The 2012-2013 Healthy Communities Fund (HCF) Grant Program will be jointly administered by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the newly formed Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Now in its fourth year of operation, the HCF Grant Program will continue to create opportunities for under-served and disadvantaged persons who do not have equitable access to health promotion programming in their communities. The Program will provide non-capital, project-based seed funding to organizations for the delivery of integrated health promotion programming where it is needed most in Ontario, while facilitating partnerships between multiple sectors and networks working to promote health.

Interested applicants should read the 2012-2013 HCF Program Guidelines and consult with a Ministry Program Coordinator at the earliest possible opportunity to learn more about the new funding criteria and new online application processes. The Guidelines are available on the HCF web page at www.ontario.ca/healthycommunities.

See below for a synopsis of the new online registration and application process.

STATEMENT OF INTEREST

Organizations interested in HCF provincial funding must follow a two-phase application process. The first phase involves a Statement of Interest (SOI) which must be submitted via email to HCFProvincialGrants [at] ontario [dot] ca by 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on Monday, February 13, 2012.

To begin developing your SOI, please consult with a Ministry Program Coordinator and download the SOI form and Program Guidelines now available at www.ontario.ca/healthycommunities. All SOI submissions will be reviewed for eligibility and alignment with HCF funding criteria. Projects selected to proceed to the second phase will be contacted and invited to submit a full-length application.

NEW ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE SECOND PHASE

In 2012, full-length provincial HCF applications will be submitted electronically as part of a new Government of Ontario initiative called Grants Ontario.

All applicants must complete a one-time, two-step enrolment process to access the Grants Ontario System. Please allow at least four (4) business days for the enrolment process to take effect. Once enrolled, applicants can access the Grants Ontario System instantly upon log-in.

Applicants should visit the HCF web page at www.ontario.ca/healthycommunities as soon as possible to view enrolment instructions and the enrolment web link. Please be reminded this process takes at least four days to complete, we encourage you to enrol early to avoid any potential delays in submitting online applications.

ABOUT GRANTS ONTARIO

Grants Ontario will provide two online services, the Grants Ontario web portal and Grants Ontario System, giving Ontarians a one-window access point to grants provided by multiple ministries. The Grants Ontario web portal will inform Ontarians about what grants are available to them, and how to apply for those grants. The secure Grants Ontario System allows online application preparation, submission, status updating and other features to ensure seamless interaction between grant applicants and the Government of Ontario.

Grants Ontario supports the findings of the 2011 Partnership Project Report (http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/keyinitiatives/partnership/part_project.pdf) where non-profit organizations asked the government to ‘…institute standardized application forms, timelines accountability and reporting requirements across ministries and moving as much as possible on-line.’