Youth Innovations Test Grant

Three types of projects qualify for a Test grant. All project types must align with one Priority Outcome. Choose the type that most closely aligns with your project:

Pilot a new project idea

This type of project focuses on trying out a new idea that has the potential to make a positive impact on the lives of young people. For example:

• Start a new project that supports youth to learn a new skill.
• Create a space that honours youth wellbeing and creativity.
• Connect youth to knowledge of land, culture and language.
• Support youth to navigate systems (such as education, health, child welfare, justice). 
   

Research an issue or new concept

Choose this project type if your group wants to learn and understand more about a specific topic or issue. For example:

• Develop participatory research about an experience or issue youth face.
• Explore something new in your community that can be enhanced through technology.
• Discover how a new initiative may impact youth in your community.

Consider how your group will conduct the research, how much time this work will take, and how your group will share what you learn, for example through a research paper, report, website, or presentation.

Strategize around an issue affecting youth

This is an opportunity to bring youth together to discuss an issue and explore new approaches collectively with youth and community. For example:

• Understand an issue and its impact on your community.
• Discover who is already working on an issue, who is joining the conversation, and who might be left out.
• Develop some common goals or strategies to respond to the issue.
• Come up with next steps as a collective.

Priority Outcomes reflect the changes YOF is investing in. All approved projects must advance one of these outcomes through project activities. While many of the outcomes focus on key priority populations or experiences, we will prioritize Indigenous and Black youth as part of our commitments to addressing systemic barriers to economic and social wellbeing.

The one Priority Outcome your group chooses identifies the impact your project will have. 

List of Priority Outcomes

• Empowering girls and young women to lead, including women’s economic empowerment initiatives. 
• Supporting Indigenous, Black, and/or newcomer youth to enter the labour market and transition to sustainable career pathways. 
• Supporting youth in and/or leaving care and/or involved in the justice system to navigate and access resources for wellbeing.
  • Note: For this outcome, core group members can be up to 35 years old.
• Addressing racism and its impacts on youth in urban, rural and/or Northern communities. 
• Creating safe spaces for Indigenous and/or Black youth to build strong community and cultural connections.

How to choose a Priority Outcome

When choosing your Priority Outcome, think about:

• Why your group is doing this project.
• What difference your group hopes to make through this work.
• What change and impact your group plans to have on youth who engage in this project.  

As your group completes the first step of the application, you should align your answers to the Priority Outcome your project will achieve.

As your group completes your application, align your Test project with the primary beneficiaries named in the Priority Outcome you selected. We recognize that your beneficiaries may hold other identities and experiences that are critical to the design and delivery of your project. 

In your application, identify the primary beneficiaries of your project and their intersecting identities and lived experiences. Your core group members should share the identities and lived experiences of your beneficiaries.

List of primary beneficiaries

• Indigenous youth (First Nation, Métis, or Inuit)
  • When selecting Indigenous (First Nations, Métis or Inuit), beneficiaries can be from urban, rural and on reserve communities.
• Black youth   
• Racialized youth   
• Newcomer youth   
• Francophone youth   
• Girls and young women
• Two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex, asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) youth
• Youth living with disabilities and/or special needs between the ages of 12 to 29   
• Youth living with mental health needs and/or addictions between the ages of 12 to 29
• Youth living in rural, remote and/or Northern communities   
• Youth in conflict or at risk of being in conflict with the law   
• Youth in care or leaving care   
• Youth at-risk of dropping out or have dropped out of school
• Youth in low-income situations or from low-income families   
• Youth who are homeless or at risk of being homeless
• Youth who are not engaged and/or at risk of not being engaged with education, employment, and training programs

Prepare a clear Budget and ensure that the identified costs correspond with the deliverables and major activities of your Project Plan.

All costs funded must be eligible and directly attributable to the project. Ensure that budget amounts align with Project Plan activities. Familiarize yourself with the sample Project Plan and Budget.

Eligible budget categories

You can apply for funding to cover project costs across the following categories:

Staffing 

As you consider the roles and responsibilities of staff, ensure you include livable wages to support your program delivery (with considerations for Mandatory Employee Required Costs (MERC) of 20%).

