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Cat. No. T94-50/2023E-PDF

ISBN 978-0-660-67951-8

Aussi disponible en français sous le titre: Guide étape par étape pour les demandes, volet Immobilisations, Fonds pour les solutions de transport en commun en milieu rural.

How to Submit an Application to the Rural Transit Solutions Fund

Introduction

Before you begin your application, please ensure that your organization is eligible for funding under the Rural Transit Solutions Fund in accordance with the eligible recipients as outlined in the “Who Can Apply” section of the Application Guide for the Planning and Design Projects Stream of the Rural Transit Solutions Fund (available on the website and via the applicant portal). Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) will also validate your organization's eligibility when your application has been submitted. You should also review the requirements for supporting documentation that will need to be attached in the applicant portal as outlined in the “Supporting Documents” section of the Application Guide.

Applicants must register for an HICC Applicant Portal Account to access the Rural Transit Solutions Fund application form. By accessing your Applicant Portal Account through the HICC Applicant Portal, you will be able to create, save, edit, and submit applications to the Rural Transit Solutions Fund, as well as view your organization's list of submissions through “My Dashboard”.

Applicants who are unable to apply through the HICC Applicant Portal are asked to reach out to the Rural Transit Solutions Fund Team at rtsf-fstcr@infc.gc.ca.

Applicants who have an existing HICC Applicant Account can skip to Step Two.

Step One: Register for a HICC Applicant Account

Enter the HICC Applicant Portal. Please use the most recent version of the following supported web browsers:

Microsoft Edge
Apple Safari
Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
Internet Explorer (not recommended)

Click New User
Confirm you have read the Privacy Notice Statement
Register your account by:

Providing a valid e-mail address
Creating a username and password
Activate your account by logging out after saving and returning to the sign in page. (Please note that you may get an error message if you do not complete this step).

Passwords must contain characters from at least three of the following four classes: uppercase, lowercase, digit, and non-alphanumeric.

Create your organization’s profile

Have you previously applied to a HICC program?

Applicants who have previously applied to a Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) program should have an existing profile created using information provided in previous applications. You can find your profile by searching the Existing Organization Name list. Once you find your organization's profile, review the information provided and ensure that it is up to date. Please edit your organization's profile if necessary. If your organization is not found, you can proceed to create a New Organization profile.

How do I edit my organization's profile?

You can edit your organization's profile once you have made a HICC Applicant Portal Account by clicking on Profile.

Once you enter your Profile page, click on Manage Organizations. Here, you will be able to locate your organization.
Edit as needed and click Save.

Are you a New Applicant to a Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada program?

If you are a new applicant, create your organization's profile by clicking New Organization.
Fill in the required fields including:

The organization's full legal name
Contact information
Organization address
Organization type

Click Submit.
Once you have created your organization's profile, find your organization from the Existing Organization Name list.
Enter the name and contact information for your organization.
Click Save.
Sign out by clicking on your name in the top right corner, selecting Sign out and sign back into your HICC Applicant Account. (Please note that you may get an error message if you do not complete this step).

Step Two: Managing your HICC Applicant Account

With your HICC Applicant Account, you can apply to the Rural Transit Solutions Fund. The HICC Applicant Portal is the place to access your organization's dashboard, application forms and online resources.

Managing Permissions – Account Administrator/Owner

If you are the first person in your organization to register for a HICC Applicant Portal account, you will automatically be the primary contact for your organization's account and be assigned the role of Account Administrator/Owner.

As Account Administrator/Owner, you will be responsible for:

Reviewing and approving (or declining) requests from other members of your organization to access the HICC Applicant Portal and the Rural Transit Solutions Fund application form.
Determining whether an approved team member(s) has “read only” capabilities or “update” (populating an application) capabilities.
Determining whether an approved team member(s) can Attest to and/or Submit project applications.
Determining whether an approved team member(s) can be your “delegate”, which permits them to have the same account privileges as you and undertake the above-noted actions on your behalf (as the team Account Administrator/Owner).

