Grants and Contributions
Context
Public Safety (PS) administers a portfolio of 38 Grants and Contributions (Gs&Cs) programs covering a wide range of emergency management, national security and community safety issues. Grants are typically used for a one-time activity that do not require monitoring and oversight. Contributions are often longer-term and support complex projects which require oversight and monitoring. PS programs are either managed by the Emergency Management and Programs Branch (EMBP) or by the Crime Prevention Branch (CPB). They vary considerably in size ranging from $200K for smaller programs and up to $1.7B for the largest which is the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA). While the DFAA is a non-discretionary program, most other programs are subject to a selection process led by public servants and are based on program terms and conditions, pre-established priorities and criteria. Decisions regarding the allocation of Gs&Cs are made throughout the year and provide an opportunity for related announcements and events. The department produces a monthly Gs&Cs tracker, which is shared with the Minister’s Office and assists in identifying announcement opportunities.
Ongoing investments across Canadian communities and stakeholders include but are not limited to:
- First Nations Policing Program: support for First Nation and Inuit Communities to support the public safety needs through professional, dedicated and culturally responsive policing.
- Communities at Risk: Security Infrastructure Program: supports the implementation of projects to help communities victimized or at risk of being a victim of hate-motivated crime through the enhancement of their security infrastructure; and
- Crime Prevention Action Fund: provides time-limited funding to support evidence-based crime prevention initiatives in communities that address known risk and protective factors associated with crime among vulnerable groups of the population, especially children and youth from 6 to 24 years, and chronic offenders.
PS also works to strengthen national emergency preparedness to help prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from all-hazard events. The Department provides resources and expertise to Canadian communities in support of emergency preparedness, disaster mitigation and recovery:
- Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements: In the event of a large-scale natural disaster, where response and recovery costs place a significant burden and would exceed what individual provinces and territories might reasonably be expected to bear on their own, the Government of Canada can provide financial assistance to provincial and territorial governments through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements. The DFAA is non-discretionary in the sense that payments are made to provinces and territories based on a pre-established cost sharing formula, and following federal audit of expenditures.
- Supporting a Humanitarian Workforce to Respond to COVID-19 and Other Large-Scale Emergencies: provide financial assistance to non-government organizations to enhance and maintain a humanitarian workforce to provide surge capacity in response to COVID-19 and other large-scale emergencies; and
- Search and Rescue Programming: provides financial assistance to enhance search and rescue services in the areas of response and prevention, specialized search and rescue capabilities (Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Program), and related activities.
Gs&Cs Process
All of PS’s Gs&Cs are subject to the Treasury Board’s (TB) Transfer Payment Policy, Directive and Guidelines. PS also has multiple Departmental directives to support transfer payments programs and ensure they are managed with integrity, transparency and accountability in a manner that is sensitive to risks, are citizen/recipient focused, and are designed and delivered to address government priorities while achieving results for Canadians.
Program Development
Program Design: Programs are created to deliver on the Government’s priorities, which are generally brought up through the Speech from the Throne, as a federal Budget Initiative or in reaction to any current events. To start the cycle, PS must obtain policy authority through the tabling of a Memorandum to Cabinet, then secure a source of funding either through the Budget process or through an off-cycle funding request, and finally follow with a Treasury Board Submission (TB Sub) to confirm the program authority decision. When PS submits its programs’ Terms and Conditions for approval as part of the TB Subs, it also recommends whether a funding program should provide grants and/or contributions.
Throughout the development of these documents, Program and Policy areas work together with Finance, Communications, Legal Services and the Center of Expertise (CoE) in Gs&Cs to design programs that align with policy objectives and deliver results for Canadians.
Ministerial approval is required prior to submission of those documents to Cabinet or Treasury Board.
Program/Project Administration
Receipt/Assessment of Funding Requests: Once approved by the TB, programs can launch solicitations for project proposals. There are 3 main types of solicitations used by PS: open, targeted and directed. The most common is the open solicitation where programs set their parameters for accepting applications, identify priorities and develop a funding guide for applicants. The Minister’s Office is consulted regarding the solicitation methodology and priorities. Once these are approved, programs then launch the solicitation using the PS website and post the solicitation invitation on the web.
The proposals received are carefully analyzed, assessed and scored by a review committee based on eligibility, strength, feasibility and value-for-money.
Funding Decision and Agreement: Projects recommended for funding are routed for approval as per the Delegation of Financial Signing Authority (DFSA). Once approval is obtained, a funding agreement is signed and recipients can start their projects.
