As part of the Government of Canada's efforts to address sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBI) in Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) invests $7M annually under the Harm Reduction Fund (HRF) to support community-based programming to reduce the incidence of HIV and hepatitis C being spread through the sharing of drug-use equipment.

Harm reduction refers to a set of practices that aim to reduce the harms associated with substance use. Harm reduction:

• is about meeting people where they are at and supporting them to work towards their goals
• aims to decrease adverse health, social and economic outcomes, such as disease and injury that may result from an individual's actions
• represents policies, strategies, services and practices, which aim to assist people to live safer and healthier lives
• acknowledges that each person is different, has different goals and requires different supports and strategies
• is not focused on the reduction of substance use or abstinence as a precursor to receive respect, compassion or services

Objectives

The Harm Reduction Fund seeks to ensure that:

• community-based efforts reach key populations, including people unaware of their HIV/hepatitis C status, and link them to testing, prevention, treatment and care
• communities design and implement evidence-based front-line projects to prevent new and reoccurring infections
• high impact interventions are brought to scale so that more people benefit from them
• community-based efforts reduce stigma toward populations disproportionately affected by STBBI, including people living with HIV or hepatitis C

Expected outcomes of STBBI community investments

By 2025, projects supported through the Harm Reduction Fund will:

• increase the knowledge of effective evidence-based HIV, hepatitis C or other sexually transmitted infections (STI) prevention measures among key populations and target audiences
• strengthen the capacity (skills and abilities) of key populations and target audiences to prevent infections and to improve health outcomes related to STBBI
• strengthen the capacity (skills and abilities) of target audiences to provide culturally safe and stigma-free STBBI prevention, testing, treatment and care services

By 2027, projects supported through the Harm Reduction Fund will

• increase uptake of effective evidence-based HIV, hepatitis C or other STI prevention measures among key populations
• improve access to effective STBBI prevention, testing, treatment and ongoing care, and support for key populations
• improve the cultural safety and stigma-free nature of STBBI prevention, testing, treatment and ongoing care, and support services provided by target audiences

Funding Information

• Organizations can apply for funding for a minimum of three (3) to a maximum of five (5) years, depending on the scope of the project.
• Front-line projects will be eligible to receive a maximum of $250,000 annually for up to 3 years. This represents double the funding previously allowable under the HRF.
• Projects that are regional or national in scope and seek to address broader systemic issues are eligible for up to 5 years of funding and can apply for more funding with a strong rationale.

Eligible Applicants

The following Canadian groups and institutions are eligible to receive project funding:

• not-for-profit, registered as incorporated, voluntary organizations or corporations
• not-for-profit, unincorporated organizations, societies or coalitions
• post-secondary institutions seeking to undertake community-based programming, but not research
• provincial and territorial health providers including Regional Health Authorities and Local Public Health Services
• Indigenous organizations
  • Indigenous organizations are those governed by and primarily serving First Nations, Inuit or Métis Peoples

Applicants can submit an LOI as a single organization or an LOI as part of a community alliance, or both. However, it must be clear how the activities presented in each LOI are separate from each other.

When applying as a single organization applicants must demonstrate the following in the LOI:

• A minimum two (2) years of experience in the prevention and control of HIV and hepatitis C, using a harm reduction approach, among people who share drug-use equipment; in a manner that actively and meaningfully engages those individuals.

Organizations with less than two (2) years of experience in the above-mentioned criteria who would like to apply for funding are required to apply as part of a community alliance.

Organizations funded under HRF cannot serve as third-party funders for other organizations, unless these organizations are identified as contractors and are responsible for delivering specific activities or outputs. They may instead consider applying as a community alliance.

For more information, visit Government of Canada.