Advancing Accessibility Standards Research Program: Call for proposals

Overview

You have been invited to apply for funding for a project under the Advancing Accessibility Standards Research program.

Being invited to apply doesn’t guarantee funding. Based on the information you provide, we will assess your application package to make our funding decision.

Ready to apply?

Before you submit your application package, please carefully review all the information below. 

Purpose of this program

This program funds research projects that inform the development of next-generation accessibility standards within federal areas of responsibility. Your research project must align with this purpose, and help identify, remove, and prevent barriers to accessibility. Projects must also be inclusive so that anyone can participate, regardless of their needs.

To know more about research activities that are eligible under this program, please see the section “Eligible research activities”.

There are activities and projects that we cannot fund under this program. Please read the following list carefully. If your project includes any of these activities, or if they are the main focus of your project, your proposal may not be eligible for funding.

Here are examples of projects and activities that are not eligible for funding: 

• Local infrastructure, construction or renovation projects (for example, installing a ramp or retrofitting a building to meet accessibility codes)
• Projects focused on areas that are not under federal responsibility, like health care, education, recreation facilities, roads, etc.  
• The main activities of your organization
• The development and/or improvement of tools or methodologies, especially ones that are specific to your organization
• Activities whose main purpose is to create tools, apps, technology, audit guides, roadmaps, policy guidelines, training guides, modules or similar products. Tools and other support products are only eligible when they are needed to conduct the research or generate findings that inform standards.  
• The development of standards
  • The Standards Council of Canada defines a standard as a document that provides an agreed-upon set of rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results. In the context of this program, a standard is developed by standard development organizations. That is why eligible research projects can aim to support and inform accessibility standards but cannot be aimed at developing them.
• Activities that focus only on the implementation of accessibility standards. Looking at the implementation of standards may be used as part of the research strategy, but the project’s main focus must be to generate findings that help inform new standards or improve existing ones. 
• Activities that focus on producing products specifically for Accessibility Standards Canada rather than to inform standards. Project findings must be broadly applicable to the development of standards.  

In your application, you must demonstrate how you meet all the following eligibility requirements. Please review them carefully.

Eligible applicants

This call for applications is open to selected Canadian organizations that are legal entities in Canada. To be eligible, your organization must fit into one or more of the following categories:

• research or educational institution (such as a university)
• not-for-profit organization
• Indigenous organization, including a band or tribal council or other self-governing entity
• provincial or territorial organization (excluding provincial or territorial governments)

Project timeline

Your research project must follow the timeline indicated in your invitation email.

Project deliverables

Funded organizations must submit two documents at the end of the project:

• a research report on the findings of your research project
• an executive summary of the research project written in plain language

Both documents must be:

• submitted in both English and French
• submitted in an accessible Microsoft Word format
• posted online and publicly available for free

Accessibility Standards Canada must receive all your documents, in both official languages, no later than the project end date. Make sure you allow enough time for the translation, formatting and publication of these documents in your project timeline.

For more information on reporting requirements, refer to “What to expect if you receive funding” below.

Maximum funding amount

The amount of money you request for each fiscal year of your project must not exceed the amounts indicated in your invitation email. This is important as we distribute our funding by fiscal year, and not by total project cost.

Priority research areas

To be eligible, your project must focus on at least one priority area identified in section 5 of the Accessible Canada Act. These include:

• the built environment
• communication, other than information and communication technologies
• design and delivery of programs and services
• employment
• information and communication technologies
• procurement of goods, services, and facilities
• transportation

All the priority areas listed above are explained in the glossary of terms. Please review them carefully to ensure that your project’s focus is eligible for funding, and that it meets the definition of the priority area.

If you are applying following the approval of an expression of interest, the priority research area(s) in your application should match the one(s) you had identified in your expression of interest. If you’re modifying or expanding your priority research area(s), you need to explain the reason in your application.

Involvement of people with disabilities

You must involve the following people in your project:

• people with disabilities, people with lived experience, or both
• experts with disabilities
• other subject matter experts and organizations

People with disabilities and lived experience should be involved in every aspect of the project. For example:

• staff and members of your research team
• partners
• members of advisory committees
• research participants (such as for surveys and focus groups)

Partnerships and collaborations

You must engage other organizations and experts to help you deliver your research. You should aim to find partners and collaborators from various sectors and disciplines. They must support the creation of a national network of accessibility expertise. They must also encourage the participation of people with disabilities in your research.

