IRCC’s CFP 2024 for settlement services to contain 4 major themes

As part of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) commitment to provide high-quality services to newcomers and refugees, IRCC aims to issue a Call for Proposals (CFP) in 2024 to extend the Settlement and Resettlement Assistance programs for another five years.

The application period for financing began on November 14th, 2023 and will end on January 31st, 2024. By submitting funding applications in the Grants and Contributions System (GCS), applicants can apply for multiple funding opportunities.

The funding for the CFP 2024 procedure will begin on April 1, 2025. Projects may be eligible for funding for a period of up to five years, concluding March 31, 2030.

Over 1,300 partners and stakeholders participated in national consultations held early in 2023, which informed important priority areas to be addressed. The priorities and parameters established by IRCC for CFP 2024 will guarantee that the program continues to provide “the right service, to the right client, at the right time.”

According to an ATIP received by CIC News, intended changes to the Settlement Program are organized into major themes:

Increase consistency by implementing a more nationally consistent approach to service delivery and ensuring that clients with the greatest obstacles and complicated requirements receive the necessary supports.

Encourage and enable collaboration: co-plan with other levels of government and share information to support successful and efficient settlement program delivery.

Increase the ability of community partners by supporting co-design of programming with clients and developing community linkages.

Flexibility: ensuring that the program stays flexible and adaptable to the characteristics and special needs of clients and areas, while acknowledging the role of provinces and territories in co-planning to facilitate newcomer settlement and integration.

CFP 2024 invites suggestions for four distinct streams.

The CFP 2024 will also seek proposals for four specific streams: Resettlement Assistance Program, Francophone Integration Pathway, Equity (capacity building), and Service Delivery Improvement.

CFP 2024 will build on the 2019 extension of the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) by requesting proposals to expand the program to four additional areas of the country. It also intends to guarantee that the RAP has a more constant capacity to serve French-speaking clients, as well as to incorporate a refugee pathway to enable a smooth transition for refugees who seek assistance from the RAP.

The Settlement Program’s terms and conditions will incorporate the Francophone Integration Pathway. Among the recommended measures are improving the capacity of organizations that provide services to Francophone arrivals and establishing a minimum financial objective for Francophone programming in each region.

The CFP also aims to strengthen the settlement sector’s ability to provide more inclusive and equitable services to diverse newcomers. The stream, with a yearly allocation of up to $25 million, is intended to support organizations that have historically not received money under the Settlement and Resettlement programs.

Finally, the CFP 2024 is an important step toward leveraging the use of digital and hybrid service delivery, as well as supporting testing and study of innovative techniques to improve service delivery.

Settlement Services in Canada

The IRCC spends around $2 billion per year on settlement services throughout Canada (including a separate settlement grant to Quebec). This money is intended to enable immigrant-serving organizations to provide activities and services that aid in the settlement and integration of persons who meet the IRCC’s qualifying criteria. Permanent residents, protected persons, and some temporary residents are all eligible for IRCC-funded services.

Settlement providers respond to IRCC’s CFP by proving how they will assist newcomers in order to get IRCC financing. The IRCC website presently lists over 1,300 places across Canada where eligible newcomers can get IRCC-funded help.