Financial Information: The detailed list on 2023-24 Gs&Cs programs presents the financial information for each program, as follows:
- Planned Expenditures of $2.4B present total planned disbursements by March 31, 2024.
- A Forum for DGs Responsible for Programs was established in 2020 to support the departmental G&C agenda and manage the Vote 5 envelope across the Department. This DG committee is responsible for:
- Determining pressures / lapses for the programs under their purview;
- Determining flexibilities and accelerate / decelerate spending as necessary;
- Working collaboratively with the Comptroller to reassign funds expected to be lapsed and to determine an acceptable level of cash management and/or risk management; and
- Finding alternative strategies to spend / slow down.
- For the Gs&Cs context, it is important to note:
- It is the Department’s practice to over-program at the beginning of the year to help reduce the risk of lapsing funds at year-end;
- For the majority of programs, departmental decisions are made throughout the fiscal year:
a. spring/summer for projects/programs to be implemented in the same fiscal year;
b. fall/winter, for projects/programs to be implemented in the following fiscal year;
- Several programs are fenced, meaning funding can only be allocated for specific program objectives (i.e., funding cannot be reallocated); and
- Any surpluses in individual programs would need to go against a departmental deficit (if required).
| Grant and Contribution Program Names |
Description | 2023-24 Main Estimates |
|---|---|---|
| Listed in Main Estimates | ||
| Grants Subventions | ||
| Memorial Grant Program for First Responders | In recognition of the critical role of first responders in protecting Canadians, the Memorial Grant Program for First Responders (MGP) provides a one-time lump sum with a tax-free maximum payment of $300,000 to the families of first responders who have died as a result of their duties. This includes deaths resulting from occupational illness or psychological impairment (i.e., suicide), while keeping Canadians safe. | 77,100,000 |
| Community Resilience Fund | The Community Resilience Fund supports partnerships and innovation in countering radicalization to violence in Canada. It provides financial assistance (grants and contributions) to organizations to support research and programs to build the evidence base, as well as local capability and capacity, to counter radicalization to violence in Canada. | 3,500,000 |
| Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Program | HUSAR is a specialized unit, with access to dedicated equipment, dedicated to ensure an effective response to disasters (natural and human induced) in urban areas (Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, in Manitoba, as well as developing in Montreal and Halifax). This funding is to maintain the technically specialized HUSAR capabilities of Canadian HUSAR Task Forces. | 3,100,000 |
| Grants to National Voluntary Organizations | The Program provides funding to NVOs who are active in the area of corrections, conditional release and/or community reintegration. | 1,796,144 |
| Grants in support of the Safer Communities Initiative | 1,760,000 | |
| National Crime Prevention Strategy: Crime Prevention Action Fund. | The Crime Prevention Action Fund is an evidence-based crime prevention program for at-risk groups and the Northern communities. | 1,460,000 |
| Canada's Strategy to Prevent Gender-Based Violence | Stratégie du Canada pour prévenir et contrer la violence fondée sur le sexe: Le financement est consacré à la réalisation d’activités de recherche et de sensibilisation sur la prévention de l’intimidation et de la cyberintimidation. | 300,000 |
| Cyber Security Cooperation Program | Provides funding for projects that contribute to security and prosperity in the digital age while positioning Canada as a global leader in cyber security. | 1,000,000 |
| Grants to provincial partners for the National Flagging System to identify and track high-risk violent offenders who jeopardize public safety | This grant program was created to enhance the capacity of participating provinces and territories to identify and track high-risk, violent offenders as well as to facilitate prosecution and sentencing of these offenders where they re-offend. | 1,000,000 |
| Total Grants | 89,256,144 | |
| Contributions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contributions to the provinces for assistance related to natural disasters: Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) | In the event of a large-scale natural disaster, where response and recovery costs place a significant burden and would exceed what individual provinces and territories might reasonably be expected to bear on their own, the Government of Canada can provide financial assistance to provincial and territorial governments through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements. | 1,724,947,562 | |||
| Payments to the provinces, territories, municipalities, Indian band councils and recognized authorities representing Indians on reserve, Indian communities on Crown land and Inuit communities, for the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program | The Program provides funding to provinces and territories to support policing services that are professional, dedicated and responsive to the First Nation and Inuit communities they serve. | 331,566,830 | |||
| Building Safer Communities Fund | The objective of the Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF) is to support municipal governments and Indigenous communities in their efforts to address gun and gang prevalence to put in place community led projects to combat gun and gang violence and address knowledge gaps concerning the impacts of interventions in gun and gang violence. | 85,013,827 | |||
