Enhanced Road Safety Transfer Payment Program project proposal template (2021 to 2022)

In this project proposal and evaluation phase, we will evaluate the strength and merit of your proposal, to prioritize and allocate federal funding under this program to activities that demonstrate strong support of the ERSTPP's objectives. It is important to note that only the information that you give us in the application/proposal will be used to evaluate the projects. Your project proposal should include page numbers for ease of reference.

Please follow the project proposal template indicated here:

On this page

1. Title of project
2. Executive summary
3. Applicant organization
   1. 3.1 Full legal name of the applicant organization
   2. 3.2 Name and position of the primary contact(s) for applicant organization
   3. 3.3 Mailing address, telephone number, and email address
   4. 3.4 Type of organization
   5. 3.5 Organizational structure and governance
   6. 3.6 History of the organization
   7. 3.7 Mandate of the organization
   8. 3.8 Organizational activities
4. Project team
   1. 4.1 Project manager
   2. 4.2 Project manager qualifications
5. Declarations
   1. 5.1 Conflict of interest
   2. 5.2 Declarations
6. Project description
   1. 6.1 Project objectives and goals
   2. 6.2 Location of project delivery
   3. 6.3 Proposed start and completion dates
   4. 6.4 Major activities for the project
   5. 6.5 Project work plan
   6. 6.6 Project budget
   7. 6.7 Partners and contributions
   8. 6.8 Project risks
7. Performance measurement strategy
   1. 7.1 Output/outcome monitoring
   2. 7.2 Methodology of measurement
8. Communication plan
9. Letters of financial support
10. Legal documentation of applicant Organization
11. Required annexes
12. Sample tables
    1. 12.1 Planned schedule
    2. 12.2 Risk assessment and mitigation measures
    3. 12.3 Output/outcome monitoring
    4. 12.4 Project cashflow forecast
13. Funding agreements
    1. 13.1 Risk-based funding agreements
    2. 13.2 Other reporting requirements - performance reporting
    3. 13.3 Other funding agreement clauses
14. Eligible and ineligible costs
    1. 14.1 Eligible costs
    2. 14.2 Ineligible costs

1. Title of project

The title should be short but descriptive.

2. Executive summary

The executive summary should explain the main elements of the project proposal, such as:

• A short description of the project including:
  • Project location,
  • Project scope,
  • Major activities, and
  • Timelines.
• The total project:
  • Cost,
  • Total eligible and ineligible costs,
  • Total federal funding amount requested under ERSTPP, and
  • All sources of funding for the project including the contributions made by other parties.
• A summary of the primary project objectives, briefly explaining how they align with the ERSTPP program objectives; and
• A brief outline of the performance indicators that would be used to assess success in meeting both the project and ERSTPP program objectives. You may use your own template, but we have provided a link to the Government of Canada's Performance Measurement Strategy Framework as an example.

3. Applicant organization

3.1 Full legal name and legal status of your organization

3.2 Name and position of the primary contact(s) for your organization who is authorized to advise or make decisions and representations on the project

Such as president, treasurer, project manager, etc.

3.3 Mailing address, telephone number, and email address

3.4 Type of organization

Type of organization in accordance with the listing identified in of the Applicant's Guide.

3.5 Organizational structure and governance

Short explanation of your organization's structure and governance.

3.6 History of the organization

An overview of your organization's history.

3.7 Mandate of the organization

A presentation of your organization's charter, mandate, strategic plans, and other relevant information related to the objectives of the ERSTPP.

3.8 Organizational activities

A brief description of what the usual activities are for your organization. If your organization has prior experience with similar government funding programs, include this information in this section.

4. Project team

4.1 Project manager

The name of the designated project manager and, as applicable, the project team with all the necessary contact information (including the name, position title, mailing address, telephone number, email address).

4.2 Project manager qualifications

Evidence to support the project manager's qualifications and experience to manage, and carry out the project on behalf of your organization. Please provide a detailed CV for the Project Manager in Annex A which will be used to validate what is listed in Section 4.2.

