How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 15% of admissible expenses, capped at $250000 per project.

What is the deadline to apply?

The program is accepting continuous intake

Who are the financial supporters of the OTF — System Innovations Grant?

OTF — System Innovations Grant is funded by Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF)

What are OTF — System Innovations Grant's eligibility criterias?

For-profit businesses are not eligible as lead applicants.

OTF — System Innovations Grant

Last Update: July 22, 2025

ON, Canada

Supports collaborative youth-focused systems change initiatives in Ontario

OTF — System Innovations Grant at a glance

Eligible Funding

Max. $250,000
Up to 15% of project cost

Timeline

Open Date : November 5, 2024
Closing date : March 12, 2025

Financing Type

Grant and Funding

Eligible Industries

Educational services
Health care and social assistance
Other services (except public administration)
Public administration

Grant Providers

Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF)

Status

Closed

Overview of the OTF — System Innovations Grant program

The System Innovations Grant supports collaborative efforts aimed at understanding and improving systems to better serve youth, focusing particularly on Indigenous and Black communities. Eligible activities include groundwork and implementation projects that enhance how young people navigate services, reimagine access to resources, and involve youth in creating new processes. The grant prioritizes projects that address systemic barriers and empower youth aged 12-29, with funding up to $250,000 per year for a term of 2 to 5 years.

Financing terms and conditions

Maximum funding of $250,000 per year, up to a total of $1,250,000 over five years.
Grant term must be between a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of 5 years.
Overhead and administrative costs are supported up to 15% of the total grant request budget.
Up to 10% of the total grant request budget can be allocated to learning and evaluation activities beyond those provided by OTF.
10% of the awarded funding will be held back and released only upon satisfactory review of the final report.

Eligible projects & activities

Groundwork activities to prepare for systems change, such as establishing collaborative partnerships and governance models, engaging youth, summarizing research and evidence, and developing an action plan.
Implementation of strategies to improve systems impacting youth, including developing and adopting shared policies, creating advisory groups with youth involvement, and coordinating service processes across partner organizations.
Projects aimed at improving how young people access and experience services across sectors such as education, justice, child welfare, social services, employment, and culture.
Initiatives focused on reducing systemic barriers and promoting equity for Indigenous, Black, newcomer, and other marginalized youth groups.
Creation of safe spaces or programs that empower youth, including girls, young women, and 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, to strengthen community and cultural connections.

Eligibility criteria of the OTF — System Innovations Grant program

The lead applicant must be a charitable organization registered with the Canada Revenue Agency, or a not-for-profit corporation incorporated in a Canadian jurisdiction, or an eligible Indigenous community (First Nation, Chartered Community Council under the Métis Nation of Ontario, or Inuit).
The lead organization must have a primary purpose, presence, and reputation for delivering programs and services with direct community benefit in Ontario, and must have been incorporated as a not-for-profit for at least 5 years.
The lead organization must demonstrate a clear mandate and track record for serving and engaging youth between the ages of 12-29.
The project must be submitted by a collaborative of two or more organizations, each playing defined roles toward a shared goal of systems change for youth.
The initiative must focus on improving systems for youth (12-29) facing systemic barriers, with youth actively engaged at all project stages as primary beneficiaries.

Who is eligible?

Registered charitable organizations or foundations in Canada
Not-for-profit corporations incorporated in a Canadian jurisdiction
First Nations communities
Chartered Community Councils operating under the Métis Nation of Ontario
Inuit organizations and communities

Who is not eligible

Municipalities or their cultural or recreation agencies, including municipal libraries and museums.
Universities, colleges, schools, and hospitals, including their affiliated agencies.
Religious organizations or institutions.
For-profit organizations or businesses.
Newly formed organizations (less than 5 years as a registered not-for-profit).
Individuals (applications submitted by a person).

Eligible expenses

Salaries and benefits for personnel dedicated to the project (full-time and part-time).
Purchased services from experts or service providers directly related to project delivery.
Rental or purchase of equipment necessary for the project's activities.
Costs for meetings or convenings, including space, food, and accommodations.
Supplies and materials required for project implementation.
Honorariums to recognize contributions from community leaders and experts.
Travel expenses for collaborative members, youth participants, and stakeholders involved in the project.
Expenses related to preparing and hosting knowledge sharing events (venue, facilitators, materials, accommodations, etc.).
Learning and evaluation costs (additional to those provided by the funder), up to 10% of the total grant request.
Overhead and administration costs directly associated with project management, up to 15% of the total grant request.
Other reasonable costs directly attributable to the project that do not fall under the categories above.

Eligible geographic areas

Ontario

Eligibility criteria of the OTF — System Innovations Grant program

The project team has the appropriate expertise and community knowledge to lead and steward the collaborative work (30%).
The proposed strategy is suitable for setting the groundwork for system change and/or for realizing system change with long-term positive outcomes for targeted youth (20%).
The collaborative demonstrates a well-developed plan, including clear steps and readiness for system change, with activities tailored to the needs of the primary youth beneficiaries (25%).
The processes and methodologies described are feasible, with well-defined deliverables, and there is strong alignment between activities, the project plan, and budget (25%).

How to apply to the OTF — System Innovations Grant program

Prepare Your Application

Understand the eligibility requirements for lead organizations and collaborative members to ensure you are eligible for funding.
Review important dates and deadlines associated with the application process.
Read the System Innovations grant application questions to fully understand what information is required.
Learn how Black and Indigenous groups and organizations are defined in this context.
Discover how to create a collaborative agreement.

Book a Required Pre-application Coaching Call

Discuss key eligibility requirements and details of your project during this call.
Assess the readiness of your collaborative for the application process.

Create an OTF Account

Lead organizations need to have an OTF account to access grant applications through OTF’s Granting Portal.
Complete your pre-application coaching call before setting up an account for application access.
If new to OTF, create a new account. If already registered, contact yof@otf.ca to verify and update organizational information.

Complete the Organization Information

Review and answer the application questions in the Organization Information section carefully.
Submit the Organization Information to have the eligibility of the lead organization assessed.
Only eligible lead organizations will be invited to complete the full grant application.

Complete the Grant Application

Answer all grant application questions clearly and ensure completeness.
Gather necessary documentation, including supporting documents like the Collaborative Agreement, if applicable.

Review and Application Assessment

Experienced staff and volunteers will review and assess the grant application based on the assessment criteria for the System Innovations grants.

Recommendation and Selection

The Grant Review Committee makes funding recommendations to the OTF’s Board of Directors for approval of projects.

Notification

Receive notification of the funding decision approximately four months after the grant application deadline.

After Approval

Begin the project as early as August 1, 2025, if approved.
Engage in scheduled touch points and reporting, including tracking activities and spending, with the requirement to complete annual and final reports.
Work with an external evaluation partner provided by OTF for project and system change assessments.
Host a knowledge sharing event before the end of the grant.
Receive release of grant hold-back funds upon approval of the final report.
Be aware of potential compliance audits during or after the grant period.

Additional information

Collaboratives must secure signed collaborative agreements by the grant application deadline, and may be asked to provide these during assessment.
Grantees are required to host at least one knowledge sharing event before the end of the grant term.
10% of awarded funding will be held back until a satisfactory final report is reviewed and approved.
Competitive bids are mandatory for individual goods or services valued over $10,000, requiring at least two written quotes.

Apply to this program