| Contributions in support of the Safer Communities Initiative | 49,582,899 | ||||
| National Crime Prevention Strategy | The Crime Prevention Action Fund is an evidence-based crime prevention program for at-risk groups and the Northern communities. | 32,050,899 | |||
| Canada's Strategy to Prevent Gender-Based Violence | Funding is dedicated to undertake preventative bullying and cyberbullying research and awareness-raising activities | 400,000 | |||
| Youth Gang Prevention Fund | Youth Gang Prevention Fund: This Program targets youth at risk of joining or already in gangs. | 6,132,000 | |||
| Northern and Indigenous Crime Prevention Fund | The Crime Prevention Action Fund is an evidence-based crime prevention program for at-risk groups and the Northern and Indigenous Crime Prevention Fund is a culturally sensitive crime prevention program in Indigenous communities and in the North. | 6,000,000 | |||
| The Security Infrastructure Program | The Program to fund the installation of security equipment for private, not-for-profit organizations that are at risk of being victimized by hate- motivated crime. | 5,000,000 | |||
| Funding for First Nation and Inuit policing facilities | To support better policing infrastructure for the people who live and work in Indigenous communities. | 44,350,000 | |||
| Contribution Program to Combat Serious and Organized Crime | 31,457,697 | ||||
| Drug-Impaired Driving | DID funding provides support to Provinces and Territories for the implementation of the new Drug-Impaired Driving legislative regime. | 15,946,235 | |||
| Implementing Canada's Tobacco Strategy | Supports the Kahnawake Mohawk Peacekeepers and the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service in addressing organized crime and cross-border criminality. | 2,843,462 | |||
| Implementing Canada's Tobacco Strategy | Provides funding to support the Hotline, a multilingual, 24/7, toll-free line, referral service, and resource centre, launched in May 2019, that receives calls, emails, and texts about potential human trafficking in Canada and refers victims to local law enforcement, shelters, and a range of trauma-informed supports and services. | 2,500,000 | |||
| National Strategy for Protecting Children from Sexual Exploitation Online | Provides funding for projects that aim to raise awareness of online sexual exploitation, reduce the stigma associated with reporting incidents, and increase Canada’s ability to pursue and prosecute offenders. | 6,650,000 | |||
| National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking | Provides funding for projects that: empower victims and survivors of human trafficking to regain their independence and help prevent their re-victimization; engage youth who may be at risk of being trafficked; and develop innovative technology-based solutions to combat human trafficking. | 2,501,000 | |||
| Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence | The program supports organizations working in the GBV sector to develop and implement promising practices to address gaps in support for Indigenous and underserved groups of victims and survivors in Canada, including women and girls, children and youth, seniors, LGBTQ2 and gender non-binary individuals, immigrants and refugees, women living with disabilities, and women living in rural and remote communities. | 1,017,000 | |||
| Contributions for supporting the Canadian Red Cross's urgent relief efforts related to COVID-19, floods and wildfires | Provide funding to the CRC to enhance capacity and respond to emergencies related to COVID-19, floods and wildfires. | 16,287,309 | |||
| Biology Casework Analysis Contribution Program | The program provides financial contributions to the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, which have established independent forensic laboratories for the purpose of conducting biology casework analysis. This includes DNA identification analysis in support of criminal investigations and prosecutions. | 12,145,107 | |||
|
8,910,000 | ||||
| Aboriginal Community Safety Planning Initiative | The purpose of this funding program is to provide Aboriginal organizations (on and off-reserve), Aboriginal governments and municipalities in collaboration with Aboriginal organizations and or communities to develop tailored approaches to community safety, alternatives to incarceration and reintegration of Aboriginal offenders that are responsive to the concerns, priorities and unique circumstances of Aboriginal communities. | 3,700,000 | |||
| Indigenous Community Corrections Initiative | Indigenous Community Corrections Initiative | 5,210,000 | |||
| Contribution Program in support of the Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund | Financial assistance for projects that enhance search and rescue services in the areas of response and prevention. | 7,386,000 | |||
| Community Resilience Fund | The Community Resilience Fund supports partnerships and innovation in countering radicalization to violence in Canada. It provides financial assistance (grants and contributions) to organizations to support research and programs to build the evidence base, as well as local capability and capacity, to counter radicalization to violence in Canada. | 7,071,969 | |||
|
5,000,000 | ||||
| Record Suspension Program (Pardon) Reforms | The Program provides funding to NVOs who are active in the area of corrections, conditional release and/or community reintegration. | 5,000,000 | |||
