Assistance for indigenous people in urban environments

The Assistance for Indigenous People in Urban Environments component is intended to improve the living conditions of Indigenous people living in cities in Québec and to give community action organizations the means to provide quality services directly to Indigenous client groups in urban environments. These community action organizations are the preferred service providers for Indigenous people who are often in a vulnerable situation outside their communities.

The target objectives are:

  • to provide and develop direct services that are culturally appropriate and culturally secure, in order to meet the needs of Indigenous people in vulnerable situations when living in or passing through urban environments,
  • to help develop the response capabilities of community action organizations serving Indigenous people in vulnerable situations when living in or passing through urban environments,
  • to encourage cooperation between community action organizations and Québec networks,  
  • to help improve the socio-economic circumstances of Indigenous people, and  
  • to renovate and improve infrastructures used by community action organizations that serve Indigenous client groups in urban environments.

The component has two separate categories, one for direct services and the other for infrastructures.

Eligible organizations

Organizations pursuing goals that meet the criteria of the reference framework for community action (Cadre de référence en matière d’action communautaire) and:

  • are rooted in Indigenous milieu, and
  • serve Indigenous client groups in urban environments

Submitting applications

All applicants must provide the following information:

  • Proof of the community action organization’s legal status
  • A description of the proposed intervention or project that
    • states the connection with the program objectives,
    • indicates the activities and resources that must be implemented to complete the project or initiative,
    • includes the timeframe for implementation, and
    • indicates the expected outcome within a specific timeframe and the expected benefits for Indigenous people living in an urban environment.
  • A financing arrangement that demonstrates
    • the financial need (the amount requested), and
    • the expected sources of funding.
  • A detailed budget and a cash flow statement
  • An overview of the community action organization’s governance mechanisms
  • The most recent financial statements if the community action organization is currently operating

Application assessment criteria

Applications will be assessed using the following criteria:

  • Relevance of the project or initiative:
    • Eligibility under the terms and conditions of the program
    • Compatibility of the objectives with the objectives of the program
  • Quality of the project:
    • Clarity and precision of the objectives
    • Ability to ensure implementation
    • Quality of the services, programming and activities
    • Realistic nature of the budget forecasts, financing arrangements and implementation timeframe
    • Feasibility
  • Anticipated outcome of the project:
    • Results to be achieved using the funding requested
    • Structuring effects for Indigenous people living in an urban environment

If necessary, applications will be sent to the relevant government departments and organisations for a sectoral review in terms of relevance, feasibility, and funding.

Direct services category

This category aims to improve services for Indigenous people living in or passing through cities in Québec in the psychosocial, socio-legal, health, education and cultural fields.

Eligible projects and initiatives

  • Projects and initiatives that aim to improve or consolidate direct services for Indigenous people in vulnerable situations in cities
  • Projects and initiatives that aim to develop services compatible with those offered by the Québec networks, taking into account the specific characteristics of the community (adaptation or development of services, complementarity and continuity of services)
  • Projects and initiatives that add to the cultural vibrancy of Indigenous communities in urban environments

To be eligible, projects and initiatives must meet the objectives of this category, be submitted to the SAA no later than December 31, 2026 and be completed no later than March 31, 2027.

Eligible costs

  • Wages and benefits for employees delivering direct services
  • Professional and other fees
  • Travel and transportation (at Government of Québec rates)
  • Translation and communications
  • Rental of space essential to deliver a direct service

Costs relating to the renewal and upkeep of equipment and supplies for interventions and services:

  • Furnishings and bedding
  • Materials and supplies

The following administrative costs are eligible:

  • Costs associated with the preparation of financial documents and other reports required to comply with the financial agreement for a project or initiative

The administrative costs of a project or initiative cannot exceed 10% of the financial assistance granted.

Ineligible costs

Costs incurred before the application was submitted, including costs for which the community action organization is contractually bound, are not eligible. The organization’s administrative and operational costs are not eligible. These including but are not limited to

  • staff wages (compensation),
  • rent and upkeep,
  • compensation for permanent employees who manage or take part in a project or initiative when these employees already receive compensation (wages, fees, daily allowances) for the same period, and
  • reimbursement of a deficit or loan.

