OHS Innovation and Engagement Grants Program

I&E grants fund non-profit and public sector organizations for projects aimed at improving OHS awareness, knowledge and action in Alberta.

Important dates

Overview

OHS Innovation and Engagement Grants are available through 3 funding streams:

Capacity Building

Up to $10,000 per project for activities such as conferences, seminars and learning sessions. Projects must be completed within 12 months of signing the grant agreement.

Action

Up to $20,000 per project for activities such as developing and disseminating information resources and awareness campaigns. Projects must be completed within 18 months of signing the grant agreement.

Momentum

Up to $50,000 per project for activities such as developing and disseminating information resources and awareness campaigns. Eligible projects require partnership with at least one other organization. Projects must be completed within 18 months of signing the grant agreement.

Multiple applications

Organizations can submit applications for multiple projects as long as each project serves distinct and different outcomes. Only one application per stream will be accepted from an organization (maximum of three applications).

Eligibility

To apply for an OHS I&E Grant, applicant organizations and projects must meet these guidelines.

Eligible applicants

To be eligible for this grant, your organization must be:

• a non-profit or public sector organization including non-profit companies, societies, municipalities, school boards, health authorities, public post-secondary institutions, and similar extra-provincial entities
• operating in Alberta

Multi-partner projects

For projects involving multiple partners, funding will only be distributed to the primary applicant, which must meet the eligibility criteria. Partner organizations do not have to fit this criteria. Primary applicants should lead the project, and partner organizations should play an active, but supporting role. See below for more details.

Primary applicant organization

The primary applicant organization's mandate should be clearly related to the project objectives. The primary applicant organizations:

• should have the lead role in planning the project scope, timeline and deliverables
• should act as project coordinator
• will be accountable for all project deliverables and reporting requirements

All funding will be distributed to the primary applicant organization.

Partner organization

The project objectives should align with the organization's goals. Partner organizations:

• will have a role in planning the scope, timeline, and deliverables of the project
• must not be contractors who will be hired to execute a specific task or component of the project
• should not seek financial gain as the primary benefit of being a partner

Eligible projects

Eligible projects must meet the outcomes, priorities and timelines laid out in the grant application. Only one application per stream will be accepted from an organization (maximum of three applications).

Outcomes

Projects must focus on at least one of the following outcomes:

• Raising OHS awareness
• Increasing OHS knowledge
• Stimulating positive OHS actions

Priorities

Projects must align with one of the following priority areas:

1. Impairment in the workplace (i.e. prescription or recreational drugs, stress, fatigue or other factors)
2. Workplace violence and mental health (i.e. bullying, harassment, physical violence, domestic violence)
3. Vulnerable workers (i.e. new and young workers, recent immigrants, workers with disabilities)
4. Not for profit organizations that support improving compliance in small business (i.e. developing information resources and tools to assist small businesses in meeting their obligations, supports for agricultural workers)
5. Occupational disease

Timelines

Projects must be completed within designated time frames. Extensions will not be granted. Completion deadlines for this funding cycle are outlined in brackets below:

• Capacity Building Grants – within 12 months of signing of grant agreement (by March 31, 2020)
• Action Grants – within 18 months of signing of grant agreement (by September 30, 2020)
• Momentum Grants – within 18 months of signing of grant agreement (by September 30, 2020)

Ineligible projects and expenses

The following projects are not eligible for funding:

• research projects
  • for research funding, see OHS Futures Research Grant
• activities that an employer is obligated to undertake, according to Alberta's OHS legislation (e.g. providing OHS training for staff, health and safety programs, emergency response plans, etc.)
• staff professional development including tuition or conference fees
• projects that will create a long-term funding dependency (i.e. regular on-going programming)
• purchasing of office equipment, furniture, electronics, etc
• a project that is already in progress or has been completed
• projects that duplicate or replace programs or services already provided by the Government of Alberta
• projects that focus on capitalization of business enterprises
• projects focused on lobbying activities
• Conferences: if you received funding in March 2018, you are not eligible to receive funding in this cycle

How to apply

Step 1. Read the terms and conditions

Read the sample Grant Agreement Template (PDF, 173 KB). It covers the terms and conditions of this grant program, as well as the reporting requirements you will be responsible for if your project is funded. Reporting obligations include final reporting on what was achieved with the grant dollars, and may include interim reporting.

Step 2. Complete the online application

The online application (PDF, 2.3 MB) is now available.

Ensure the total amount of funding requested in the online application doesn't exceed the maximum project funding amount.

Download and submit the completed application as per instructions on the form.

Once the application is submitted, you'll receive an email confirming your submission.

After you apply

After you apply, the following steps occur:

1. Initial screening
   • Once all components of the application have been submitted, an initial screening is done to ensure that the application is complete and meets the eligibility criteria.
2. Internal review
   • Applications that pass the initial screening are evaluated by Alberta Labour staff, who evaluate applications by considering:
     • whether the project focuses on at least one of the priorities
     • the reach and impact of the proposed project, including consideration of the target audience size and the methods proposed to reach that audience
     • whether the application clearly outlines an issue to be addressed, the plan to address it, and how success will be measured
     • whether the project timelines are clear and reasonable
     • whether the project budget is clear and reasonable
     • whether resources needed for the project have been identified and will be available, or a plan is in place to make them available
   • Reviewers may also consider the applicant's performance if they've previously been awarded a grant by Alberta Labour.
3. Funding decision
   • A decision is made by the department after the two reviews are completed.
   • Applicants will be notified of the results of their applications.

Contact

To connect with the OHS Innovation and Engagement Grants program:

Phone: 780-415-8690 (Edmonton)
Toll-free: 1-866-415-8690
TTY: 780-427-9999 (Edmonton)
TTY: 1-800-232-7215
Email: OHS-IE-Grants@gov.ab.ca

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