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Rail Safety Improvement Program - Public Education and Awareness (E&A)

Funding for rail safety awareness projects

Offered by
Transport Canada (TC)
Official source: tc.canada.ca

Source change captured

Funding available
$ 1,000,000
Up to 50% of project cost
Deadline
Unspecified
Location
Canada
Who can apply
Provinces and territories.
See full eligibility

Overview

Transport Canada’s Rail Safety Improvement Program Education and Awareness stream provides up to $3 million over three fiscal years, beginning in 2026-27, for public bodies and organizations across Canada. It supports projects that raise public awareness of rail safety risks and prevent trespassing on railway property.

At a glance

Funding available

Maximum funding
$1,000,000
Maximum share of project costs
50%
Financing goals
  • Increase social or community impact
  • Raise awareness or mobilize a population

Eligible candidates

Location
  • Canada
Eligible Industries
All industries
Annual revenue
All revenue ranges
Organisation size
All organization sizes
Audience
All groups
Legal structures
For-profit business, Non-profit

Receipt of requests is now closed

Get notified about updates to this grant.

Availability timeline

2026
Periods: 2

Latest changes

Rail Safety E&A guide added

The education and public awareness applicant guide is now visible, adding eligibility, eligible and ineligible expenses, funding limits, timelines, and evaluation criteria for this stream.

See more

The applicant guide for the education and public awareness stream is now visible, adding the full application framework for this source. It specifies eligible applicants, eligible and ineligible expenses, project requirements, and the evaluation criteria used for this call. It also adds the submission deadline of 21 August 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time, the project end date of 31 March 2029, and the funding terms for this stream, including a maximum of $1 million per beneficiary per fiscal year and reimbursement of up to 50% of eligible project expenses. The guide further clarifies that the call priority is intrusion prevention and that projects must focus on educating the public about the dangers of trespassing on railway property.

Official source: tc.canada.ca
July 23, 2026

Eligibility

Who is eligible?

  • Provinces and territories.
  • Indigenous communities, groups, or organizations.
  • Municipalities, local or regional governments, road or transit authorities, and Crown corporations, including VIA Rail.
  • For-profit organizations, including railway operators and railway owners.
  • Not-for-profit organizations, including academia.

Eligible expenses

  • Staff salaries and benefits.
  • Printing, publishing, and distributing material; room rentals and other facility costs; conference fees.
  • Professional services, including accounting, translation, audit and consulting.
  • Buying or leasing capital assets; administrative costs, including general administration, rent, insurance, and office equipment rental.
  • Travel, including accommodations, vehicle rental and kilometric rates, bus, train, airplane or taxi fares.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

  • Costs incurred before project approval or after the final claim date.
  • Overhead costs.
  • PST, GST, or HST that is eligible for a rebate, and any other rebate-eligible costs.
  • Buying or leasing land or buildings, related real estate fees, and vehicles.
  • Financing charges and interest payments on loans, as well as expenses already reimbursed through other sources of funding, federal statutes, or a funding program.

Activities funded

  • Projects that raise public awareness and understanding of rail safety risks.
  • Projects focused on the prevention of hazards and dangers associated with trespassing.

How to apply

  • Get a copy of the proposal template for the Education and Awareness stream.
  • Draft your proposal using the template.
  • Save your completed proposal in PDF or MS Word format, with a total email size under 25 MB.
  • Submit your completed proposal by email or by mailing a hard copy and a digital copy saved to a USB to the Ottawa address provided.
  • Applicants receive an automated receipt after submission.

Documents Needed

  • Proposal template for the Education and Awareness stream
  • Documentation showing legal status of the organization, if requested

Selection criteria

  • Relevance and alignment with program goals and the call priority.
  • Impact of the proposed project, including at-risk groups, trespassing hot spots, broad benefits, behaviour-change strategies, and innovative approaches.
  • Project plan, including activities, deliverables, timelines, resource requirements, dependencies, risks, and partner coordination.
  • Performance measurement strategy, including goals, outputs, outcomes, indicators, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.
  • Risk analysis and mitigation measures, budget quality, sources of funding and partnerships, value for money, and applicant experience and capacity.

Processing and Agreement

  • After the review, all applicants are notified whether their project was selected for funding.
  • Selected projects receive an approval-in-principle letter with the funding amount and related funding conditions.
  • Funding is not required until both parties sign a contribution agreement.
  • Transport Canada completes a risk assessment before signing the contribution agreement, which helps determine reporting frequency, financial documents for payment claims, and audit or site visit requirements.
  • Once the agreement is in place, payment requests must be submitted at least twice a year with supporting documentation, although more frequent requests are encouraged.

Additional information

  • Part of Transport Canada’s Rail Safety Improvement Program, which is a contribution program.
  • Linked to Program 3.3: Rail Safety and Sub-program 3.3.3: Rail Safety Awareness and Grade Crossing Improvement.
  • The program is part of Transport Canada’s efforts to improve rail safety and reduce injuries and fatalities related to rail transportation.

Contacts

TC.RSIP-PASF.TC@TC.GC.CA

Official sources

Rail Safety Improvement Program

Program guide

Document requestorRail Safety Improvement Program - Applicant Guide for Education and Awareness funding
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Frequently Asked Questions about the Rail Safety Improvement Program - Public Education and Awareness (E&A) Program

What is the Rail Safety Improvement Program - Public Education and Awareness (E&A)?

Transport Canada’s Rail Safety Improvement Program Education and Awareness stream provides up to $3 million over three fiscal years, beginning in 2026-27, for public bodies and organizations across Canada. It supports projects that raise public awareness of rail safety risks and prevent trespassing on railway property.

How much funding can be received?

Rail Safety Improvement Program - Public Education and Awareness (E&A) Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $1,000,000 per project.

Who is eligible for the Rail Safety Improvement Program - Public Education and Awareness (E&A) program?

To be eligible for the Rail Safety Improvement Program - Public Education and Awareness (E&A) program, you must: The project must raise public awareness and understanding of the dangers of trespassing on railway property. The project must be complete by March 31, 2029.

What expenses are eligible under Rail Safety Improvement Program - Public Education and Awareness (E&A)?

Staff salaries and benefits. Printing, publishing, and distributing material; room rentals and other facility costs; conference fees. Professional services, including accounting, translation, audit and consulting. Buying or leasing capital assets; administrative costs, including general administration, rent, insurance, and office equipment rental. Travel, including accommodations, vehicle rental and kilometric rates, bus, train, airplane or taxi fares.

Who can I contact for more information about the Rail Safety Improvement Program - Public Education and Awareness (E&A)?

You can contact Transport Canada (TC) by email at TC.RSIP-PASF.TC@TC.GC.CA.

Where is the Rail Safety Improvement Program - Public Education and Awareness (E&A) available?

The Rail Safety Improvement Program - Public Education and Awareness (E&A) program is available across Canada.

Is the Rail Safety Improvement Program - Public Education and Awareness (E&A) a grant, loan, or tax credit?

Rail Safety Improvement Program - Public Education and Awareness (E&A) is a Grant and Funding