Purchases of land and buildings are not eligible.

Financial assistance

Financial assistance will be in the form of a non-repayable contribution. The combined total of financial assistance received from all levels of government cannot exceed the total of eligible costs.

The maximum amount payable to a single community action organization will be $500,000 over five years, at the rate of $100,000 per year.

An exception may be made for a community action organization that submits a funding request for a service location if the location:

  • provides services similar to those offered by the main organization,
  • is located in an urban environment, in the same administrative region as the main organization but in a different municipality, and
  • meets demand from client groups that, for geographical reasons, do not have access to services offered by the main organization

In this specific case, the community action organization can obtain an additional $500,000 over five years, or $100,000 per year, to meet the needs of its service location.

A community action organization can implement multiple projects but cannot exceed the maximum dollar amount. Of this amount, a maximum of $30,000 per year may generally be allocated for the renovation or upkeep of equipment and supplies. The maximum of $30,000 per year will also apply to any additional support granted to a community action organization for a service location.

Reporting and accountability

Funding of $25,000 or less may be formalized in an acceptance letter setting out the reasons for the grant and the applicant’s obligations.

Funding of more than $25,000 will be formalized in an agreement that must contain:

  • the obligations of each signatory,
  • a detailed description of the project and its objectives, and
  • indicators for management purposes and the production of reports.

A community action organization that receives a grant of more than $25,000 must, as a minimum, provide an annual report in compliance with the provisions of the financial agreement. The report must include:

  • a full report of the activities completed, and
  • a description of the outcomes compared to the objectives.

The community action organization must, at all times, keep separate accounts for expenditure attributable to the project or initiative, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Payment of financial assistance

Funding of $25,000 or less may be paid in full once the acceptance letter has been sent.

Funding of more than $25,000 will be paid in a minimum of two annual instalments, the first of which may not exceed 80% of the annual funding granted. In all cases, the last instalment provided for in a financial agreement will only be paid once all reports have been filed with the SAA.

Infrastructures category

This category aims to improve and renew the infrastructures operated by community action organizations to increase and consolidate their response capability.

Eligible projects

  • Projects to renovate or improve the infrastructures operated by a community action organization
  • Projects to construct a new infrastructure for a community action organization

To be eligible, projects must meet the objectives of this category and be submitted to the SAA no later than March 1, 2027.

Eligible infrastructures

Infrastructures for community use, including temporary, transitional or emergency housing, are eligible. To be eligible for funding, the community action organization must meet at least one of the following conditions:

  • Hold title as the owner of the infrastructure concerned
  • Be in the process of purchasing the infrastructure, as demonstrated by a formal written undertaking
  • Hold or be in the process of obtaining a lease or emphyteutic lease that is or will be in force for at least:
    • five years after the work is completed, if the application for financial assistance is for $100,000 or less, or
    • ten years after the work is completed, if the application for financial assistance is for more than $100,000

Requirement to seek bids

For an eligible project that requires construction work costing $100,000 or more, the community action organization does not need to issue a public call for tenders to award the contract as provided for in the Act respecting contracting by public bodies (CQLR, chapter C-65.1).

However, it must meet the following minimum requirements for awarding a construction contract of more than $100,000 but less than $1 million:

  • Issue an open call for tenders with a public announcement
  • Issue an invitation-only call for tenders to at least three qualified contractors

For construction work over $1 million, the eligible organization must, at a minimum, issue an open call for tenders with a public announcement. These types of calls for tenders are usually posted in newspapers, displayed in the local offices of construction associations, and/or announced via a public electronic service. They must allow all qualified and interested contractors to bid on the contract. The announcements or public notices must be distributed widely enough to reach a suitable number of qualified and interested contractors, resulting in a competitive bidding process. 

