Humanitarian Workforce (HWF) - COVID-19 and other large-scale emergencies

Who is eligible?

• Canadian not-for-profit organizations.
• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with domestic service capacity in Canada.

Who is not eligible

• For-profit companies are not eligible.
• Governmental organizations are not eligible.
• Organizations already funded for the same project by another order of government or a Government of Canada department or agency are not eligible.

Eligible expenses

• Salaries, benefits, and overtime for staff engaged in eligible activities.
• Emergency response supplies and equipment, including medical supplies, PPE, and related materials.
• Transportation, shipping, travel, rental, and sustainment costs directly tied to the project.
• Professional services, translation, printing, research, and other approved project costs.
• A 12% administrative flat fee and, where approved, certain response and recovery payments.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Capital costs such as land, buildings, vehicles, and other acquisitions above the program limit.
• Core or ongoing operating expenses.
• Amortization, interest, and travel not directly related to the project.
• Hospitality outside the Indigenous context.
• Profit and costs related to RCMP acting as a municipal, provincial, territorial, or Indigenous police service.

Eligible geographic areas

• Canada

• Extent to which the project builds capacity to respond to urgent relief needs.
• Extent to which the project supports a range of large-scale emergencies.
• Extent to which the project builds capability not already available.
• Extent to which the project responds to the needs of at-risk populations.
• For deployment funding, reach, accessibility, urgency, value for money, and jurisdictional priorities are considered.

• Step 1: Review Program Requirements
  • Carefully review the Terms and Conditions for the Humanitarian Workforce program available from Public Safety Canada.
  • Ensure your organization’s proposed project aligns with the program’s objectives and eligible project streams.
• Step 2: Prepare Application Materials
  • Identify which stream(s) and service category(ies) your proposal targets (e.g., Emergency Readiness: Capacity Building, Emergency Response: Deployment, Virtual Relief Services, Surge Health and Emergency Management Services).
  • Draft a detailed project proposal that includes a description of the project, its objectives, expected outcomes, targeted populations, and a direct link to COVID-19 or other large-scale emergencies.
  • Provide a detailed, itemized budget outlining all categories of work, expenditures, and any other sources of revenue.
  • Include a plan of key activities, required resources, and description of stakeholder engagement or collaborations.
  • Prepare declarations to prevent conflicts of interest, including disclosures related to public sector values and lobbying registration if applicable.
  • Provide contact information for your organization’s project authority.
• Step 3: Finalize Additional Proposal Elements
  • Address internal monitoring, risk management, and performance management measures.
  • Demonstrate consideration of official language minority communities, and outline how project implementation will comply with official languages requirements.
  • If applicable, include information regarding the further distribution of funds (purpose, targets, amounts, and monitoring methods).
• Step 4: Submit Application
  • Submit the complete proposal and all required materials to Public Safety Canada for consideration.
  • Send applications and inquiries by email to hwf-moh@ps-sp.gc.ca.
• Step 5: Await Review and Approval
  • Await review by Public Safety Canada officials and possible engagement with the Deputy Ministers’ Emergency Management Committee (DM-EMC) as part of the prioritization process.
  • Monitor for communication regarding the decision and, if approved, the signature of a contribution agreement or amendment to an existing agreement.

• Requests are reviewed by Public Safety Canada officials before a recommendation is made for approval.
• Capacity-building proposals may be discussed with the Deputy Ministers’ Emergency Management Committee.
• For deployment funding, a request for assistance must first be received from the requesting jurisdiction.
• Approved projects require a new contribution agreement or an amendment to an existing one.
• Public Safety Canada may audit or review any project or contribution agreement.

• The program will expire on March 31, 2026.
• Recipient organizations can apply a 12% administrative flat fee on eligible expenditures to cover indirect costs.
• All intellectual property developed as part of funded projects will belong to the recipient but must be licensed non-exclusively to the Minister.
• All communications and services related to funded projects must be provided in both official languages.