How to grant access to the Rural Transit Solutions Fund application to members of your organization

For other members of your organization to access the HICC Applicant Portal and work on the Rural Transit Solutions Fund Application Form, you must grant them permission through your Profile page. It is only after you have made your HICC Applicant Portal Account that other members of your team can proceed to make their own HICC Applicant Portal accounts and start an application.

First, have your team members create their own HICC Applicant Portal Accounts. When asked to identify the Lead Applicant Organization, ensure that they “link” themselves to your organization by selecting it from the Existing Organization List. It is only through this process that they will be linked to your organization and be able to access your organization's Rural Transit Solutions Fund Application. Once your team members have created their accounts, you will receive an e-mail notification titled: “Your action required”.

Next, go to your Profile page. Click on Manage Permissions. Here, you will see a list of individuals who are requesting access to the HICC Applicant Portal.

Click the drop-down menu located next to their name and account information.
Click Edit.
Answer the questions as prompted:

Enable Portal Access
Portal contact role

Update

Enable updating of application contents
No ability to modify the organization's contact and account information
No ability to attest and/or submit the Application Form

Read

Read-only mode

Status
Can Attest
Can Submit
Is Delegate

Once you have assigned roles to your team members and saved this information, they will be able to see your Rural Transit Solutions Fund application form in their own accounts under My Dashboard. Any changes that are made and saved to your application form by your team will be visible to all accounts linked to the application form.

My Dashboard

Your dashboard will list your ongoing and completed application forms at HICC. Use the dashboard to navigate to your application form(s) and keep track of the progress and status of your application(s). You do not need to complete your online application in one attempt. The application can be saved and edited as many times as necessary.

Apply for Funding

To apply, you will find a link to the application form on the Applicant Portal.

Release Notes

The Release Notes tab in the Applicant Portal is where HICC will make general announcements pertaining to the application process. Check back in this tab from time to time to see if there is any news and/or updates.

Help

While using the Applicant Portal, applicants will have access to support services at any stage of the application process. To contact support services, click on “HICC support” in the bottom left corner of any page within the Applicant Portal. If, at any time, your account is inaccessible, please email the support team at crmsupport-soutiengrc@infc.gc.ca.

Applicant Guides

You will find links to the Application Guide for the Planning and Design Project Stream of Rural Transit Solutions Fund and other applicant resources in this section.

Step Three: Apply for Funding

After creating and confirming your organization account, to access the Rural Transit Solutions Fund Application Form:

Click Apply for Funding
Click Apply for the Public Transit Program
Click Apply for the Rural Transit Solutions Fund
Click Apply for the Planning Project Submission
Confirm the “Privacy and Eligibility” Statements
- Read the Privacy and Third-Party Notice Statement and confirm that you have read the statement by selecting “Yes”.
- Read the Organization Eligibility Self-Assessment and confirm that your organization meets all the eligibility requirements for funding under the Rural Transit Solutions Fund and that you are duly authorized to submit this application on behalf of the Organization. Refer to the Rural Transit Solutions Fund Applicant Guide for details on organization eligibility.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Planning and Design Project Applications

Important tips when preparing your application

All applicants are encouraged to prepare their application in an external document and then copy and paste their answers into the fields within the application.
To edit or delete information that is displayed in table format, click on the icon to either edit or delete.
Unless otherwise noted, the maximum character count for questions requiring a narrative answer (text box) is 2,000 characters.
Frequently, click “Save” to save your answers. This allows you to pause and resume work on your application without losing any information.
Questions marked with a red asterisk (*) are required and will need to be completed to validate and submit your application.
Once you have completed all questions in a section, click Validate. In addition to saving your work, this will verify that you have submitted all the required information, and the tab at the top of the page will turn green.
All sections must be validated in order to submit your application to HICC.