For all calls for tenders for construction work, whether announced publicly or by invitation only:

  • The deadline for receiving bids must not be less than fifteen days.
  • Bids can only be requested and contracts awarded:
    • at a fixed price, or
    • based on a unit price.

Financial assistance cannot be used to make a payment to any entity that:

  • is named in the Register of enterprises ineligible for public contracts, or
  • has, in the two years preceding the application for financial assistance, failed to meet its obligations after being put on notice to do so in connection with financial assistance previously granted by a department or funding body of the Government of Québec.

Eligible and ineligible costs

In general, all project costs are eligible, including capital expenditure as defined by generally accepted accounting principles and all costs incurred. Eligible costs include:

  • costs associated with service contracts for eligible work,
  • administrative fees,
  • incidental costs, including fees and relevant analyses as well as costs for temporary financing,
  • the purchase of community equipment required for the project, and
  • IT costs, such as computer equipment, software and software packages, updates, upgrades, and related training.

Ineligible costs include regular maintenance costs, and expenditure incurred before the application was submitted, including expenditure for which the community action organization has made a contractual undertaking.

Financial assistance

The financial assistance granted will be in the form of a non-repayable contribution. The combined total of financial assistance received from all levels of government cannot exceed the total of eligible costs.

However, the financial assistance granted by the Government of Québec to a community action organization cannot exceed 80% of eligible costs. The additional 20% must come from a source other than a Government of Québec department or body. The community action organization must declare all confirmed and expected sources in its application for funding. The SAA will verify that no other sources are paying for the same costs.

For renovation and improvement work (rebuilding, enlargement, etc.), the maximum amount per community action organization will generally be limited to $800,000 over five years. A community action organization may implement several projects, but may not exceed the maximum amount.

An exception may be made for a community action organization that submits a funding request for a service location if the location:

  • provides services similar to those offered by the main organization,
  • is located in an urban environment, in the same administrative region as the main organization but in a different municipality, and
  • meets demand from client groups that, for geographical reasons, do not have access to services offered by the main organization,

In this specific case, the community action organization can obtain an additional $400,000 to meet the infrastructure needs of its service location.

The construction of new infrastructures is not subject to the limit of $800,000 over five years.

Reporting and accountability

Funding of $25,000 or less may be formalized in an acceptance letter setting out the reasons for the grant and the applicant’s obligations.

Funding of more than $25,000 will be formalized in an agreement that must contain:

  • the obligations of each signatory,
  • a detailed description of the project and its objectives, and
  • indicators for management purposes and the production of reports.

A community action organization that receives a grant of more than $25,000 must, as a minimum, provide an annual report in compliance with the provisions of the financial agreement. The report must include:

  • a certificate of completion for the project showing that the work specified in the financial agreement is complete and compliant, and
  • a financial report made up of a detailed income and expenses statement for the project, approved by a resolution passed by the organization’s board of directors.

The community action organization must, at all times, keep separate accounts for expenditures attributable to the project, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Payment of financial assistance

Funding of $25,000 or less may be paid in full once the acceptance letter has been sent.

Funding of more than $25,000, but less than $100,000, will be paid in a minimum of two instalments, the first of which may not exceed 80% of the full amount. In all cases, the last instalment provided for in a financial agreement will only be paid once all reports have been filed with the SAA.

Funding of more than $100,000 will be paid in one of three ways:

  • The funding will be split into at least two instalments, the first of which may not exceed 80% of the full amount. In all cases, the last instalment provided for in a financial agreement will only be paid once all reports have been filed with the SAA.
  • The funding will be used to repay a loan from a financial institution, in a single payment. The SAA will, where applicable, repay the principal, interests and fees for a loan made to the organization by the financial institution of its choice.
  • The funding will be used to repay a loan from a financial institution, in the form of debt servicing. The SAA will, where applicable, repay the principal, interests and fees for a loan made to the organization by the financial institution of its choice.

Where the financial assistance is paid in the form of long-term debt servicing, it must cover a period of between:

  • three and five years for amounts up to $500,000, or
  • five and ten years for amounts over $500,000.

Last update: February 23, 2023

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