Application Assistance

Application Assistance helps cover costs for services that support the application or nomination process.

Who can ask for assistance?

Individuals or the lead applicant for a group who self-identify as:

• Deaf, hard of hearing, having a disability or living with mental illness
• First Nations, Inuit or Métis facing language, geographic and/or cultural barriers.

What type of support can I ask for?

Profile assistance

• Create a portal account and submit an applicant profile
• Fill out and submit an Assessor Self-nomination Form

And/or

Grant/prize assistance

• Submit a grant or prize application, nomination, grant acceptance, project update or final report

When do I submit my request?

Recommended timelines:

• Portal account/profile or peer assessor self-nomination: before the work begins
• Application/nomination: 1 to 4 weeks before you plan to send in the application or nomination
• Grant/prize acceptance: as soon as you know your results
• Updates/reports:1 to 4 weeks prior to your report due date

How do I ask for assistance?

For profile assistance

Send the name and contact information of someone who can help you (a service provider) to info@canadacouncil.ca.

Questions? Call 1-800-263-5588, extension 5060.

For grant/prize assistance

First, you must:

• have a validated applicant profile in the portal (for grants)
• meet the eligibility requirements

Then, gather the following information:

• the name and contact information of someone who can help you (service provider)
• the name of the grant or prize you need help with
• a brief description of your project or activities
• the type of support you need (see below)

Lastly, send the information to the program (for grants) or prize team that you are requesting assistance from:

• Program: Contact us
• Prizes: prizes@canadacouncil.ca

What happens next?

• The Council reviews what you have sent and responds within 3 business days.
• Your service provider assists you.
• You submit your application, report, etc.
• Once the work is finished, your service provider emails an invoice to the program or Prizes team (see below for rates), and the Council pays the invoice.

What if I have received assistance in the past?

• If you are asking for assistance for a new application or nomination using the same category of support for the same program or prize, you can continue without asking for approval. However, you must get approval first if:
  • you are requesting a different type of support
  • you are applying to a different program or prize.

Maximum covered by the Council

Profile assistance

This applies to applicants who face barriers and are having difficulty creating a portal account and/or submitting a profile or peer assessor self-nomination form. 

Contact: info@canadacouncil.ca or call 1-800-263-5588, extension 5060.

	Hours	Maximum amount
Create an account and submit a profile Submit an Assessor Self-nomination form	Up to 2 hrs	Up to $100

Grant or prize assistance

• You can only receive one category of support for grant or prize assistance.
• For additional applications or nominations, you must submit a separate request.

Contact

• Grants: Contact us
• Prizes: prizes@canadacouncil.ca

The Council recognizes that service rates vary from region to region. Please base the total amount on the hourly rates in your area. The total cost of your request should not exceed the maximum amounts below.

Category of support

General assistance

This category is for applicants who face barriers with the writing process. Services can include general transcription, application development, writing, editing and organizing support materials.

Grant/Prize	Hours	Maximum amount
Travel Professional Development Small-Scale Activities Prize nominations (candidate) Access Support Reports	Up to 5 hrs	Up to $300
Project grants Short-Term Projects Prize applications (candidate)	Up to 10 hrs	Up to $600
Composite grants Long-Term Projects Prize nominations (nominators)	Up to 17 hrs	Up to $1020
Grant/Prize acceptance	Up to 2 hrs	Up to $100

Indigenous language translation into written English or French

This category is for applicants writing an application in an Indigenous language who require translation into written English or French.

Grant/Prize	Hours	Maximum amount
Travel Professional Development Small-Scale Activities Prize nominations (candidate) Access Support Reports	Up to 6 hrs	Up to $300
Project grants Short-Term Projects Prize applications (candidate)	Up to 12 hrs	Up to $600
Composite grants Long-Term Projects Prize nominations (nominator)	Up to 18 hrs	Up to $900
Grant/Prize acceptance	Up to 2 hrs	Up to $100

Sign language interpretation and translation

This category is for applicants who self-identify as Deaf and use sign language.

Grant/Prize	Hours	Maximum amount
Travel Professional Development Small-Scale Activities Prize nominations (candidate) Access Support Reports	Up to 8 hrs	Up to $800
Project grants Short-Term Activities Prize applications (candidate)	Up to 16 hrs	Up to $1600
Composite grants Long-Term Projects Prize nominations (nominator)	Up to 21 hrs	Up to $2100
Grant/Prize acceptance	Up to 2 hrs	Up to $100

I’m a service provider. What do I need to know?

Requests must be submitted before the work is started.

Note that you cannot have a leadership or artistic role in the project, except in the Creating, Knowing and Sharing program.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

• Have a discussion with the person you will help. Discuss how their project, activity or nomination aligns with the grant or prize.
• Read the guidelines, form, and budget (if applicable).
• Ensure that the person has an up-to-date arts and cultural CV.
• Review the Guide to Getting a Grant to familiarize yourself with the application process.
• Review the Frequently Asked Questions.
• If applicable:
  • review the Resources section of the portal
  • ensure that all required documents and support materials are attached
  • follow up to ensure that the application or nomination was submitted successfully.

Where do I send my invoice?

• Profile assistance: Send your invoice to: info@canadacouncil.ca
• Grant/prize assistance: Submit your invoice to the program or Prizes team that approved the Application Assistance request.
  • Grants: Contact us
  • Prizes: prizes@canadacouncil.ca

What do I include in my invoice?

Invoices will be paid after the profile, application, nomination, grant acceptance form or report has been submitted.

• Your legal name, address, and contact information
• The name of the applicant/prize candidate or nominator
• The grant/prize and project name (if applicable)
• The date the work was done (and when the application/nomination was submitted)
• The type of assistance (general assistance, sign language, Indigenous language)
• Number of hours
• Total amount (based on maximum amounts listed above)

If you provided assistance through different stages of the granting / Prizes process (with applications/nominations, Access Support, reports etc.,) each type of assistance must be itemized in the invoice.

What other ways can I get help?

If you are not eligible for or do not wish to request Application Assistance, here are some options:

• Call 1-800-263-5588, extension 5060, or email info@canadacouncil.ca with general inquiries.
• Contact the program or Prizes team to discuss your application/nomination.
• Ask a family member, friend or colleague to help you.
• Give third-party access to a grant writer (or someone you trust) to give them access to your application. They will also need a portal account.
• Consult the following web pages: Resources, Frequently Asked Questions or the Guide to Getting a Grant.