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
• Two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex, asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) youth*
• Girls and young women
• Youth living with disabilities or special needs 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 in low-income situations or from low-income families
• Youth who are homeless or at risk of being homeless
• Youth at-risk of dropping out or have dropped out of school*
• Youth living with mental health needs and/or addictions between the ages of 12 to 29
• Youth who are not engaged and/or at risk of not being engaged with education, employment and training programs

* In addition to prioritizing Black and Indigenous grassroots groups and youth, YOF prioritizes investing in projects that positively impact youth with these intersecting lived experiences or identities.

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.

Applicant does not fit with who we fund

The applicant does not meet the led by and for model 

Projects must be led by people who share identities, experiences, and face the same systemic barriers as the people who will benefit from the project. This “led by and for” principle is a requirement in all YOF funding streams.

When applicants do not meet these requirements, the application will not proceed to a full review. 

The group is a part of a larger organization 

Applicants who are part of a registered not for profit organization, charitable organization, business or a municipality, university, school, and/or hospital are not eligible funding. 

Eligible groups include: 

• A grassroots group that is not registered as a charity or as an incorporated not-for-profit. 
• An organization incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation without share capital in a Canadian jurisdiction.
  • The organization cannot have more than $50,000 in gross revenue in each of the last two fiscal years. Revenue also needs to be independently managed. 

When applicants do not meet these requirements, the application will not proceed to a full review. Larger organizations can explore OTF’s Community Investment Grants.

Applications are incomplete

It is important that all aspects of the application are complete. Incomplete applications will not proceed for a full review and will not be eligible for funding. Commonly missed sections include: 

• Board of Directors Table: Active board members are missing or the listed board members are no longer active directors.
• Core Group Table: Board members or other group members are missing, or information is missing for the people listed.
• Groups that are registered non-profits: Incorporation number is missing or omitted from the application.

Applicants do not have the right skills and experience for the project

Scale grant applications

Applicants must have the following:

• Experience delivering consistent core activities for 2 or more years.
• A history of working together to benefit primary beneficiaries. 

Test grant applications

Applicants can be newly formed groups and must have the following: 

• The group demonstrates that collectively they have the right mix of knowledge, skills, and experience to deliver this project.
• The group has connections to the issues and knowledge of the community they are looking to serve. 

A common mistake is that groups apply for a grant without demonstrating that they are ready to deliver the project they are applying funding for. 

When applicants do not meet these project requirements, the application will be declined.

Projects do not serve the right primary beneficiaries

Projects must be designed for the primary beneficiaries associated with the grant stream. 

Family Innovations grants 

Projects must be led by parents, guardians and caregivers and must benefit parents, guardians and caregivers directly. Often, applications for projects coming in for a Family Innovations grant will benefit youth, children, or a mix, instead of primarily parents, guardians and caregivers. 

Youth Innovations grants 

Projects must be delivered by a youth-led group or a youth-adult partnership. They must serve youth, aged 12 to 25, or 12 to 29 for youth living with special needs and/or disabilities, mental health needs and/or addictions. 

Please read more about eligible leadership structures for Youth Innovations Test grants and eligible leadership structures for Youth Innovations Scale grants. 

When projects are not designed to benefit the right primary beneficiaries associated with the grant stream, the application will be declined.

Incomplete or incorrect budget and project plan

The budget and project plan are critical pieces to every application. It shows how grant funds will be used and ensures funds are used effectively. There are a number of common mistakes related to the budget and project plan. 

Ineligible expenses 

Budgets often include expenses that are ineligible for funding. The most common ineligible expenses submitted are:

• Personal one-one professional services (including expenses related to direct therapy, counselling/ legal and/or accounting advice)
• Bursaries, scholarships, sponsorships or individual requests (including regranting funds to other projects or people)
• Investments in large capital items like building, housing and renovations. 

Ineligible activities 

All project activities must be eligible for funding and aim to advance the selected Priority Outcome. Applicants often include the following ineligible activities: 

• Health care related activities, such as providing direct medical therapy
• Programming that is designed to provide loans, scholarships or direct money to participants (flow through funding)
• Access to professional services like legal supports, accounting/finance,
• Developing housing and/or investing in capital infrastructure  

Budget items are not aligned to the Project Plan and requested term 

Applicants need to clearly explain how their budget items are connected to their project and Project Plan. Applicants often forget to include: 

• Clear cost breakdowns for each budget item.
• Appropriate and reasonable costs for the activities outlined in the Project Plan.
• A Budget and Project Plan that correspond to their requested term.
• Activities and milestones clearly identified in the Project Plan, and with adequate details. 

When Budgets do not meet requirements, and are not aligned with the Project Plan, the application will be declined.