QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2017 CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION PROGRAMS CALL FOR PROPOSALS Renewed Funding to Existing Ontario Bridge Training Projects This document will be updated regularly and posted on the Ontario Bridge Training Program Grants Ontario portal page. NEW QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ADDED AT THE END OF THIS DOCUMENT Submission Deadline and Documents 1. Q. When are applications due? A. The deadline to submit applications is 4pm on Thursday, September 21, 2017. 2. Q. What if my proposal is submitted after the deadline? A. The Grants Ontario system will not accept applications after the stated deadline. 3. Q. Where can I find the application documents online? A. The Application Guide and all Supplementary Attachments can be found on the Ontario Bridge Training Program Grants Ontario portal page. 4. Q. How do I submit my application? A. All applications must be submitted through the Grants Ontario system. This system requires a computer with internet access. Applicants must be enrolled with Grants Ontario in order to access and complete the application. Applicants should enrol in Grants Ontario as soon as possible, as it may take up to five (5) business days for the Grants Ontario system to complete the registration and provide access to the system. MCI recommends that Applicants register with the Grants Ontario system at least two (2) weeks prior to the CFP submission deadline. Documents not submitted through Grants Ontario will not be considered. Asking Questions 5. Q. How do I submit questions regarding the Call for Proposals (CFP) A. All inquiries regarding the Call for Proposals must be submitted by e-mail to bridgetraining@ontario.ca.
6. Q. How long will it take for my e-mail inquiry to be answered? A. All inquiries will be answered within two (2) business days. MCI reserves the right to answer inquiries by e-mail or by telephone. In addition, MCI will compile all questions received and provide answers through regular updates to this Questions and Answers document, which can be found on the Ontario Bridge Training Program Grants Ontario portal page. MCI will release updated versions of this document on the Grants Ontario portal page on the following dates: Thursday, August 17, 2017 Thursday, August 31, 2017 Thursday, September 14, 2017 7. Q. What is the deadline for submitting questions regarding the CFP? A. Questions may be submitted until Thursday, September 7, 2017, with the last updated Questions and Answers document posted on Thursday, September 14, 2017. Funding 8. Q. The Application Guide indicates that The Ministry will renew successful existing bridge training projects for a period of three (3) years, with the possibility of an additional extension of two (2) years. Should proposals be developed for a three year period or a five year period? A. Proposals should be developed based on a three year funding period. 9. Q. Is there a maximum amount MCI will fund per project? A. No, however, requested budget must be in line with the proposed scope of activities and should demonstrate value-for-money. MCI reserves the right to reject proposed budgets, request additional information or recommend a reduced budget based on the information provided. 10. Q. Is there a limit to how much funding MCI will give to any one organization (across multiple projects)? A. No, MCI has not identified a budget ceiling for individual organizations. Funding is awarded based on an assessment of the proposed budget provided by applicants. The budget should align with the proposed project activities. 11. Q. What do we do if we get approval for funding from another funding source for the same project while our proposal is being evaluated? A. If there is a change in the status of an application for funding from another funding source during the evaluation period then we request that MCI be updated accordingly. 12. Q. When can we expect to receive a response from MCI on funding decisions? A. MCI will provide an update on the evaluation process within 14 weeks of the submission deadline.
13. Q. Will projects either be approved or not-approved as submitted, or will there be an opportunity for negotiation/changes? A. MCI may suggest changes to proposed projects based on new/additional information available at the time. However, it is important to note that any changes that are made would fall within the identified parameters of the project application. 14. Q. Will MCI provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants? A. MCI will provide applicants with an opportunity to request feedback on unsuccessful proposals. Organization Eligibility 15. Q. What organizations are eligible to apply to this CFP? Can individuals apply? A. This Call for Proposals is open only to existing Ontario Bridge Training Programs that have been invited to apply to this call. The Ministry will contact eligible existing OBTPs to invite them to apply for renewed funding. Only invited Applicants may apply to this category. An invitation to apply does not constitute a funding commitment. Client Eligibility 16. Q. Who is the target client for an Ontario Bridge Training Program (OBTP)? A. OBTPs are intended to serve internationally trained individuals who are looking to obtain licensure/certification and/or employment in their field. Internationally trained individuals are newcomers who obtained a post-secondary degree or skilled trade credential abroad and who have international work experience in that profession. 17. Q. Who is eligible to participate in an Ontario Bridge Training project? A. MCI s bridge training programs are designed to serve all internationally trained newcomers to Ontario, ensuring equal treatment of Canadian citizens, permanent residents, convention refugees, refugees and refugee claimants who are eligible to work in Ontario. 18. Q. Are international students eligible for Ontario Bridge Training projects? A. No. 19. Q. Are Provincial Nominees eligible for Ontario Bridge Training projects? A. No. 20. Q. Are Canadian Citizens who have studied abroad eligible for Ontario Bridge Training projects? A. No.
