Rail Safety Improvement Program (RSIP) - Research & Education Component - Call for proposals 2024-2025 to 2025-2026

Launch: December 6, 2023
Deadline: January 24, 2024

Table of contents

• Project proposal template
  • 1 Cover page
  • 2 Executive summary
  • 3 Appicant information
    • 3.1 Applicant Organization
    • 3.2 Project team
  • 4 Project description
    • 4.1 Project Objectives (Education & Awareness stream)
    • 4.2 Project Objectives (Technology & Research stream)
    • 4.3 Funding Rationale
    • 4.4 Project Plan
    • 4.5 Project Budget
    • 4.6 Partners and Contributions
    • 4.7 Project Risk Mitigation Measures
  • 5 Performance measurement strategy
  • 6 Declarations
    • 6.1 Conflict of interest
    • 6.2 Declarations
  • 7 Required annexes
  • 8 Appendix A - Project budget template

Project proposal template

Transport Canada will evaluate the strength and merit of your proposal and will prioritize and allocate federal funding to projects that align most with the Rail Safety Improvement Program objectives and priorities identified for the Education and Awareness and Research and Technology streams.

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 and the template can be downloaded for your convenience. Please note that there is a 50-page limit to the proposal, excluding annexes.  

To be considered complete, your proposal must include all the requested information in the format outlined below.

1 Cover page

The proposal should have a cover page that includes:

• the title “Proposal for Funding under the Rail Safety Improvement Program – Education and Awareness stream or Research and Technology stream”
• the name of the project (should be brief but descriptive)
• the legal name of the organization applying for funding
• the date submitted

2 Executive summary

The executive summary must clearly explain the main elements of the project, including:

• a short description of the project including project location (if applicable), project scope, major activities, and timelines
• a summary of the primary project objectives, briefly explaining how they align with RSIP’s objectives, and the priority focus areas of the stream being applied to (Education and Awareness or Research and Technology)
• the total project cost, total eligible and ineligible expenditures, total federal funding amount requested under RSIP, and all other sources of funding for the project including the contributions made by other parties, or support from other organizations or entities
• a brief outline of the performance measurement strategy that would be used to assess success in meeting both the project and RSIP program objectives and priorities

3 Applicant information

Applicants must demonstrate that they have the capacity and expertise necessary to ensure the delivery of the project by providing the information outlined below. Criteria #2 (Applicant’s Relevant Experience and Capacity) of the Selection Criteria found in the Applicant’s Guide will be assessed in this section.

3.1 Applicant organization

Provide all the following information:

• the full legal name and legal status of the applicant organization
• the organization’s mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address
• the name and position of the primary and secondary contact for the organization who are authorized to advise and make decisions and representations on the project
• type of organization in accordance with the listing identified in the Applicant’s Guide under Section 5 – Eligible Recipients
• a brief description of the organization’s experience of successful project delivery for similar types of Education and Awareness or Research and Technology projects
• a brief description of the organization’s main activities, governance, and financial management structure

Note: It is mandatory to provide copies of legal documentation (to be included as “Annex A” in your application submission), establishing or constituting your organization as an entity (e.g., Letters Patent, Articles and Certificate of incorporation, or other legal instruments). However, this is not a requirement for provincial/territorial applicants.

3.2 Project team

This section should show the applicant’s ability (in terms of financial resources, personnel, and expertise) to complete the project and solve issues that could arise during the span of the project. The information provided should include:

• name of the designated project manager and, as applicable, the project team with all the necessary contact information (name, position title, mailing address, telephone number, e-mail address)
• a description of the relevant expertise and experience of the project manager and project team, including referencing educational credentials relevant to the project and experience working on similar types of projects
• a description of the proposed project’s governance structure, including any partners, their role and how they would contribute to the project
• any partner organization’s legal name, address and point of contact
• authorizations that provide the applicant, and/or the contact, the authority to submit this request and/or implement the project, and/or represent the applicant

4 Project description

4.1 Project objectives (Education and Awareness stream)

Criteria #1.1 (Relevance of Education and Awareness) of the Selection Criteria found in the Applicant’s Guide will be assessed in this section. You must clearly describe the following:

• clearly describe how the proposed project aligns with the objectives of the Rail Safety Improvement Program and demonstrate how the project and interventions proposed will improve rail safety by reducing injuries and fatalities and increase public confidence in Canada’s rail transportation system. Describe in detail and provide evidence/data that the project will increase rail safety through enhanced knowledge, education, and awareness
• clearly identify which of the four priority areas the project aligns with (as identified in Section 1 – Intake Objectives and Priorities of the Applicant’s Guide) and demonstrate how the proposed intervention addresses an identified knowledge gap in one of the four priority areas (i.e., at-risk groups, high-risk areas, suicide prevention, curricula/measures for safe driving practices). Describe in detail and provide evidence/data that the project will increase rail safety through enhanced knowledge, education, and awareness in one of the four priority areas
• demonstrate how the project will generate project impacts and/or benefits that are broad in scope (i.e., could be deployed across Canada or across more than one at risk group/high risk area that benefits multiple stakeholders); proposes activities that are new and innovative; and identifies strategies or activities that aim to maximize the project’s reach. Clearly indicate the primary location or locations (address, postal code, municipality, or mile marker) of project activities

This section is extremely important as it will form the majority of the assessment score.