5. Declarations

5.1 Conflict of interest

5.2 Declarations

*Applicants may add additional rows if required*

6. Project description

6.1 Project objectives and goals

In the project proposal, you have to clearly describe the project's objectives in relation to the eligibility assessment criteria. This means identifying how the project aligns with the ERSTPP's objectives. For a description of the objectives, check the Applicant's Guide.

You also have to identify the project categories (PC) that the proposal addresses. For project categories, check the Applicant's Guide.

Please explicitly indicate which project categories (PCs) and which project target groups (PTGs) your proposal addresses. This section is very important because we will use it during the screening process to determine if proposals meet the eligibility assessment criteria.

6.2 Location of project delivery

In this section, you must clearly identify the areas/locations to be covered by the project activities, whether on an international, national, regional, provincial, or local basis. The location is not usually the head office of your organization, unless the project concerns strictly quantitative/statistical analysis.

6.3 Proposed start and completion dates

The start and completion dates for the project include all work to prepare for the project, material production, the actual project delivery, and any follow-up activities such as information analysis and reporting.

6.4 Major activities for the project

In this section you have to explain the major activities of the project. This section will significantly influence the assessment of the project's relative merits under consideration against all other project proposals (Applicant's Guide).

You should present the project in terms of major activities and include a clear illustration of how these activities will contribute to the overall outcomes of the project.

Please list your major activities under this section. In addition, please ensure that you show how each component of the activity aligns with the eligible costs as listed in the project budget.

You must include the budget and cash flow template (refer to Annex B) as part of this proposal.

6.5 Project work plan

In the project work plan, you have to clearly outline the planned schedule, including key activities timelines.

You can present the project work plan using project management software such as MS Project, MS Excel spreadsheets, or other similar software.

We've included a sample table for the project work plan in Section 12.1 at the end of this document.

6.6 Project budget

You must include the following budget information in your proposal:

• Total project costs (refer to s. 12.4 Project cash flow forecast for the following detailed project cost information):
  • Total eligible project costs;
  • Total project contributions from all organizations, including other federal funding programs; and
  • Cost breakdown by fiscal year (if a multi-year project).
• Cost breakdown by project activity per fiscal year; and
• A statement that your organization will be responsible for all cost overruns.

You have to show that your organization has enough up-front funding to carry out the proposed project. You have to confirm partner organizations' financial support in writing, and attach this confirmation to the proposal. The ERSTPP makes no advance payments.

6.7 Partners and contributions

In this section, you should describe any partners involved in the proposed project initiative and what they can contribute to the project. The information should include the partner organization's legal name, address, point of contact, and what they are contributing to the project, either monetarily or in-kind.
You also have to clearly show contributions to the project in the budget.

See the budget and cash flow template for details. You have to include a budget and cash flow as part of your proposal.

6.8 Project risks

In your proposal, you have to include an overview of the project risks, the significance of their impact and likelihood, and the mitigation measures/strategies that you plan to adopt.

• Risks are uncertainties or constraints that may impact project completion within the proposed scope, timelines, and budget. They often include short construction seasons, delayed permits or materials, lack of participation, etc. You have to clearly show the implications to the schedule if approval dates are delayed.
• Mitigation measures are the planning and management activities that you will undertake during the project to avoid these risks and reduce their consequences or impact on the project.

We've included a sample table for the project risks in Section 12.2 at the end of this document.

We encourage you to complete a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis. This analysis is not mandatory, and will not be used for evaluation in the ERSTPP.

7. Performance measurement strategy

7.1 Output/outcome monitoring

For each expected project outcome or output, you have to identify:

• • Indicators,
  • Target,
  • Data sources, and
  • Data collection frequency.

We've included a sample table for the project output/outcome monitoring in Section 12.3 at the end of this document.

7.2 Methodology of measurement

In this section you have to describe the methods that you will use to measure the achievements of the goals and objectives of the project.