21. Q. Are non-ontario residents eligible for Ontario Bridge Training projects? A. Ontario Bridge Training programs are designed to help Ontario s highly-skilled newcomers seek licensure and employment in their field. Ministry funding is intended specifically for them. Non-Ontario residents and Canadian-born Canadian-citizens may still access the programs. We ask, however, that these participants pay the full cost to participate in the program. 22. Q. Are internationally trained individuals who have been resident in Ontario for a substantial period of time (e.g. ten years) eligible for bridge training? A. Yes. Internationally Trained Individuals who are residents of Ontario are eligible for bridge training. Program intake processes must ensure that participants who have been in Ontario for a substantial period of time not practicing their profession can achieve licensure and/or employment through participation in the program. Partnerships 23. Q. Are partners required for CFP applications? A. MCI encourages partnerships wherever possible, but an applicant is not required to include partners in proposals. However, if no partners are identified, applicants will be required to provide an explanation of why no partners are required. 24. Q. How should multiple partners handle CFP applications? A. A multiple partner application is acceptable, as long as a single organization is responsible for, and acts as the lead for, the application. All projects require one organization to sign a contract that will legally bind both MCI and the successful applicant. The signing organization will be expected to serve as the single point of contact with MCI on all aspects of the project. Management of other partners, stakeholders, or subcontracts is the responsibility of this lead organization. Partners should be identified in Section J of the Grants Ontario Application Form. 25. Q. Do all members of a partnership have to meet MCI s eligibility criteria for funding? A. No, only the lead organization must meet MCI s eligibility requirements. However, MCI will evaluate proposals based on the suitability of proposed partners. 26. Q. What type of evidence is required to demonstrate commitment from a participating organization? A. MCI requires a corresponding letter for each participating organization listed. Letters should be attached as Attachment Partner Commitment Letters, and each letter must outline the specific roles and responsibilities the participating organization will undertake in the project. MCI will evaluate these letters against the roles and responsibilities outlined elsewhere in the application. 27. Q. Can we use a form letter to demonstrate the commitment of each partner that will participate in our proposed program?
A. An Applicant can use whatever format of letter it chooses to demonstrate the commitment of a participating organization. The Application Guide indicates that each letter must outline the specific roles and responsibilities the particular participating organization will undertake in the project. MCI recommends that each letter be signed by a representative of that organization with the authority to commit to the stated roles and responsibilities. 28. Q. Can private sector organizations, including contractors/consultants, be included as participating organizations in this CFP? A. Yes. 29. Q. Should we include letters of support from organizations that are not formal partners in our proposed project? A. No, only letters from formal participating organizations should be included in a submission. 30. Q. The Application Guide indicates the following in regards to participating organizations: If funding is granted, the funding grant may require the Applicant to develop formal agreements with any project partners to whom funding may be flowed for the purposes of meeting project outcomes. How does MCI define formal agreement? A. MCI defines a formal agreement as a written agreement (such as a memorandum of understanding), signed by both parties, that identifies the objectives of the partnership, roles and responsibilities, reporting obligations, governance and oversight, and expectations for payment (where applicable). 31. Q. Should our participating organizations send letters of commitment directly to MCI? A. No. Applicants should submit all letters through Grants Ontario as part of a complete proposal submission. Documents, including partner commitment letters, not submitted through the Grants Ontario system will not be considered. Participant Fees 32. Q. Are we required to charge fees? A. Programs must charge a participant fee if they deliver academic or technical training in partnership with a post-secondary institution. Programs are strongly encouraged to charge a participant fee to help offset the costs associated with delivering other services. Programs proposing to charge no participant fees must provide a rationale for doing so. 33. Q. Can we change our participant fees from the level in the current contract? A. Yes. Please provide a rationale for the proposed fee change in your proposal. 34. Q. Will the Ontario Bridging Participant Assistance Program (OBPAP) continue to be available? A. OBPAP is confirmed on an annual basis, in consultation with the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development (MAESD). The Ministry cannot confirm OBPAP availability beyond 2017-18 at this time.