4.2 Project objectives (Research and Technology stream)

Criteria #1.2 (Relevance of Research and Technology) of the Selection Criteria found in the Applicant’s Guide will be assessed in this section. You must clearly describe the following:

• clearly describe how the proposed project aligns with the objectives of the Rail Safety Improvement Program and demonstrate how the project will improve rail safety by reducing injuries and fatalities and increase public confidence in Canada’s rail transportation system. Describe in detail and provide evidence/data that the project will increase rail safety through enhanced knowledge, technology, and research
• clearly identify which of the three priority areas the project aligns with (as identified in Section 1 – Intake Objectives and Priorities of the Applicant’s Guide) and demonstrate how the proposed project addresses a known gap in one of the priority areas (i.e., contribute to a better understanding of behaviour, attitudes, and the impact of rail safety issues; examine the safety of people near rail lines; address the safety of railway workers) and is not duplicative of existing activities/resources. Describe in detail and provide evidence/data that the project will increase rail safety through enhanced knowledge, research, technologies, or best practices in one of the three priority areas
• clearly describe how the project focuses on measures that addresses one or more of the following identified at-risk groups:
  • youth/teenagers (aged 12-18)
  • young adults (aged 18-35, particularly young male adults; and/or,
  • Indigenous communities (particularly those living near railway tracks)
• demonstrate how the project will have an impact and/or benefits that are broad in scope; proposes activities that are innovative or new or examine untested technologies; and include strategies or activities that aim to maximize the project’s reach. Clearly indicate the primary location or locations (address, postal code, municipality, or mile marker) of project activities

4.3 Funding rationale

Criteria #4 (Value for money) of the Selection Criteria found in the Applicant’s Guide will be assessed in this section. Present a rationale to explain why Transport Canada should invest in your project with the following considerations:

• an explanation of how the project costs align with real market conditions (i.e., reasonable salaries, operating expenses, travel costs, etc)
• demonstrate how the benefits of the project outweigh the costs through a high-level quantitative and qualitative analysis

4.4 Project plan

Criteria #3 (Quality of project plan) of the Selection Criteria found in the Applicant’s Guide will be assessed in this section. Please provide an overall project plan that encompasses the following:

• a realistic and comprehensive project plan including concrete deliverables, budget, timelines and milestones of the project
• project dependencies and/or interdependencies to implementing the project
• a detailed presentation of the activities, expenditures and cash flow requirements for the project including a breakdown of the items and expenses
• demonstrate the relationship between the objectives and expenditures tied to activities

Sample table:

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
2	Stage 2	Project delivery
2.1
2.2

4.5 Project budget

Criteria #3 (Quality of project plan) and #4 (Value for money) of the Selection Criteria found in the Applicant’s Guide will be assessed in this section. You must include the following budget information in your proposal:

• total project costs:
  • total eligible project costs
  • total project contributions from all organizations, including other federal funding programs
  • cost breakdown by fiscal year (if a multi-year project)
• cost breakdown by project activity per fiscal year
• demonstrate the relationship between the project objectives and expenditures
• a statement that your organization will be responsible for all cost overruns

For a breakdown of eligible expenditures and in-kind contributions, refer to Section 7 of the Applicant’s Guide.

You must state and attest that your organization has sufficient up-front funding to carry out the proposed project. If applicable, you must confirm partner organizations’ financial support in writing and attach this confirmation to the proposal. The RSIP will not make advance payments.

You must use and include in your application the budget template provided in Appendix A. Ensure to include this information in your proposal as Annex B.

4.6 Partners and contributions

Criteria #3 (Quality of project plan) of the Selection Criteria found in the Applicant’s Guide will be assessed in this section. In this section, you should describe any partners involved in the proposed project initiative and what they will be contributing 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. Any contributions to the project must be clearly shown in the budget.  

You must also confirm the financial support of partner organizations in writing and attach appropriate substantiating documentation. Include this information in your proposal as Annex C.

