To apply to deliver the Community Bridge Fund, please complete this application form. For more information on how to complete the application, please see the application guide.
Community Bridge Fund - Background
Manitoba offers a series of income support programs for persons in financial need. Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) is an income support program that provides temporary financial assistance and person-centred supportive planning to Manitobans. As part of the ongoing transformation of EIA, innovative projects are being undertaken to provide services that modernize and improve the accessibility of the program.
Some Manitobans, despite being in financial need, face significant barriers that create challenges to enrolment on EIA, since the standard application process for EIA requires gathering financial information and attending a scheduled intake appointment.
In order to ensure that all Manitobans have prompt access to the essential supports they need, we are seeking expressions of interest (EOI) from community-based agencies to administer a pilot bridge program that will provide time-limited pre-enrollment financial benefits and assistance and navigation through the application and intake processes.
As part of the EOI selection process, preference will be given to organizations that are Indigenous-led.
Expressions of Interest
We are seeking a community-based agency or agencies to administer a pilot bridge program to provide immediate financial and navigational support to vulnerable persons facing barriers to EIA enrolment. Funding will be provided to hire outreach workers to administer the benefits and work directly with program applicants to support them in their application process. The agency is expected to deliver the services for a period of one year (12 months).
As the persons served by this pilot project represent a vulnerable population, often with emergency need, there is an expectation that community-based agency or agencies, are flexible with their service delivery strategy and are able to provide services at a range of locations (within Winnipeg) and hours.
Community agencies operating and providing services in Winnipeg are invited to apply to the EOI. Bridge funding is intended to support vulnerable individuals and families expected to meet eligibility requirements for EIA, but facing barriers to enrolment.
The successful agency or agencies will hire outreach workers to administer the pilot program, which includes the provision of financial benefits approximately equivalent to EIA benefits, and working directly with persons to support them throughout the application and intake processes.
Eligible Activities
Funding will be issued to eligible applicants whose proposals meet the criteria.
Eligible Costs
Financial benefits for program participants;
Salaries or wages for staff working on the proposed project;
Promotion of the project;
Administrative costs;
Equipment needed to deliver the services.
Ineligible Activities and Costs
Activities and costs that are not eligible under the EOI include:
activities that are not consistent with community outreach and navigational support for clients applying for EIA
deficit financing or reducing;
previously incurred costs;
emergency funds for organizations;
endowments;
sponsorships and/or fundraising campaigns;
project costs for other activities that are not specified in the application;
on-going operational costs unrelated to the proposed project;
funding to support unrelated activities and operations other than what is proposed.
The EOI will be accepting applications for a 10-week period from June 21, 2023 to August 31, 2023.
The pilot project has a budget of $255,000 available to cover salary and operational costs. Funds for financial assistance to program participants will be provided based on the number of participants and their household size and needs. The pilot project will run for a period of twelve (12) months.
be signed by an authorized organization representative;
be submitted via email to SPPS1@gov.mb.ca by August 31, 2023 at 11:59 pm CDT.
Although it is not required, organizations may choose to submit additional documents to support the proposed project.
Applications submitted to SPPS1@gov.mb.ca will receive confirmation of submission within five business days. All applications submitted by the deadline will be notified of a decision.
If you require an alternate format or have any other accommodation requests, please contact SPPS1@gov.mb.ca.
The assessment process for the applications will be conducted in two phases. All EOI applications received by the deadline will be reviewed and assessed to ensure all eligibility criteria has been met, and the application has been completed in full.
Phase 1 - Basic Eligibility Screening: All applications submitted will be reviewed to ensure they meet all basic eligibility requirements.
Phase 2 – Assessment process: Applications that have met all basic eligibility requirements will be assessed by a selection committee.
The selection committee will assess applications on the basis of the following categories:
Experience: The organizations demonstrate background, knowledge, expertise and capacity to deliver the proposed programming to EIA clients.
Project Activities: The project activities are consistent with community outreach and navigational support for clients applying for EIA
Project Outcomes: The measures of success meet the intended goals and outcomes. The project outcomes and outputs are clearly outlined.
Project Costs: The project costs have been clearly outlined and budget items align with EIA financial policies and support project activities. The project cost will be assessed based on the requested funds and the number of EIA clients served.
Preferences: As part of the EOI selection preferences will be applied to organizations that are Indigenous-led.
The department will provide communication to all applicants whether proposals are successful or unsuccessful.
Successful applications will receive a letter of approval and be invited for further consultation. Following approval, organizations will be required to review, and enter into a legal agreement with the province, which will include an outline of terms and conditions of the project.
Organizations that are selected to receive grants from the EOI will enter into an agreement with the Manitoba government and be subject to reporting requirements to ensure financial accountability. Reporting requirements will include but not be limited to:
Clearly defined purposes, deliverables and outcomes
Financial reporting requirements include a final financial report indicating expenses associated with the approved budget and project
Regular progress reports, including, narratives and updates on deliverables and outcomes.
To be considered for future funding, final reports must be submitted at project completion.
Proponents may amend their proposals prior to the submission deadline. To amend a proposal, the proponent must withdraw the previously submitted proposal and submit the amended proposal in accordance with the instructions set out above. The amended proposal must be submitted in its entirety on or before the submission deadline.
At any time throughout the EOI process until the execution of a written agreement for provision of deliverables, a proponent may withdraw a submitted proposal. To withdraw a proposal, a notice of withdrawal must be sent by email to SPPS1@gov.mb.ca and must be signed by an authorized representative of the proponent.
Information session #1
Date: June 28, 2023
Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: Microsoft Teams
Register: SPPS1@gov.mb.ca
Information session #2
Date: July 6, 2023
Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: Microsoft Teams
Register: SPPS1@gov.mb.ca
Information session #3
Date: July 11, 2023
Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: Microsoft Teams
Register: SPPS1@gov.mb.ca
Information session #4
Date: July 25, 2023
Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: Microsoft Teams
Register: SPPS1@gov.mb.ca
Information session #5
Date: July 28, 2023
Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: Microsoft Teams
Register: SPPS1@gov.mb.ca
Information session #6
Date: August 1, 2023
Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: Microsoft Teams
Register: SPPS1@gov.mb.ca