Program Performance 35. Q. How do I complete the Program Performance section of the Supplementary Attachment Additional Questions form? A. Each cohort of your program should occupy one row in the table. For each cohort, enter the date the cohort finished their training, the total number of participants who accessed, completed, achieved licensure (if applicable), obtained employment and obtained related employment. For example, if cohort 1 had 22 participants who accessed, 20 who completed, 15 who achieved licensure, 13 who obtained employment in their field and 1 who obtained employment in a related field, you would complete the table as follows: Cohort # Cohort End Date 1 June 30, 2015 # Accessed # Completed # Licensed as of June 30, 2017 (if applicable) # Employed in their field as of June 30, 2017 22 20 15 13 1 # Employed in a related field as of June 30, 2017 36. Q. What if my program doesn t have cohorts? A. Programs operating on a continuous intake model, with no distinct cohorts of students, should group participants into three-month quarters (Q1: April-June; Q2: July-September; Q3: October-December; Q4: January-March) based on the quarter in which they began to access training/services. Cohort # Cohort End Date # Accessed # Completed # Licensed as of June 30, 2017 (if applicable) # Employed in their field as of June 30, 2017 Q1 2015-16 N/A 22 20 15 13 1 Q2 2015-16 N/A 30 29 21 20 6 # Employed in a related field as of June 30, 2017
Please note: as projects with continuous intake often deliver services that are tailored to individual needs, there may not be a standard cohort end date. In this case, please enter N/A in that section. 37. Q. How far into the past should I report program outcomes? A. The Application Form requires projects to report as far back at April 1, 2014. However, the farther back a project can report, the better. 38. Q. My project has been funded for a number of years, but my current contract began April 1, 2015. Do I need to report outcomes from my previous contract(s)? A. Applicants should strive to provide as comprehensive a set of program outcomes as possible. This includes previous contracts for the same project. Completing an Application 39. Q. What must be included in a complete application? A. Applications for funding must include: 1. Completed Grants Ontario Application Form 2. Completed Supplementary Attachments: Additional Questions Form Budget Template Conflict of Interest Declaration Organization Risk Assessment Risk Assessment Supporting Documentation (where applicable) Partner Letters (where applicable) 40. Q. Can I make changes to the application form or attachments? A. No, applicants must reproduce the template exactly; using the section headings, subheadings and lettered or bulleted sub-questions provided and provide an answer to the specific question. For any questions that are not relevant to your application, please indicate not applicable and explain why it is not applicable. 41. Q. Can we use the same Supplementary Attachment forms Organization Risk Assessment and Conflict of Interest Declaration for multiple proposals, since the information is the same? A. Yes, though Applicants should attach those same Attachment Application Forms Organization Risk Assessment and Conflict of Interest Declaration to each proposal. 42. Q. Does MCI require copies of any reports, studies, or literature that is cited in an application? A. No, the ministry will contact you if it wishes to receive additional information for the purposes of completing the evaluation of the proposal. Only the material requested in the application form will be evaluated.
