Canadian Consumer Protection Initiative

Eligibility

Who is eligible?

Applicants may apply independently or as a partnership with other organizations. Eligible applicants must be not-for-profit organizations or associations incorporated in Canada (federally or provincially) and/or may be:

• Not-for-profit social enterprises or co-operatives
• A consortia of non-profit organizations
• Post-secondary academic institutions or research institutes
• Indigenous organizations

Eligible organizations must demonstrate that they:

• Have the structure, governance and funding arrangements which do not expose them to commercial influence on their research and policy positions or outreach activities;
• Are capable of reaching a wide range of Canadian consumers, including those beyond their organization;
• Are competent, credible, and accountable in carrying out projects; and,
• Are guided by objectives which are consistent with the Program goal (i.e. strengthening the consumer's role in the marketplace through the promotion of sound research and analysis, fostering innovative solutions to issues impacting consumers, and enhancing the overall capacity of ecosystem organizations to support and protect consumer interests.

Note: The Organizational development type of project is only open to not-for-profit consumer protection organizations or associations.

Applicants to the organizational development type have to demonstrate that they:

• Are incorporated as not-for-profit corporation in Canada, with its primary mandate related to the protection of consumer interests.

Note: The Province of Quebec's M-30 legislation may apply to Quebec-based applicants. Quebec based organizations must demonstrate the applicability of M-30 to their application prior to entering into a contribution agreement.

For further information, consult the following website prior to submitting your Application for Funding: An Act respecting the Ministère du Conseil exécutif (M-30).

Summary

Overview

The Canadian Consumer Protection Initiative (the Program) at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's (ISED) Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) supports organizations in the production of high quality, independent and timely research on consumer issues.

Objective

The objective of the Program is to strengthen the consumer's role in the marketplace through the development and promotion of sound research and analysis, fostering innovative solutions to issues impacting consumers, and enhancing the overall capacity of ecosystem organizations to support and protect consumer interests.

Confidentiality, Proactive Disclosure and Transparency Requirements

Any information in the application that, in the applicant's opinion, is of a proprietary or confidential nature must be clearly marked by the applicant as "Proprietary" or "Confidential" on each relevant item or page or in a statement covering the entire application. No commercially confidential information which is submitted will be disclosed unless otherwise authorized by the applicant or required to be released by law.

Information provided by applicants may be accessible under the Access to Information Act.

ISED may share information in an application with provincial and territorial governments or other federal funding partners to improve national coordination and bilateral decision-making related to the Program.

Once projects are approved, as part of the Government of Canada's policies to ensure transparency and accountability, ISED is required to proactively disclose project information when it is in the public interest to do so. This may include, but is not limited to disclosure regarding the funds provided to the organization, status of projects, and other activities, as appropriate.

Additional disclosure, milestone reporting and transparency requirements can be found in recipient contribution agreements, the Program templates, and on the Treasury Board of Canada website.

Although information remains confidential under the above-mentioned conditions, any document or content submitted as part of the Program application process shall be deemed and remain the property of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Overhead

The administrative costs for an Eligible Recipient will be limited to a maximum of 15% of the total contribution amount.

Pre-application deadlines

RSO internal deadline

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a complete copy of the application, to Research Services at rsotrainee@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

An internal Notice of Intent (iNOI) is due to Research Services by Noon on December 18^th, 2024. Send the following details to taemery@ucalgary.ca by this date:

1. Principal Investigator’s name
2. Faculty and Department
3. Co-applicants and partner organizations
4. Project Title
5. Total funding requested

This submission to Research Services is required as there is a limit of 3 proposals per organization, and an internal selection stage may be required if multiple applications are seeking to go forward. 

Please note: Submission of an iNOI is mandatory. Any applications submitted to the funding agency without having undergone this stage will be rejected.

Full application stage

Full applications, plus approval in the Research Management System (RMS) (https://research.ucalgary.ca/conduct-research/additional-resources/research-management-system-rms), will be required by RSO by noon on January 15, 2025.  Please be sure to select "Submitted for approvals" (Under Save & Progress) in RMS in good time to allow for approvals from your Department Head and/or ADR prior to the Research Services deadline. Consult your department and faculty for more information on their approval processes and timelines. 

Once your RMS record has been approved by Research Services, submit to the agency by their deadline on January 20, 2025.