• Full Time Staff (35 hours or more per week)
• Part Time Staff (less than 35 hours per week)

Project expenses 

• Transportation 
• Honorarium (to recognize the contributions of community leaders, elders and/or volunteers)
• Support Services (translation, interpretation, child-minding) 
• Project supplies and materials 
• Project equipment (rental or purchase) 
• Food (for program participants)
• Communications (website, promotions)
• Fees (for services delivered by experts, facilitators)

Required budget categories

The following costs are required for this grant:

• Administrative Support Costs (for Organizational Mentors): 15% of total budget.
• Capacity Building Costs: $2,000 to $4,000 per year. Learn more about eligible capacity building activities.
   

Ineligible costs

• Taxes, such as GST and HST, for which the Organizational Mentor is eligible for a tax rebate, and all other costs eligible for rebates.
• Capital infrastructure costs (renovations to space).
• Contingency costs.
• Costs related to political or religious activities.
• General or ongoing operating costs (unrelated to the project).
• Personal one-on-one professional services (including expenses related to direct therapy, counselling/ legal and/or accounting advice).
• Costs related to paying for participant groceries, household supplies, or equipment.
• Bursaries, scholarships, sponsorships or individual requests (including regranting funds to other projects or people).
• Fundraising campaigns.

Review all ineligible activities.

The Project Plan and Budget will not be assessed with the Expression of Interest. However, if your Expression of Interest is shortlisted, it will be reviewed by a Program Manager at the grant application stage. A Program Manager will contact you to share feedback on the Project Plan and Budget prior to the grant application deadline.

If your Expression of Interest is shortlisted, you’ll be invited to submit a grant application with an Organizational Mentor.

Group Eligibility

The eligibility of the group is reviewed and assessed as either eligible or not eligible. If the group does not meet requirements, their Expression of Interest will not proceed for a full review.  Assessment criteria includes:

• Core group members (including board members, where applicable) reflect the identities and experiences of the youth they are working with and for.
• The group operates as either youth-led group, youth-adult partnership or adult-led youth partnership.
• The application is complete and contains clear and detailed responses. 
• Young people, ages 12-25, and/or those living with disabilities, special needs, mental health needs and addictions (ages 12-29) are the clear and direct beneficiaries of the project. 
• The group exists independently of a larger organization (other not-for-profit), charitable organization or municipality, university, school, and/or hospital.
• The group is based in Ontario and the work will benefit youth in Ontario.
• The group has at least three core group members.
• More than 50% of core group members are at arm’s length relationship to each other. An ‘arm's length’ relationship means board members and group members are not married or related to each other, do not work as business partners or are otherwise in a relationship where interests may be compromised.
• Youth must make up more than 50% of the core group. 
• The group is not a registered charity.
• The Board of Directors table is complete with all active board members and all board members are included in the core group table (for registered not-for-profits only).
• The project complies with OTF Policies. 
• The group is in compliance with advocacy requirements of OTF’s Eligibility Policy. 
• The group is either an unincorporated group or an incorporated not-for-profit corporation, with independently managed revenues of $50,000 or less in either of the last two years.

People

Assessment weight: 40%

Strong Youth Leadership 

• The group demonstrates that collectively they have the right mix of knowledge, skills, and experience to deliver this project.
• Youth are meaningfully engaged at the leadership and program delivery level of the project.
• The group has connections to the issues and knowledge of the community they are looking to serve.

Strategy

Assessment weight: 60%

Setting the Context (Issue & idea)

• The group has fully and clearly described the idea they want to test or pilot the research they will conduct, or the strategy work they will lead.
• The need, issue or opportunity connects to systemic barriers that youth face.  
• The idea is an effective response to the need, issue or opportunity the group is addressing.  
• The idea responds well to the context and experiences of the young people that they are engaging through this project.

Potential for Impact (Idea & impact) 

• Youth are clear and direct beneficiaries of the project.
• The changes the group hopes to make can be achieved through their project idea. 
• The changes or impacts the group hopes to make align with their chosen Priority Outcome.