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 $26.4 million annually under the HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action Fund (CAF) to support the community-based response to STBBI.

Objectives

The HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action Fund seek 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 HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action 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 HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action 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 Duration

• Organizations can apply for funding for a minimum of three (3) to a maximum of five (5) years. There is no minimum or maximum funding amount for organizations applying to the CAF.
• LOIs should demonstrate that the applicant has the capacity to spend the requested funding and that the amount requested reflects the scope of the proposed project activities.

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
• Indigenous organizations
  • Indigenous organizations are those governed by and primarily serving First Nations, Inuit or Métis People

Applicants can submit both; an LOI as a single organization, and an LOI as part of a community alliance. 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, hepatitis C, and other STI or sexual health promotion; and,
• A minimum two (2) years of experience working with (actively and meaningfully engaging) the proposed project's key population(s) as applicable.
  • not applicable if the organization is not working with a key population
• Organizations with less than two (2) years of experience in either of the above-mentioned two criteria, who would like to apply for funding, are required to apply as part of a community alliance.

For more information, visit Government of Canada.