4.7 Project risk mitigation measures

Criteria #3 (Quality of project plan) of the Selection Criteria found in the Applicant’s Guide will be assessed in this section. In your proposal, you must articulate and manage risks relevant to the project and outline a risk management strategy, including the identification of 2 or 3 potential risks associated with the project delivery, completion, or results; and identify measures to mitigate the impact of the risks and demonstrate the organization’s capacity to mitigate the risks identified.

• 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 must 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

Sample table:

Table 2 - Risk assessment and mitigation measures
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 during the project to ensure that the risk is avoided, and the consequences or the impact on the project are reduced.

5 Performance measurement strategy

Criteria #1.1 (Relevance of Education and Awareness) or #1.2 (Relevance of Research and Technology) of the Selection Criteria found in the Applicant’s Guide will be assessed in this section. A Performance Measurement Strategy should be well described, thorough, accurate and will yield realistic and useful information including an effective data collection and dissemination strategy. It should include:

• clear goals and objectives, and expected outputs and outcomes
• the specific methodology to be used to measure the achievement of each objective
• a data collection and information dissemination strategy

It is mandatory that you also provide a description of how these measurements are clear, achievable, and realistic.

Sample table:

Table 3 - Output/outcome monitoring
Outcome/output	Performance indicator	Performance target	Source of data	Data collection frequency

6 Declarations

6.1 Conflict of interest

6.2 Declarations

I/we, the undersigned, hereby certify that: All information provided to Transport Canada in support of this request for funding is wholly true and complete; If funding requested in this application is approved, the funds will be spent solely for the project and activities described in this application; and I/we provide consent to Transport Canada to make necessary credit and other enquiries in support of this application.
Name	Title
Signature	Date
Name	Title
Signature	Date

*Applicants may add additional rows if required

7 Required annexes

You must include the following annexes with your proposal:

• Annex A – Legal documentation of recipient organization
• Annex B – Project budget and cash flow (a sample table for the project cashflow is included in Section 8)
• Annex C – Letters of support from partners and contributors

8 Appendix A – Project budget template

A. ELIGIBLE EXPENDITURES	TOTAL	FISCAL YEAR BREAKDOWN
		2024/ 2025	2025/ 2026
A.1 TOTAL ELIGIBLE PROJECT EXPENDITURES
Staff salaries and benefits
Costs related to the printing, publication, and distribution of material
Room rentals and other facility costs
Conference fees
Professional fees for contracted services (e.g., translation, development and distribution of information, data collection, analysis and processing costs, etc.)
Purchase or lease of capital assets
Administrative expenditures (including general administration, expenditures, rent, insurance, office equipment rental, and membership fees)
Overhead costs up to 15% of the total federal contribution
Travel expenditures (including the cost of accommodations, vehicle rental and kilometric rates, bus, train, airplane or taxi fares, allowances for meals and incidentals). Travel and per diem expenses cannot be more than the rates and allowances determined in the Travel Directive of the National Joint Council, available at the following link: https://www.njc-cnm.gc.ca/directive/d10/en
Other costs that are, in the opinion of the Minister or his/her delegated representative, considered to be direct, reasonable, and incremental for the successful implementation of the project and have been approved in writing prior to being incurred.
TOTAL A.1: TOTAL ELIGIBLE PROJECT EXPENDITURES
TOTAL A.2: TOTAL INELIGIBLE PROJECT EXPENDITURES
TOTAL A: TOTAL PROJECT EXPENDITURES (A.1+A.2)

B. REIMBURSABLE EXPENDITURES	TOTAL	FISCAL YEAR BREAKDOWN
		2024/ 2025	2025/ 2026
Total Eligible Project Expenditures (Total A1)
Total from third party contributors (Total C.2)
= TOTAL B : REIMBURSABLE EXPENDITURES

C. SOURCES OF FUNDING	TOTAL	2024/ 2025	2025/ 2026
C.1:  RECIPIENT FUNDING
Cash
In-Kind Contributions
Staff salaries and benefits (indicate percentage of time and daily rate, and document using time sheets)
In-kind provision of Recipient assets (space, equipment, goods or other assets)
Administrative costs charged using a formula (percentage of Project costs charged for: office supplies, office equipment rental, internal photocopying, phone and internet lines and equipment, etc.)
SUBTOTAL C.1:  RECIPIENT FUNDING
C.2: OTHER CONTRIBUTORS
Contributor 1
Cash
In-Kind Contribution
Contributor 2
Cash
In-Kind Contribution
SUBTOTAL C.2: TOTAL FROM THIRD PARTY CONTRIBUTORS
SUBTOTAL C.3:  MAXIMUM CANADA CONTRIBUTION
TOTAL C:  TOTAL FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT (C1+C2+C3)

*Subtotal C.3 represents the absolute Maximum Canada Contribution, subject to variation dependent on reimbursable project expenditures submitted by the Recipient