8. Communication plan

Any project application that falls under Program Category 4: "Support outreach activities, communication, cooperation, and collaboration among all road safety stakeholders" requires a detailed communication plan with the following details, where applicable:

1. Method of information dissemination (e.g., internet, mail-outs, newspaper advertisement workshops, etc.);
2. How the web site will be promoted and maintained if the Internet is the main method for sharing information;
3. Expected target audience; and
4. Expected outreach (e.g., number of web site users, recipients of mail-out materials, number of participants at a workshop, etc.).

9. Letters of financial support

You have to confirm the financial support of partner organizations in writing and attach appropriate substantiating documentation. Include this information in your proposal.

10. Legal documentation of applicant organization

You have to give us copies of legal documentation establishing or constituting your organization as an entity (e.g., Letters Patent, Articles and Certificate of incorporation, or other legal instruments). This is not a requirement for provincial/territorial applicants.

11. Required annexes

1. Annex A – Evidence to support project manager's credentials (e.g. resume);
2. Annex B – Project budget and cash flow (We've included a sample table for the project cashflow in Section 12.4).

12. Sample tables

We recommend that you copy and paste these tables into your project proposal.

Planned schedule

Table 1 - Planned schedule

Serial	Stage/phases and major activities	Description	Start date	End date
1	Stage 1	Planning and preparation
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
2	Stage 2	Project delivery
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7

12.2 Risk assessment and mitigation measures

Table 2 - Risk assessment and mitigation measure

Risk	Mitigation measures
Typical project risks with almost any project are lack of funds, lack of time, lack of resources, lack of participation, inadequate or untimely materials, etc.	Mitigation measures are deliberate project planning activities that will be undertaken in the course of the project to ensure that the risk is avoided, and the consequences or the impact on the project are reduced.

12.3 Output/outcome monitoring

Table 3 - Output/outcome monitoring

Outcome/output	Performance indicator	Performance target	Source of data	Data collection frequency

12.4 Project cashflow forecast:

Table 4 - Project expenditure breakdown example

Project expenditures	Fiscal Year (April 1 - March 31)
	2021-2022	2022-2023	Total
A - Eligible expenditures by fiscal year
A1 - Eligible expenditure (e.g. Staff salaries and benefits)	-	-	-
A2 - Eligible expenditure (e.g. Professional fees)	-	-	-
A3 - Eligible expenditure (e.g. Purchase & lease of equipment, software, data, etc)	-	-	-
Total A: Eligible expenditures:	-	-	$ Total A
B - Ineligible expenditures by fiscal year
Total B: Ineligible expenditures:	-	-	$ Total B
Total project expenditures (eligible + ineligible)	-	-	$ Total A + Total B

Please refer to Section 14 for eligible and ineligible expenditures.

Table 5 - Sources of funding by fiscal year

Sources of funding	Fiscal Year (April 1 - March 31)
	2021-2022	2022-2023	Total
C - Funding source for eligible expenditures
C1 - Federal (ERSTPP) contributionFootnote *	-	-	-
C2 - Applicant	-	-	-
C3 - Third-Party funding - Cash	-	-	-
C4 - Third-Party funding – In-kind contribution	-	-	-
Total C: Eligible expenditures:	-	-	$ Total C
D - Funding source for ineligible expenditures
D1 - Applicant	-	-	-
D2 - Any other sources of project funding (specify each)	-	-	-
Total D: Ineligible expenditures:	-	-	$ Total D
Total project expenditures (eligible + ineligible)	-	-	$ Total C + Total D

Table 6: Reimbursable expenditures

Project expenditures	Fiscal Year (April 1 - March 31)
	2021-2022	2022-2023	Total
Total eligible expenditures (Total A)	-	-	-
Total contributions from third parties (C3 + C4)	-	-	-
Reimbursable expenditures = (Total eligible expenditures – Total contributions from third parties)	-	-	-

13. Funding agreements

If we approve a project for funding, we will issue an approval-in-principle letter. Then we will give you a draft Contribution Agreement (CA) outlining the terms and conditions of the project funding under ERSTPP.