Create a New Project Submission

Lead Applicant	The name of your organization which was created as part of your applicant profile should be prefilled here.
Eligible Organization Type	The dropdown menu will give you the following options, and you will be able to select only one: Province Territory Municipal, Local or Regional Government Public Sector body Indigenous governing body Indigenous Development Corporation Federally or provincially incorporated not-for-profit with mandate to improve Indigenous outcomes/serve Indigenous communities; or Registered not-for-profit organization
Indigenous Group	If you selected either Indigenous governing body, Indigenous development corporation or not-for-profit mandated to improve Indigenous outcomes/serve Indigenous communities as your Eligible Organization Type, you will need to identify the Indigenous Group. Using the dropdown menu please select from: First Nations Inuit Métis Multiple Indigenous/Other If “Multiple Indigenous/Other” is selected, using the textbox provided, please specify.
Project Title	In this section you will be asked to provide, in 300 characters or less, a concise but meaningful project title and the location of the project (e.g., “xyz public transit system for community X, province Y). *Note that, once entered, your project title cannot be changed.

Section 1 – Applicant Identification

Lead Applicant

The Lead Applicant* will be prefilled from your Account Profile. When you have selected your organization, press “Save and Continue”.

Lead Applicant Contacts

The system will ask for a Primary Contact* and a Secondary Contact. The contact names of individuals that you entered in your profile will appear in the drop-down menu. Once you have made your selections, press “Save and Continue”.

Project Details

Project Submission Name*	You should see the project name you previously entered prefilled here accompanied by an application code (e.g. RTSFP-1234).
Project Title*	You should see the project name you previously entered prefilled.
Are you partnering with other organization(s) to deliver the project?*	Please select “Yes” or “No” If you selected “Yes”, there will be an option to add partner organization details.
Partner Organizations; Organization Type; Address Line; Role of the Partner. (If Yes is selected above).	The name of the organization should be the legal name. In terms of describing the role of partners, please provide a brief description of the mandate of the partner organization(s) along with their roles and responsibilities in relation to the delivery of the proposed project. Press “+ Add Partner Organizations”, and you may add other partner organizations. Remember to click on Disk to save each partner and press “Save and Continue” when you are finished.

Project Location

Please specify where the community transit solution will operate (within which municipality(ies)/ region(s)/ town(s)).

Select from the list (or choose other if it does not exist). Indicate where the project is located.
Click“+ Add Project Location” and select the “Province or Territory” where the project is located. Also, select “City/Municipality” where the project is located. A minimum of one must be selected to submit.
You may add multiple project locations. Click “+ Add Project Location” to add additional locations and click on disk to save the entry.
Remember to press “Save and Continue” when you are finished.

Additional information

You may specify the name of the location in this text box if it is not listed among the options in the drop-down menu.

To prevent losing your work, please click “Save and Continue” in each section or click on “Save All”. Use “Validate” when you have completed all questions in this section to check that all mandatory sections are complete.