Partnerships and collaborations can be made with non-profit organizations, private sector organizationsNote *, governments, or individuals.

We make the distinction between partners and collaborators.

If you have received funding from Accessibility Standards Canada for a research project in the past, we ask that you consider a partnership with at least one entity that you have not worked with before.

Minimum number of partnerships

You must meet the following minimum number of required project partners. The minimum number required is based on the amount of funding you are requesting: 

• if you’re asking for $100,000 in funding or less per fiscal year, you must have a partnership with at least one other organization
• if you’re asking for more than $100,000 in funding per fiscal year, you must have a partnership with at least two other organizations. One of these must be a national disability organization
  • If your organization is an Indigenous or a national disability organization (as defined below), you can choose any two eligible partners. There is no requirement to include a national disability organization as one of your partners.

There is no minimum number of collaborators required.

How to apply

Step 1. Download and complete the application form and the budget detail template

1. Application form

Choose one of the two options below. 

Microsoft Word Form (docx)

Microsoft Word Form (docx) simplified This version contains no tables and may work better with screen readers.

2. Budget detail template

The budget detail template is available in two formats: Excel (xlsx) and Microsoft Word (docx).

The subtotals and totals are calculated automatically if you use the Excel format. You must do the calculations manually if you use the Word format. 

You can choose from two template options:

Step 2. Obtain partnership and collaboration letters

Every partner and collaborator you list in your application must provide a letter explaining what they are bringing to your project. In this letter, they must include:

The letters must include the following information:

• the name of the partner or collaborator
• their roles and responsibilities in the project, and the activities they are supporting
• if they are providing a cash or in-kind contribution to the project
  • they must provide the amount of their contribution, or the value of their in-kind contribution and what goods or services they are providing.

Letters must contain that information to be valid.

These letters are used to confirm your partnerships and collaborations, and to validate the information you submit in your application form and budget detail template.

Step 3. Obtain letters from all other sources that are providing cash and in-kind contributions

Every entity that provides cash funding or in-kind contributions to your project must submit a letter confirming their contributions.

The letter must include the following information:

• their name
• the project activities they are supporting with their contribution
• the amount of their contribution
  • if it is a cash contribution, they can simply indicate the amount they are providing
  • if it is an in-kind contribution, they must state the value (in money) of their contribution,  how they calculated the value, and the goods or services they are providing.

These letters are used to confirm the contribution and to validate the information you submit in your detailed budget detail template.

Refer to the “Cash and in-kind contributions” section for more information on what is a contribution.

Step 4. Submit all required documents by email

Send the following to us by email:

Email all documents to Recherche.NAC-Research.ASC@asc-nac.gc.ca. Your email must be dated no later than 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on December 30, 2026.

An automatic email will be sent to you confirming that we received your documents. Please check your spam folder if you haven’t received this confirmation within 24 hours after sending your documents.

Other useful information for your application

Eligible research activities

The following are examples of eligible research activities: 

• assessing current knowledge and identifying gaps in priority research areas to help develop the next generation of standards
• performing research that will inform standards development in priority areas
• reviewing, assessing, and summarizing existing body of evidence on accessibility standards in 1 or more priority areas
• identifying gaps in evidence and best practices. This should support the development of new standards
• looking at current accessibility standards in Canada and internationally. This includes how standards are being used and what these standards have achieved.  
• advancing research to increase knowledge and generate data in federal areas of responsibility
• understanding the lived experiences of people with disabilities
• understanding what accessibility means in the priority research areas
• advancing research on the experiences, understandings, and perspectives of people with disabilities in priority areas
• conducting other research activities that support the program’s goal
• developing recommendations or best practices 

If you plan to engage participants, your project plan should include an ethics review.

Cash and in-kind contributions

Contributions are cash or in-kind support you receive outside Accessibility Standards Canada’s funding. They are essential to the project’s success. Contributions can be made by your organization or other contributors, for example other organizations, your project partners, or individuals.  

You must identify all contributions made to the project and their value in your budget detail template. This is important as it shows that your organization, partners, and other collaborators are engaged in the project.

Any contributions made by entities other than your organization must be accompanied by a letter confirming the contribution. Refer to the “How to apply” section, item 3.

