Youth Innovations Scale grant - Expression of Interest

If your Expression of Interest is shortlisted, your group will be invited to submit the Grant Application with an Organizational Mentor. You will be able to update certain questions at the grant application stage – and those questions are noted below.

On this page

• Tab 1: Type of Grant
• Tab 2: Group Profile
• Tab 3: Project Leaders
• Tab 4: Project Idea
• Tab 5: Project Impact
• Tab 6: Process
• Tab 7: Organizational Mentor (OM) Information
• Tab 8: Group Acknowledgements

Tab 1: Type of Grant

If your Expression of Interest is shortlisted, you will not be able to change or update your responses in this section of the grant application.

Question 1. The Youth Innovations Stream has two different types of grants. Each grant type has a different purpose and eligibility criteria. Which grant type are you interested in? 

• Youth Innovations Test grant 
• Youth Innovations Scale grant 

Project Type 

Question 2. How will you scale this project? Select one.

• Enhance the quality of youth experiences to deepen the impact of a current project.
• Expand a current project to impact more youth.

Question 3. Has your group delivered core project activities for at least two years? Yes/No 

If "No" is selected: Scale grants are for groups that have already delivered core project activities over a two-year period. This means the group has experience delivering work together and all core activities have already been implemented for at least two years. This ensures that there is a solid foundation in place to scale the project. Your group may be eligible for a Test grant if this is a new idea or if you are in the early stages of delivering work in your community.

Tab 2: Group Profile

If your Expression of Interest is shortlisted, you will not be able to change or update your responses in this section of the grant application.

Group Name and Contact Information

Question 4. Enter the contact information for your  group:

• Group name, city, province, postal code, phone and email 

Question 5. Enter the contact information for your primary contact:

• Contact name, phone number and email 

Question 6. Enter the contact information for your secondary contact:

• Contact name, phone number and email 

Question 7. Is the primary contact for the group and writer of this Expression of Interest between the ages of 12-29 years? Yes/No

If "No" is selected:

• As an adult (30+ years), describe your role in the application process and proposed project.
• Describe the role of young people in the application process and proposed project.
• If an adult is currently playing a more active role, describe how leadership for the project will transition over time.

Online Presence

Question 8. If your group is active on social media, provide the social media platforms (e.g. Facebook, Instagram etc.) and handles you operate under.

Group Structure

Question 9. Select the organization type that best describes your organization/group. (Check only one)  

• 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 (this includes a Chartered Community Council, operating under the Métis Nation of Ontario, or Inuit communities that are registered as not-for-profit corporations without share capital in Canada) 
• A First Nation

If "unincorporated grassroots group" is selected:

• What year did your group form?  

If "incorporated" is selected:

• Provide your Incorporation number.
• Provide your year of Incorporation.
• As an incorporated not-for-profit, have you independently managed more than $50,000 in either of the last two years with no administrative support from an Organizational Mentor, platform, trustee and/or charitable organization? Yes/No

If "incorporated" and "managed own funds" are selected:

• How much funding did you manage in total in the last fiscal year?
• How much funding did you manage independently, without administrative oversight of a trustee or organizational mentor in the last fiscal year?
• How much funding did you manage independently in the fiscal year before last?

If "incorporated" and "managed own funds" are selected:

Board of Directors

• Provide your complete current board list including their name, term start and end date, position and arm’s length information. The term end dates for board members must be on or after the grant application deadline date. Ensure that your complete list of board members are included in your core group table.
   

Group Experience

Question 10. Tell us about how and why your group was formed and your connections to community. (300 words max.)

Question 11. Has your group or individuals in your group received funding in the last five years? Include funds received from current or past YOF grants. Yes/No

If "Yes" is selected: List the year, the source and the amount.

Tab 3: Project Leaders

Question 12. Your core group members are or have experience with: (Check all that apply)

• Indigenous
  • First Nations
  • Métis
  • Inuit
• Black
• Racialized
• Newcomer
• Francophone
• Girls and/or women
• Two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex, asexual (2SLGBTQIA+)
• Living with disabilities and/or special needs
• Living with mental health needs and/or addictions
• The justice system (have been in conflict with the law or are vulnerable to being in conflict with the law)
• Child welfare (in care, leaving care, or transitioned out)
• Not having enough money to meet basic needs (low-income)
• Homeless or at risk of being homeless
• The education system (dropped out of school or vulnerable to dropping out)
• Living in rural or remote communities
• Not engaged with education, employment and training programs (NEET)
• None of the above

If "Black" is selected: Is your group Black-led? Yes/No

If "Indigenous" is selected: Is your group Indigenous-led? Yes/No

Core Group Table

Question 13. Complete the Core Group Table.

A core group member is someone who is playing or will play an active role in decision making and planning for your group, including delivery of project activities, project administration, etc.

Open the table and complete every column for every member of your core group.

• Describe the different roles and responsibilities people play
• List the knowledge, lived experience, and skills they bring
• If your group is an incorporated not-for-profit, you must include your board members in the core group table.

Arm’s length

To be eligible for funding, at least 50% of your core group members must maintain an arm’s length relationship to each other. If you are registered as a not-for-profit, this includes your board members.

An ‘arm's length’ relationship means core group members and organization executives 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.

