2012-2013 Guide to submitting proposals to the Contributions Program for Non-Profit Consumer and Voluntary Organizations

Section 3 – Preparing a Proposal

Once you have decided that your organization meets the requirements and limitations described in Section 2 of this guide, you can move on to the next step: preparing your proposal.

Proposals will be submitted to the OCA via its customized Online Application System only (available via the OCA website). No other formats will be accepted.

Important information on using the OCA customized Online Application System:

• Username/Password: Before submitting your proposal(s), you must have an Industry Canada username and password for your organization in order to access the online application. Please visit the Industry Canada Registration page to request this information. Note: please allow 24 hours for your new username and password to be activated before using the OCA Online Application System.
• Organizational password: We suggest that one person sets up a username and password and share them with all the staff in your organization who will be submitting proposals.
• Saving your proposal: The Online Application System will allow you to draft your proposals, save it at any time and return later to complete it, print it and submit it.
• Session time: If you are inactive for 1 hour or longer on the Online Application System your session will terminate and you will lose your information. Please save your work regularly.
• Simultaneous editing of a proposal: Each given proposal should only be opened/edited by one user at a time. Simultaneous editing could result in loss of content.

The Online Application System is available on the OCA website.

3.1 Online Submission Requirements

There are three steps required in order to submit a proposal to qualify for consideration under the Program.

For your convenience, all questions contained in the online application process are annexed to this Guide (Annexes 1-3).

Throughout the application process, you will be asked to provide supporting documentation. If you do not currently have electronic versions of the supporting documentation that is needed (budget forecast, lobbyist declaration, budget, etc.), you may simply scan the hard copies and attach them. We accept the following image formats (BMP, JPEG, PDF and GIF).

Step 1 – Determine eligibility of your organization

This section is mandatory and only has to be completed once. This step helps organizations determine and confirm if they are eligible for funding under the Program. Once this step is completed and validated, then you will be able to complete Step 2 (Organization information).

Step 2 – Organization information

This section is mandatory and only has to be completed once. This section asks for the contact information for the organization, membership and donor information, publications details (e.g. magazine, newsletters or blogs).

It also requires the organizations to make the following declarations:

• Lobbying Act: do you presently employ in your organization persons to lobby on your behalf? If yes, please provide assurance that, where lobbyists are used, they are registered in accordance with the Lobbying Act and that no actual or potential conflict of interest exists nor any contingency fee arrangement.
• Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service: do you presently employ in your organization or on your Board of Directors a former public servant who left the federal government in the last twelve months? If yes, please provide assurance that the public servant is in compliance with the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service.
• Conflict of Interest Act: do you presently employ in your organization or on your Board of Directors a former public office holder who left the federal government in the last twelve months? If yes, please provide assurance that the public office holder is in compliance with the Conflict of Interest Act.

Finally, all organizations must submit the following documents in order to complete this step:

• a copy of the incorporation documents;
• latest audited financial statement;
• current year budget forecast;
• a background statement on the organization's aims, objectives and structure;
• the list of the current Board of Directors members; and
• the organization’s by-laws.

The maximum file size accommodated on the network is 10 MB. To ensure that the uploading process runs smoothly, please click "Save" after attaching each file.

Once this section has been completed and validated, then you will be able to submit as many proposals from your organization as you see fit.

Step 3 – The actual project proposal

Once step 1 and 2 have been completed and validated, then you will be able to submit proposals under your organization. You may submit as many as you like.

All proposals must include other sources of funding requested for this project (or a similar one), a project summary, a communications plan, a detailed work plan, and demonstrate the work plan's feasibility by showing it to be clear and realistic, with measurable objectives and time frames. Proposals should demonstrate the project team's ability to carry out the project and reach stated objectives. Proposals must indicate how the project will assist the organization in the fulfillment of its mandate, and how the project fits within the organization's overall business plan. All proposals must include a budget.

• Research proposals have 14 questions (see Annex 1)
• Organizational development proposals contain 6 questions (see Annex 2)
• Consumer movement development proposals contain 6 questions (see Annex 3)

Proposal budget:

All proposals must include a detailed budget. All eligible cost are described in Section 4 of this guide. As the Online Application System will let you attach a file for your budget, you can draft your budget in a Word or Excel document. If any contracts for services will be required for you projects, please ensure to clearly identify them (contractor’s name, if available, and per diem, if relevant).

Save as you go:

Remember that the online application will allow you to draft your proposals, save it and return later to complete or revise it, print it and submit it.

Proposals have a maximum length:

Project proposals have a set overall maximum in length. Each question/section will display their respective maximum number of characters allowed. For your convenience, a character count feature was added to the application in order to let you know in real-time how much space you have left. The character count feature of your word processing software might not render the same number as the one in the application. In case of disparity, the character count feature in the Online Application System will prevail. Please note that spaces and hard returns are counted as characters and add to your total number of characters.

Review your proposal before submitting:

Once your proposal is complete, all fields have validated and the proposal is ready for submission, you will be asked to review it (“Review before submitting” button). This will enable you to review it one more time before sending it to OCA for evaluation. Once you have submitted you proposal, no further changes are allowed.

Keep a record of your proposal:

You can print your proposal before you submit it. For your convenience, a PDF copy of your proposal will also be attached to the confirmation email.

Accessing your proposal after it is submitted:

After you have submitted your proposal(s) to OCA, you will still be able to access the Online Application System with your username/password. You will not be able to edit them but you will be able to view and print them.

3.2 Application Deadline

Applicants have until noon Pacific Time (e.g. 3 pm Ottawa time), December 7^th, 2011 to submit their proposals.

Late, incomplete or wrongly formatted proposals will not be assessed. Proposals sent by fax or email or via any other format will not be accepted.

3.3 Confirmation of Receipt

A confirmation email along with a PDF copy of your proposal will be sent to you (the person identified in Part A of the proposal) for each proposal received by OCA. Please keep the confirmation email for your records.