Section 2 – Project Details

Project Rationale

Please describe the planning project you are undertaking.*	Please provide a detailed description of your planning project and what you expect to achieve.
Which of the following best describes the nature of your planning and design project.*	Please chose an option from the drop-down menu which best describes the nature of your planning project: Discovering transit needs in the community (examples: exploratory research, needs assessments, or assessment of routes/modes of travel). Developing right fit transit solutions (examples: options analysis, feasibility studies, or detailed costing estimates relating to the design of a transit solution). Defining the implementation approach for the transit solution (examples: drafting objectives/actions for implementation, development of community and/or transit plans or development of project management or procurement plans). Other. If other is selected – You may specify the type of project in the following section when you describe the project.
Please describe the current level of access to public transportation options in the community .*	Please include information on any existing transit services in the community or communities where the project will operate, including those run by your organization or your delivery partners. Describe the degree to which any existing services are inclusive and broadly available to the community and/or how the existing service may not meet the needs of some community members.
Will there be any public consultation and/or participation?	Please select yes or no. If yes, please describe how public consultation and/or participation will be included into your planning projects.
Will your project serve Indigenous populations?*	Please select “Yes” or “No”.
If yes, select all that apply*	Please select all from the drop-down menu that apply: First Nation Inuit Métis Multiple Indigenous/Other
If Multiple Indigenous/Other is selected, then specify.*	If “Multiple Indigenous/Other” is selected, using the textbox provided, please specify.
How will this project be developed with Indigenous peoples? Please explain.*	If your planning and design project involves Indigenous people, please describe how they will contribute to the project's development.
Describe the direct and ongoing benefits that this project will bring to Indigenous people.*	Please describe how your planning and design project is expected to benefit Indigenous people.
Please select which of the following groups will benefit from the proposed project (choose all that apply).*	Please select all from the drop-down menu which vulnerable population(s) which are expected to be targeted in the planning and design project: Indigenous People Racialized people Youth Persons with disabilities Seniors Linguistic minorities Newcomers to Canada Women Persons experiencing poverty Persons experiencing homelessness LGBTQ2+ Other
If other is selected, then specify.*	If “Other” is selected, using the textbox provided, please specify.
Please describe how the planning or design project will benefit the groups, selected above, within the community*	Please identify how your project will serve vulnerable populations. If possible, you should list the sources of information (e.g., letters of support from community service organizations, studies, reports, and public consultations, etc.) that support your analysis.
Please explain how the planning project will contribute to developing a proposal to support the future development of your community or region.*	Please describe how the final product from the proposed planning project could be used to position the community to obtain funding for implementing a transit solution. For example, how would you expect to use the final product to apply to future calls for applications to the Rural Transit Solutions Fund, or to provincial/territorial funds.
Does your proposed project plan address specific challenges outlined in your Municipal Plan or alternate local community planning documentation?*	Please select “Yes”, “No” or “N/A.”
If Yes, please explain.*	If “Yes” is selected, please explain any linkages the proposed project has to a municipal plan (e.g., municipal/regional/feasibility studies or local municipal, and regional strategies, plans, Band Council Resolutions).
Please explain how the planning results/the plan will be shared with community members and decisions makers to support the development of a project proposal?	Please explain the plans for sharing the final document/outcomes of the proposed planning project with community members and decision makers. What are the next steps following the completion of the project to advance the implementation of a transit solution?
Please explain how the project will be managed.*	Please explain how the project will be managed, including 1. The overarching governance structure/management team; 2. Objectives/milestones for the implementation of the project.

Climate Considerations

Describe how your planning and design project will take into consideration future climate risks.

Are you considering assessing the option of using low carbon technologies (e.g., zero-emission vehicles) to deliver your public transit solution?*	Please select “Yes”, “No” or “Uncertain”
If yes, please explain.*	Please provide further details in this text box.

Section 3 - Project Finances and Supplementary Information

Applicants must provide estimated costs; rounded up to the dollar.

Please note that costs and contracts signed BEFORE the signature date on the approval in principal letter are not eligible for Rural Transit Solutions Fund funding.

Total Estimated Project Costs*	The estimated overall cost of your project.
Requested Federal Contribution *	The amount of funding you are seeking from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada's Rural Transit Solutions Fund. This amount is up to a maximum of $50,000.
Applicant's Share of Total Costs *	The amount of the funding your organization will be contributing to the project.

Other Contributors

In this section, please provide information about funding towards the project costs other than the amount of funding requested from Rural Transit Solutions Fund and your organization's contribution. If you are receiving funds from another federal department for this project, please include this information here.

For multiple other contributors, please use “Create” to provide information specific to each contributor.

Contributor / Other Contributor*	Enter the legal name of the organization or entity.
Contribution Amount*	Please round up the dollar value of the contribution amount to be provided by the organization/entity.
Funding Secured?*	Please select “Yes” or “No”.
Is there a letter of support?	Please select “Yes” or “No”.
Upload Document	To upload a document, please select “Upload New Document”. Once it is uploaded it will appear under the “Upload Document” field. Please note that Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada may seek additional information and documentation.
Total from Other Contributors*	This field will be automatically generated based on the information you provide in the section above. Click “Update Contributors” after you have completed the Other Contributors section.

