's demonstrated ability to successfully complete and document the previous project(s).

Projects Approved for Funding

Please note that DSCIF funding is provided through contribution agreements. Your organization will be required to enter into a contribution agreement with Health Canada which specifies the terms and conditions and reporting requirements for the funding. The agreement will be based on the proposal you submitted for funding. Payments under a contribution agreement are normally issued on the basis of achievement of work and the reimbursement of expenses incurred by funding recipients. These payments are based on a pre-established schedule negotiated during the development of the contribution agreement with your organization.

Reporting Requirements for Projects Awarded Funding:

1. quarterly project activity reports;
2. quarterly statements of revenues and expenditures, and budgetary projections for the duration of the project;
3. draft and final statements of all project revenues and expenditures by fiscal year (April 1 to March 31), and annual audited financial statements, as requested by Health Canada; and
4. a final narrative report on the project activities and evaluation, including copies of project deliverables (such as videos, manuals, etc.) and a plan for their dissemination.

Program Contacts

Please direct your inquiries to the contact listed below for your area.

Contact for National Scope Projects:

Drug Strategy Community Initiatives Fund
Office of Demand Reduction
Drug Strategy and Controlled Substances Programme
Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch
Health Canada
Address Locator: 3502D1
123 Slater Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1B9
Telephone: (613) 957-6799 or (613) 948-8968
Fax: (613) 957-1565

Contacts for Projects of Local, Regional, Provincial/Territorial Scope:

Atlantic

Drug Strategy and Controlled Substances Programme
Atlantic Region
Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch
Health Canada
1st Floor, 10 Highfield Street
Moncton, New Brunswick
E1C 9V5
Tel.: (506) 851-2059
Fax: (506) 851-3197

Quebec

Drug Strategy and Controlled Substances Programme
Quebec Region
Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch
Health Canada
Guy-Favreau Complex
200 René Lévesque Blvd
East Tower, 2nd Floor
Montreal, Quebec
H2Z 1X4
Tel.: (514) 283-8206
Fax: (514) 283-1894

Ontario

Drug Strategy and Controlled Substances Programme
Ontario Region
Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch
Health Canada
180 Queen St. West, 10th Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M5V 3L7
Tel.: (416) 954-3143

Manitoba and Saskatchewan

Drug Strategy and Controlled Substances Programme
Manitoba and Saskatchewan Region
Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch
Health Canada
Chateau Towers
18th Floor - 1920 Broad Street
Regina, Saskatchewan
S4P 3V2
Tel.: (306) 780-3155
Fax: (306) 780-6796

Alberta

Drug Strategy and Controlled Substances Programme
Alberta Region
Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch
Health Canada
c/o 730 - 9700 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
T5J 4C3
Tel.: (780) 495-2333
Fax: (780) 495-2624

British Columbia

Drug Strategy and Controlled Substances Programme
British Columbia Region
Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch
Health Canada
400-4595 Canada Way
Burnaby, British Columbia
V5G 1J9
Tel.: (604) 666-0602
Fax: (604) 666-3149

Yukon

Northern Region
Health Canada
100-300 Main Street
Whitehorse, Yukon
Y1A 2B5
Tel.: (867) 393-6775
Fax: (867) 393-6772

Nunavut/Northwest Territories

Northern Region
Health Canada
14th Floor, 60 Queen Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0K9
Tel.: (613) 954-7392
Fax: (613) 948-2428