Grants Ontario Application Form 43. Q. How do I enrol in the Grants Ontario system? A. Applicants should refer to the Grants Ontario Applicant Registration Guide for instructions on how to enrol. 44. Q. Is there a limitation as to how many attachments can be submitted with the online application form? A. No, there is no limitation. 45. Q. Do the attachments have to be in any particular order? A. No, they do not need to be in any particular order. 46. Q. Can MCI extend the timeout period on the Grants Ontario system? A. Unfortunately we cannot extend the timeout period at this time. 47. Q. Can you save and come back to the application form? A. Yes, you can fill out the application form on your own time. If you have downloaded the document and saved it on your computer, be sure to save it every time you work on it. Once you are complete, you can upload the document to the Grants Ontario site. 48. Q. Is the application form password protected? A. Yes, you will need to log onto the Grants Ontario system in order to access the application form. You can also download the form to your computer and complete it that way. 49. Q. Section K of the Grants Ontario Application Form Question #9 (Project Description) directs Applicants to refer to specific requirements in the Program Guidelines when completing that question. Where can we find these specific requirements in the Application Guide? A. There are no specific requirements in the Application Guide that must be met when completing Question #9 (Project Description) of Section K in the Grants Ontario Application Form. However, Applicants should ensure that the Project Description provides a clear description of the major components of the proposed project. 50. Q. Under Section C-Organization Contact Information, does Other Contact 1 and Other Contact 2 need to be filled out? A. It is not mandatory to fill out Other Contact 1 or Other Contact 2 if it is not applicable. 51. Q. Under Section Z -Declaration/Signing, does the signing authority have to sign the form electronically, or do we attach that page as an attachment? If there is more than one person with signing authority, does each of them have to sign? A. An electronic signature is not required by MCI. By clicking the Agree button, the person(s) who have signing authority agree to the statements listed under the Declaration The individuals that you indicate in Section C with signing authority will be pre-populated under Additional Signing Authority in Section P. For example, if you have indicated in
Section C that the Board Chair (question 16) and CEO/ED (question 24) have signing authority, when you get to section P, their name and all contact info that was entered in Section C will be pre-populated under Additional Signing Authority in Section P. 52. How do you attach documents onto Grants Ontario? A. The steps are as follows: 1. Click on My Organization s Applications. 2. Select the Application that you wish to attach documents to. 3. In the ATTACHMENTS section, click on Add. 4. Next to the ATTACHMENT NAME, click on the pick list button. Then, click Browse and select the file name you wish to attach and click Open. 5. Next to DOCUMENT TYPE, click on the pick list button. Select the ATTACHMENT TYPE and click OK. 6. Enter a description of the documents in the COMMENTS section. 7. 7. Finally, click Save, and the document will appear in the attachment lists. Supplementary Attachment Budget Template 53. Q. Is there a specific list of items that should be included in the budget? A. The budget should outline the staff and benefit costs, program costs and administrative costs required to undertake your proposed project. Please see the Application Guide for a list of eligible and ineligible expenses. 54. Q. If we are receiving funding from other sources for the same project, should we include it in the proposed budget we submit? A. All confirmed and anticipated revenue sources and amounts for the proposed project, including in-kind contributions, must be identified in the budget template under the Other Sources column. 55. Q. Is there a limit for administrative costs? A. Yes, administrative costs have been capped at up to 15 per cent of the total Ministry funding. 56. Q. What expenses are not funded by MCI? A. Eligible and ineligible expenses are outlined in the Eligible and Ineligible Expense section of the Application Guide. 57. Q. Are participant stipends or honorariums an eligible expense under this CFP? A. No. 58. Q. When completing the budget template, should we complete the Fiscal Year columns based on our organization s fiscal year, or the Ministry s fiscal year?
A. The budget template should be completed based on the Ministry s fiscal year of April 1- March 31. 59. Q. The Eligible and Ineligible Expenses section of the Application Guide states that Travel, meals and accommodation [expenses] directly related to program delivery must be less than or equal to those outlined in Ontario s Travel, Meals and Hospitality Expenses Directive. Our organization s allowances are greater than those in the Government s Directive. What should we do? A. The amounts listed in Ontario s Travel, Meals and Hospitality Expenses Directive are the maximum that MCI will fund. Any costs exceeding those amounts must be paid for by the Applicant. Travel, meals or hospitality in the proposed budget must clearly indicate where the Applicant s allowances exceed those outlined in the Directive, and the source of the funding to cover the difference. 60. Q. Is there a maximum amount for staff salaries in a project budget? A. No, however, salaries must accurately reflect the level of the position and the responsibilities involved. MCI reserves the right to reject proposed budgets or request additional information. 