Please make sure that the summation of the Request Federal Grant from the Rural Transit Solutions Fund, Applicant's Share of Total Cost and Total from Other Contributors equals the Total Estimated Project Cost. To be considered, an applicant must demonstrate that funding has been secured.

Estimated Project Schedule

Planning project start date.*	Please select from the calendar.
Planning project end date.*	Please select from the calendar. *Note: Planning project must be completed within two years of a successful applicant signing a grant agreement.
If this application is approved, the applicant will award and manage all contracts paid with RTSF funds in a way that is transparent, competitive, consistent with value-for-money principles, or in a manner otherwise acceptable to Canada.*	Please select the box. Contracts that are not respecting this condition could be deemed ineligible under the Fund.

Section 4: Required Documents

This is the section where you must attach the required documents in accordance with the applications requirements. Please note the in accordance with the Application Guide, certain documents may be needed depending on your organization type or if you have partners.

Eligible Recipient	Document type
Public sector bodies that are established by or under provincial or territorial statute, or by regulation, or are wholly-owned by a province, territory, municipal or regional government	(if applicable) Letter of support from partners with a direct role in the project, confirming the role and confirming any financial contributions.
Indigenous governing bodies	(if applicable) Letter of support confirming any financial contributions from partners. (if applicable) Band Council Resolution that confirms the applicant has responsibility for transit services for their community.
Federally or provincially incorporated not-for-profit organizations whose mandate is to improve Indigenous outcomes, organizations serving Indigenous communities living in urban centers and First Nations living off-reserve	Letter from the community where the transit solution is operating confirming support, including Indigenous governing body, that confirms the applicant has responsibility for transit services for their community (if applicable). Proof of incorporation status (e.g., articles of incorporation). (if applicable) Letter of support from partners with a direct role in the project, confirming the role and confirming any financial contributions.
Indigenous development corporations	Letter confirming support and organization mandate from Indigenous governing body.
Federally or Provincially incorporated Not-for-profit organizations	Letter of support from a primary eligible applicant listed on page 4 (1-4) confirming that the application is made on their behalf OR a letter from an order of government (e.g., province, regional government or municipality) confirming that the applicant has the mandate for delivering transit services in the community/region or the organization is recognized for its services in the community/region. (if applicable) Letter of support from partners with a direct role in the project, confirming the role and confirming any financial contributions. Proof of incorporation status (e.g., articles of incorporation).

Please check the applicable boxes and attach the following documents as required/applicable. The form provides the following options:

Letters of support from project partners, financial contributors, community organizations and/or other orders of government (if applicable).
Proof of incorporation status, including articles of incorporation (if applicable).
Indigenous development corporations and Not-for-Profit organizations applying in support of other eligible recipients must include a letter confirmation the agreement/partnership/authority (if applicable).
Band Council Resolution that confirms the applicant has responsibility for transit services for their community (if applicable).

To upload a document, please select “Choose File”. Once it is uploaded it will appear under the “Name of Document” field. You may add multiple files in this section. Please note that Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada may seek additional information and documentation.

Section 5: Attestation

Validation Status

This section will validate that you have completed all the required sections of your application. If the section shows as green, it is considered complete for the purposes of submission. If it is red, you must ensure that the required section is filled out.

*Also note that once your application has been successfully validated and submitted, you will no longer be able to make changes.

Privacy and Eligibility

A Privacy Notice statement will appear, which you must read. Once you have completed reading it, you must attest that you have read the Privacy Notice Statement by selecting “Yes” or “No”. If you select No, you will be unable to move to the next section of the application and to submit your application.

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Date modified:: 2024-07-17

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Rural Transit Solutions Fund: Step-by-Step Guide for Applications to the Planning and Design Projects Stream

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