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

• The applicant must be a Canadian not-for-profit organization incorporated under Canadian law.
• The organization must have a presence in Canada and the capability to provide domestic services, including a distinct Canadian chapter.
• The organization must have a national reach and the ability to provide services in both official languages.
• The applicant must demonstrate at least five years of experience mobilizing quickly to respond to large-scale domestic emergencies such as floods, wildfires, or pandemics.
• The project must directly aim to reduce the impact of COVID-19 or other large-scale emergencies in Canada and fit within the program's eligible activity streams.

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 (only Canadian not-for-profit organizations may apply).
• Governmental organizations (municipal, provincial, territorial, or federal) are not eligible.
• Organizations that have already received funding for the proposed project from any Government of Canada department or agency, or from another order of government, are not eligible.
• Organizations that are not incorporated under Canadian law or do not have the capacity to provide domestic services in Canada are not eligible.

Eligible expenses

• Salaries, benefits, and overtime for administrative and operational employees dedicated to eligible activities.
• Emergency equipment and supplies (e.g., PPE, medical supplies, cots, tents).
• Medical equipment acquisitions ($10,000 or less per item).
• Movement, shipping, and transport of equipment and materials.
• Transportation services for eligible activities.
• Sustainment of deployed personnel and volunteers (e.g., accommodations, meals during deployment).
• Operational supplies for emergency social services and basic needs (e.g., lodging, food, clothing for individuals and families).
• Professional services (legal, accounting, audit) if the capacity does not already exist within the organization.
• Incremental insurance fees related to operations.
• Minor capital acquisitions, program supplies, and materials, each up to $10,000 per purchase.
• Travel and living expenses directly linked to the project (subject to government rates and allowances).
• Rental of equipment or facilities required for project delivery.
• Computer services, costs for research, data collection, and statistical analysis.
• Translation and interpretation services related to the project.
• Printing and distribution activities connected to eligible project activities.
• Costs to restore, repair, or decontaminate infrastructure and property to a level exceeding pre-disaster condition (subject to limits).
• Hospitality expenses in Indigenous contexts (gatherings, feasts, ceremonies, circles; food and drink, not alcohol).
• Payments for response and recovery services to NGOs, small businesses, Indigenous Governing Bodies, or, in certain cases, municipalities or community governments.
• 12% flat administrative fee on eligible project expenditures to cover indirect costs and overhead.
• Other costs approved in writing by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

Eligible geographic areas

• Jurisdictions within Canada

• Extent to which the project builds capacity to respond to urgent relief needs.
• Extent to which the project enhances readiness for a range of large-scale emergencies (e.g., COVID-19, floods, wildfires).
• Degree to which the project introduces new capabilities not already available.
• Extent to which the project addresses the needs of at-risk or vulnerable populations.
• For deployment funding: demographic and geographic reach, urgency of need, experience with marginalized communities, value for money, and alignment with specific requirements of requesting jurisdictions.

• 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.