| Contribution in support of the Nation's Capital Extraordinary Policing Costs Program | The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness provides a financial contribution through a program that enables the City of Ottawa to seek financial assistance from the Government of Canada, through a contribution agreement for policing costs incurred in relation to policing duties specific to the Nation’s Capital and allows the Government of Canada to reimburse the City of Ottawa for eligible costs. | 3,000,000 | |||
| Contribution Program to Combat Child Sexual Exploitation and Human Trafficking | Provides funding to C3P, a charitable organization dedicated to reducing child victimization by providing national programs and services to the public, including:
|
2,035,600 | |||
| Payments to the provinces, territories, and public and private bodies in support of activities complementary to those of the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness | 1,362,000 | ||||
| Policy Development Contribution Program | Provides contribution funding to forge greater consensus and cooperation among various levels of government and other stakeholders through policy initiatives and activities. | 362,000 | |||
| Strengthening Emergency Readiness in Canada through Public Awareness | Financement pour sensibiliser les populations vulnérables aux risques de catastrophes naturelles | 1,000,000 | |||
| Cyber Security Cooperation Program | Provides funding for projects that contribute to security and prosperity in the digital age while positioning Canada as a global leader in cyber security. | 1,000,000 | |||
| Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada Contribution Program | Sustainment funding for the ground search and rescue national association. | 714,000 | |||
| International Association of Fire Fighters, Canada | The purpose of this contribution is to address a gap in training among fire fighters and contribute to interoperability among first responders. | 500,000 | |||
| COSPAS-SARSAT Secretariat Contribution Program | Assessed contribution program covering Canada’s share of the funding to the international organization to which Canada is Party to an international agreement. | 190,000 | |||
| Total Contributions | 2,332,520,800 | ||||
| Total Grants and Contributions | 2,421,776,944 | ||||
| TB Approved / Parliament approval through Supps B expected in December 2023 | TB Approved / Parliament approval through Supps B expected in December 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Supporting a Humanitarian Workforce to Respond to COVID-19 and Other Large-Scale Emergencies - Approved | Funding in support to the Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations in building and maintaining a humanitarian work force to provide surge capacity for COVID-19 outbreaks and large-scale emergencies. | 35,000,000 |
| Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund - Approved | Funding to provinces and territories to support prevention programs with the objective of reducing gun and gang violence. | 80,121,881 |
| [REDACTED] | [REDACTED] | [REDACTED] |
| Major International Event Security Cost Framework | 86,211,000 | |
| Funding for safety and security-related expenses for the July 2022 Papal visit - Pending Approval | The Prime Minister designated these events as “Major International Events,” under the Major International Event Security Cost Framework, which gave the RCMP the responsibility and mandate to act as the security planning lead with the assistance of local Police of Jurisdiction. | 11,411,000 |
| Funding for Security Costs the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity December 2-20, 2022 - Pending Approval | 74,800,000 | |
| Payments to the provinces, territories, and public and private bodies in support of activities complementary to those of the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Also known as the Policy Development Contribution Program (PDCP) | 500,000 | |
| Support to Address Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries for Public Safety Officers - Pending Approval | The funding is to develop a coordinated Action Plan on Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries, which disproportionately affect public safety officers. | 500,000 |
| Ongoing program management/reporting | ||
| Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service | Financial assistance through an up-front multiyear grant to renew the fleet with five air ambulance. | $65M provided up-front in 2019-20 |
| Avalanche Canada Foundation | Financial assistance through an up-front grant in the form of an endowment to stabilize and expand avalanche information systems. | $25M provided up-front in 2018-19 |
| Canadian Red Cross agreement: 2016 Fort McMurray Wildfires | The Government of Canada committed to match individual charitable donations to the CRC between May 3, 2016 and May 31, 2016 in support of the citizens impacted by the wildfires. | $104.46M (payment issued to CRC) |
| Canadian Red Cross agreement: 2017 BC Wildfires | The Government of Canada committed to match the provincial government of British Columbia’s financial support to its citizens impacted by the wildfires, through a donation to the CRC. | $104.46M (payment issued to CRC) |
| Workers Compensation Program |
This programs is not listed in Main Estimates since it does not have a fixed annual budget, the funding is provided by other contribution programs. The funding is to protect employees from the financial hardships associated with work-related injuries and occupational diseases. | 350,000 |
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