For each core group member, you will be asked the following questions: 

• Name
• Email
• Select the age category that best aligns with this person:
  • 29 and under
  • 30 to 35
  • 36 and older
• Are they at arm’s-length to all members? Yes/No
  • If "No" is selected: Define the relationship between members
• How long has this person been part of the grassroots group and what is their role? If your group is new, what role do you expect them to play in the group? 200 words max.
  • For example: This person first became involved with the group in 2022 as the Volunteer Relations and Member Services staff. They will oversee and coordinate the volunteers who will be part of the support circles and training workshops. They will recruit volunteers to be mentors and workshop facilitators. They will also guide them to our group and project. This person will work part-time (7 hours per week on average)
• To the degree that you are comfortable and able, share lived experiences and knowledge that they bring that are relevant to this project. 200 words max.
  • For example: They are the founding member of the organization and have focused on recruiting and orienting our new members. This person lived in the community their whole life and is a mentor to other young Black women starting high school. This was something they didn’t have growing up and wished they did.  That's why they created this group for Black young women.
• Share professional/ volunteer experience and skills that are relevant to this project. 200 words max.
  • For Example: Leading our group and organizing the support circles and training workshops helped this person stay organized and learn how to network. They grew the membership of our group to 5 people in the first 3 months. They recruit and train volunteers through their volunteer work at their local community centre (past 4 years). They have strong administrative skills through their day job (use Excel to manage program data and office budget). 

Tab 4: Project Idea

Describing the Issue and Idea

Question 14. Describe the project your group currently delivers. Describe all core activities. (350 words max.)

Question 15. Tell us how you plan to scale the project from its current form. Be specific and clear in describing the changes you will make to your current model to either enhance or expand the project from its current form. (350 words max.)

Question 16. What issues is your group trying to address through this project? How are the communities you are trying to reach impacted by the issues? (350 words max.)

Project Location

Question 17. Where will project activities take place? (Check only one)

• In the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
• Outside the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
• In both the GTA and outside of the GTA

Question 18. In which OTF catchment area will your project have the greatest impact? (Check all that apply)

Question 20. Select the community size that is the primary focus of your project. Check only one. 

• Rural or Small Communities (20,000 or less)
• Mid-size Communities (20,001 - 100,000)
• Urban Centres and Metropolitan Suburbs (over 100,000)

Upload Supporting Documents

Question 21. Upload pictures or documents (optional).

Tab 5: Project Impact

Describing the Outcome and Beneficiaries

Question 22. Select the YOF Priority Outcome that most aligns with the change you want to make through this project. (Check only one)

• 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
• 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

Question 23. Identify the population(s) that are the primary beneficiaries of your project using the list below. Your primary beneficiaries are your “YOF Youth”. (Check at least one)

• Indigenous youth
  • First Nations youth
  • Métis youth
  • Inuit youth
• Black youth
• Racialized youth
• Newcomer youth
• Francophone youth
• Girls and/or women
• Two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex, asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) youth
• 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
• 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 (NEET)

Question 24. Select the age range of youth who will participate in your project activities. (Check at least one)

• 12 to 14 years
• 15 to 19 years
• 20 to 25 years
• 12 to 29 years for youth living with special needs
• 12 to 29 years for youth living with mental health needs and/or addictions

Question 25. Tell us more about the young people your group will engage through this project. What are their lived experiences? hat are they navigating in their communities and lives? (300 words max.)

Question 26. Looking back on your past experience delivering this project, tell us about the positive benefits this project has had on specific YOF youth. What changes did you observe, hear about, or learn through surveys, written feedback, sharing circles and/or arts-based methods? (350 words max.)

Question 27. How does your group currently reach and engage your selected youth in your project? (300 words max.)

Describing the Impact

Question 28. What are the most important changes you expect to see in your selected primary beneficiaries? Focus on sharing changes that can be achieved through your project activities. Identify a minimum of three changes, up to a maximum of six. (50 words max. for each change)

Question 29. How many youth do you expect to directly impact through the life of your grant?

Tab 6: Process

Request Term

Question 30. What is the request term? (Check only one)

• 2 years
• 3 years

Project Plan and Budget

Please build your Project Plan and Budget with the following start date in mind: November 1, 2025

Question 31. Complete the Project Plan.

Question 32. Complete the Budget.

Based on your completed Budget, you are requesting xx. This number auto-populates based on the information submitted in the Budget.

Tab 7: Organizational Mentor (OM) Information

Question 33. Has your group identified an Organizational Mentor for this project? Yes/No

If "No" is selected: Do you need information or support to find Organizational Mentor? Yes/No

If "Yes" is selected: What is the name and contact information of the organization that has agreed to be your Organizational Mentor?

• Organization Name
• Contact Name and Position
• Telephone
• Email

Tab 8: Group Acknowledgements

• We acknowledge that the majority of our core group members share identities and experiences with the youth we want to engage through this project.
• We acknowledge that our core group has at least three core members.
• We acknowledge that more than 50% of our core group members, including our board if our group is incorporated as a not-for-profit, are at an arm’s length relationship to each other.
• We acknowledge that all project activities will take place in Ontario.
• If our project is approved for funding, our group agrees to participate in YOF-led capacity building activities.
• If our project is approved for funding, our group agrees to participate with the Organizational Mentor named in the Organizational Mentor-Grassroots Group Collaborative Agreement submitted with this application.
• If our project is approved for funding, our group agrees to work with an Organizational Mentor.
• The information contained in this application and the accompanying documents is true, accurate and complete.