As our approval of the project is based on the details provided in the application, the Contribution Agreement will be drafted based on the scope of work and funding requested in the application, and we will work with successful applicants to make sure that the project is appropriately described in the CA. The following sections highlight some of the key areas of this legal document.

Project scope and agreement

Your proposal will form the foundation to define the project scope, mandatory legal documentation, clauses, terms and conditions, performance measurements and payment structure which are included in the funding agreement. Once the funding agreement is signed, no change to the scope of the project (including budget, structure, timelines, etc.) is possible without written agreement between the recipient and TC.

It is very important that you clearly define the scope of the project in the application because you will be responsible for:

• Completing the project according to the defined scope within the timelines set in the application;
• Covering any cost overruns above the budget identified in the application; and
• Covering all costs associated with work performed outside the approved scope of a project.

Additionally, if you don't complete the project in accordance with the approved scope of work, we will reduce the amount of our contribution. The amount that we reduce our contribution will depend on the degree that you fail to follow the scope of the project outlined in the CA.

Risk-based funding agreements

We will conduct a risk assessment of all approved projects before signing a funding agreement. This ensures that funding agreement requirements correspond to the project's risk levels, and that your organization has the capacity to deliver the expected results. The project risk assessment will determine:

• How often you must report project progress;
• Financial documentation you have to submit with payment claims;
• How often we will make site visits with and/or contact you; and
• Audit requirements.

The risk assessment will be based on, but not limited to, the information that you provided in your project proposal.

Financial claims

You have to submit claims for reimbursement of costs incurred at specific intervals, at a minimum of a semi-annual or annual basis. You can only submit claims for reimbursement of costs incurred that are identified in the funding agreement. We will give you templates that reflect the eligible expenses as indicated in the funding agreement. You will also be required to submit a list of invoices with each claim.

We will establish reporting requirements for claims in the funding agreement. This may include providing financial claims, list of invoices, progress reports, annual reports, and a final report, among other elements.

Progress reports

You have to submit progress reports quarterly or semi-annually (or annually for multi-year agreements), as identified in the funding agreement. Progress reports will identify the progress achieved during the reporting period and accompany financial claims.

This report will include, but may not be limited to, the following:

• A detailed description of the project's progress and major achievements during the year, and an update on how the project is moving forward and how it relates to initial objectives and final results;
• Updated data on performance indicators listed in the funding agreement compared to the start of the project;
• Results from appropriate data collection processes, put in place to enable the capture and reporting of performance indicators used to measure the achievement of the project's outcomes;
• Annual reporting on the eligible costs that you incur, based on the breakdown of the eligible costs claimed, in accordance with the funding agreement budget;
• Highlights of project communications activities during the reporting period, if applicable; and
• Issues, areas of concern, or risk factors that may affect completion, the schedule, or the budget of the project as per original plans, and proposed mitigation strategies to correct any issues.

Final reports

When the project is complete, you have to submit a final claim for reimbursement along with a final report. The final report serves as a roll-up and verification of all project activities, costs, and outcomes. Under the funding agreement, we have to receive a final report before we pay out the final expense claim.

You will receive guidelines for the final report, which must include:

• A general description of the project's major achievements, including any changes to original activities and timelines;
• An overall assessment and analysis of the objectives met, outcomes achieved, and lessons learned;
• Updated data on performance indicators indicated in the funding agreement compared to the onset of the project and how they were used to measure the achievement of the project's outcomes;
• Copies of any promotional items produced during the project; and
• Any surveys, analyses, reports and/or research associated to the project.

Other reporting requirements - performance reporting

Contributions under the ERSTPP are subject to performance conditions specified in the CA. In order to receive federal ERSTPP funding, a Contribution Agreement must be signed by both the recipient and TC. The agreement will state the terms and conditions under which the Government of Canada will provide funding for the project.