61. Q. Are there any restrictions on the type of staff (e.g., university professor) that can be included in the budget? A. Salaries and benefits for staff necessary to carry out the project are eligible for funding under this CFP. Staff costs related to central administration must be included in the Central Administrative Expenses section of the budget template. Funding requests for staff positions already funded by the Applicant (e.g., tenured faculty), or course release costs, must provide a clear rationale for inclusion in the budget request. Only costs incurred during the proposed project period can be included in the budget. Costs already incurred in developing the proposal, or earlier work related to the proposed activities, are not eligible for funding. 62. Q. How are projects supposed to complete the HST Eligible line in the budget template? A. The rebate percentage is determined by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) based on the type of Public Service Body applying for the rebate. When calculating the amount for the HST Eligible budget template, organizations should only include the HST amount, less any rebate that will be received. For example: Item Amount Amount Recipient spent on goods/services $100.00 Amount of tax paid (example 13%) $13.00 Less amount of rebate claimed (where rebate equals 80%) $10.40 Amount of tax expenditure $2.60 Amount reported as Ministry program expenditure/ HST Eligible budget $102.60
Item Template Amount More information is available on the Canada Revenue Agency website. Supplementary Attachment Form - Organization Risk Assessment 63. Q. Do I have to attach an Organization Risk Assessment form to every proposal I submit? A. Yes. However, Applicants can attach the same Organization Risk Assessment form to each proposal they submit through this CFP. 64. Q. I completed an Organization Risk Assessment form for a proposal I submitted to the Newcomer Settlement Program CFP. Can I attach that form? A. No. The Organization Risk Assessment form used in the Newcomer Settlement Program CFP is not the same as the one used in this CFP. 65. Q. I completed an Organization Risk Assessment form for a proposal I submitted to the Ontario Bridge Training Program CFP for new pilot proposals. Can I attach that form? A. Yes. You can attach the same form. 66. Q. Should we attach documents to demonstrate compliance with the requirements in the Organization Risk Assessment attachment? A. If the document is available online, please provide a link to the document, along with reference to a specific page number/section. If the document is not available online, you can attach a document, but please provide a reference to the specific page/section of the document that relates to your response. The Applicant is responsible for ensuring that any links and references to specific page number/section are correct. 67. Q. Do all Applicants have to complete the Supplementary Attachment Application Form Organization Risk Assessment? Some of the questions are not applicable to our organization. A. Yes, all Applicants must complete the Organization Risk Assessment, responding to each question to the best of their ability. If an Applicant believes a question is not applicable, it must provide a clear explanation. 68. Q. What documents do I need to attach to demonstrate that I meet MCI s standards in the Supplementary Attachment Application Form Organization Risk Assessment? A. MCI requires Applicants to attach the following documents to demonstrate that Applicants meet MCI s standards in the Organization Risk Assessment: Proof of organization status (e.g., letters patent, certificate of incorporation, letters pleading) Most recent Annual Report Most recent audited financial statements
List of current Board of Directors Additionally, Applicants may find it useful/appropriate to attach: Operating budget Organizational chart Job descriptions Relevant organizational policies and procedures Strategic Plan Supplementary Attachment Form Declaration of Conflict of Interest 69. Q. Do I need to attach a Declaration of Conflict of Interest form to every proposal? A. Yes. 70. Q. Can I use the same Declaration of Conflict of Interest form for multiple proposals? A. The Declaration of Conflict of Interest form is intended to highlight any potential conflicts of interest for the Applicant, or any of its respective advisors, partners, members, directors, officers, employees, agents and volunteers. Applicants submitting multiple proposals may have involved different individuals in preparing proposals. In the event that there are no conflicts of interest, or the same conflicts of interest across multiple proposals, the same Declaration of Conflict of Interest form may be attached to each proposal. Proposal Evaluation and Scoring 71. Q. What criteria will be used to score the proposals? A. All proposals will be scored against criteria specific to the category under which they have applied. These criteria are outlined in the Submission and Evaluation Criteria section of the Application Guide. 72. Q. How will the proposals be weighted and scored? A. All proposals will be scored against criteria specific to the category under which they have applied. These criteria are outlined in the Submission and Evaluation Criteria section of the Application Guide. New Questions August 17 NO NEW QUESTIONS
New Questions August 31 NO NEW QUESTIONS New Questions September 14 73. Q. Are we required to provide partner letters for all current program partners, even if they have been partners for several years? A. Applicants must demonstrate confirmed involvement of all partners formally listed in the Application Form, even if they have been partners for several years. 74. Q. Are we required to use the annual salary ranges included in the Specific Employment Outcomes Snapshot? What do we do if we only have other broad salary ranges for an individual s outcomes in our records? A. Applicants are encouraged to use the annual salary ranges in the Specific Employment Outcomes Snapshot as much as possible. In the event that the data you have on an individual s salary range cannot be assigned to one of the existing ranges, you may enter the range you have.