• Cash contributions are money used for project costs and activities tied to your project goals which was not provided by Accessibility Standards Canada.  
• In-kind contributions are considered real contributions to the cost of the proposed project but aren’t reimbursable since they are not provided in cash. For example, it can be an organization or an individual contributing expert time and salary, services, or goods to the project.  
  • Salaries from individuals holding an academic position at a post-secondary institution working on the project must be counted as an in-kind contribution, since it is not an eligible project expense.  

Limits of government assistance

If we approve your application, the total funding you get from us and any level of government (federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal) can’t exceed 100% of the total eligible project costs.

After you apply

Evaluation process

Accessibility Standards Canada will review and evaluate all application forms, budget detail templates and relevant documents. This evaluation will assess: 

• how the proposed activities support the program’s purpose, objectives and priorities
• the need for the proposed activities
• the qualifications and track record of the applicant
• the demonstration of the support/funding required for success
• the value for money 

Funding decisions

Accessibility Standards Canada determines the eligibility of each applicant, each project, and all project-related expenses.

All decisions regarding eligibility and approval for funding are final.

Here is information on how you could receive your funding, what we expect you to do throughout the project, and a few other important requirements. Not all requirements are listed here; we will provide more information to successful applicants once we sign a funding agreement. 

How we provide funding

If we approve your project, we will decide if we will fund it through a grant or a contribution funding agreement.  

A funding agreement is the contract between the approved organization and Accessibility Standards Canada. It outlines the terms and conditions you agree to follow by receiving funding. It also outlines the goal of your project and includes specific reporting and evaluation requirements. These requirements can vary between a grant or a contribution agreement.  

The approved organization and Accessibility Standards Canada must sign the agreement. We cannot fund project activities that take place before the funding agreement is signed by both parties. 

Reporting requirements

If we approve your project for funding, you will have to follow specific reporting requirements throughout your project. Those requirements include performance reporting and financial reporting. All reporting requirements and conditions will be detailed in the funding agreement. You can find information about the forms you may be asked to complete during your project, as well as the data you will need to report, on our website. This information is for reference purposes only, as the forms are subject to change.

Performance reporting

Performance reporting tracks the progress and the results of the project. We use it to assess the performance of funded recipients and their project. All funding recipients must submit:

• Regular activity reports. These are periodic reports on your project activities and the progress made towards the expected results. Your funding agreement will indicate when the reports are due.  
• A final activity report on the results achieved. This will be due 2 months after the end date of the project.

Accessibility Standards Canada will provide templates for both reports.

Financial reporting

Financial reporting tracks the planned and actual spending of the allocated funds throughout the project. We use this information to calculate payments. It also ensures that recipients spend Accessibility Standards Canada’s funds as set out in the funding agreement.

At the end of the project, funding recipients must provide a full list of the contributions received from other sources for the project.

Recipients who receive funding through a contribution agreement must also submit financial reports throughout the project. These include:

• Reports forecasting the funding expenditure. It must show how the funding was spent in the past, and how the remaining funding will be spent in the future, for the whole duration of the project.
• Periodic reports on the actual spending. It must show how the funding was spent in each budget category, as per the funding agreement, for a specific period.

Accessibility Standards Canada will provide the templates for these reports. Your funding agreement will indicate when they are due.

Official languages requirements

We’re committed to promoting the use of English and French in Canada. We also support measures that enhance the vitality of official language minority communities. If you receive funding, you agree to follow our official languages’ requirements. These are set out in your application and in the funding agreement.

Funding recipients must agree to:

• make announcements to the public about the project in both official languages
• provide their project-related services and documents in both official languages
• encourage members of both official language communities to participate in the project
• provide services that meet the needs of both official language communities when appropriate

Intellectual property

Funding recipients will own any intellectual property that they or a third party create related to their project. Sometimes, this intellectual property may be helpful to Canadians. For this purpose, Accessibility Standards Canada will have shared use of this intellectual property, as long as using it is not damaging to the recipient.  

This means Accessibility Standards Canada will have shared use of the research report and executive summary that funding recipients must submit as part of the program’s requirements.

Shared use could mean further use of the data for research purposes. It may also mean publishing the intellectual property on a Government of Canada website or in printed documents.  

Acknowledgement of financial assistance

Funded recipients must publicly acknowledge that they have received funding from Accessibility Standards Canada. They must do it in English and French. This must appear in all project-related communications, materials, and promotional activities. This must also appear in the research report and the executive summary. Other related requirements may be included in your funding agreement. Consult Accessibility Standards Canada’s website to find guidance on how, where, and when to acknowledge the funding received.