We collect useful and accurate performance data that demonstrates results for Canadians. This is why collecting and reporting on meaningful data to assess progress against the desired outcomes is a key requirement of all funding agreements. We collect the data for the purpose of performance measurement and reporting to Canadians.

Other funding agreement clauses

Official languages

You have to respect the spirit and intent of the Official Languages Act when delivering a project funded under the ERSTPP. Linguistic requirements may apply to projects depending on their scope (national, regional, or local), or on the specificity of the regions and targeted audiences of projects. We will work with you to determine how this will apply to you project.

Intellectual property

While you will keep any intellectual property resulting from the work of the project, by submitting a proposal, you agree that we may:

• Summarize and publish information about findings that are not commercially sensitive, on our website and/or in hard-copy form, as information for the transportation sector and as guidance for future activities in the transportation sector;
• Use all information and material developed under the terms of the Contribution Agreement, except for commercially sensitive information and findings, during and after the terms of the agreement; and
• Share your proposal with the Canada Infrastructure Bank for further consideration.

Communications protocol

The Contribution Agreement may include a communications protocol, outlining requirements for joint communication activities, such as public information products, news releases, public announcements, other joint events, and official languages.

14. Eligible and ineligible costs

Eligible costs

Contributions will be made towards eligible costs directly related to eligible activities that, in the opinion of the Minister of Transport or his/her delegated representative, are reasonable and required to achieve the objectives and results of the program. Eligible Costs may include the following:

• Staff salaries and benefits paid to staff working on the project (e.g., wages; employer's portion of: Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan/Quebec Pension Plan, disability insurance, private insurance);
• Professional fees for contracted services (e.g., planning, design, telecommunications, engineering, architectural, surveying, project management);
• Public outreach or communication materials and associated activity costs, including printing, publication, distribution, and translation;
• Costs related to travel costs (including the cost of accommodations, vehicle rental and kilometric rates, bus, train, airplane, or taxi fares, allowances for meals and incidentals) as determined in the Travel Directive of the National Joint Council, available at the following link: http://www.njc-cnm.gc.ca/directive/d10;
• Training, including purchases or rentals related to training (e.g., brake testers);
• Computers/informatics;
• Rental/use and repair of equipment;
• Administrative costs up to 15 per cent of the total project costs (including accounting, audit, evaluation, general office administration costs, office equipment rental, insurance, utility costs, storage);
• Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance membership fees;
• Legislative/legal costs; and
• Other costs not included in the categories above, that have been approved by the Minister of Transport or his/her delegated representative in writing prior to being incurred, to achieve the objectives and results of the program.

We can only reimburse the costs that you incur after the funding agreement has been signed. Reasonably incurred costs after April 1, 2021 are eligible for reimbursement following the date of notice to the recipient of the Minister of Transport's approval-in-principle of funding proposal.

Eligible costs may include in-kind costs. In-kind costs may take the form of:

• Goods, services, or assets consumed by the recipient for which costs are incurred and no cash is exchanged; and
• Donations of goods, services, or assets to the recipient, for which no costs are incurred and no cash is exchanged.

While donations are eligible cash-equivalent costs that may form a portion of the total project cost, they will not be eligible for reimbursement as your organizations incurs no cost to obtain the good, service, or asset. However, donations may form part your share of the total Eligible Costs for a project.

Ineligible costs

Costs that are not eligible for funding include:

• The cost of purchasing land, buildings, and/or vehicles, including associated real estate and other fees;
• Travel outside of North America;
• Any cost associated with Provincial Sales Tax, Goods and Services Tax, and Harmonized Tax for which the recipient is eligible for a tax rebate, and any other costs eligible for rebates;
• Costs incurred before the funding approval date or after the final claim date;
• Financing charges and interest payments on loans; and
• Costs that have been reimbursed from other sources of funding, federal statutes or funding programs.