Civic Events funding

Background

On September 25, 2019, Ottawa City Council approved the new Community Funding Framework. Included under this framework is funding for Civic Events, which will be used to deliver family-friendly events in local Ottawa communities and priority neighbourhoods.

Funding is issued by the City of Ottawa's Community and Social Services Department. A total of $50,000 is available, with an eligible maximum amount of $3,000 per event and funding provided one-time per organization, per year.

List of funded 2023 Civic Events

Funding priorities

This funding is used to deliver family-friendly events in local Ottawa communities and neighbourhoods. Events should:

• Promote neighbours meeting neighbours in their local, geographic community
• Include multiple activities, family entertainment and attractions designed to appeal to residents in a specific priority neighbourhood/district or ward
• Promote community well-being by welcoming all community members and/or priority groups, and
• Promote equity and inclusion

In 2024 Civic Events funding will prioritize events that are directed towards the priority populations specified in the Community Funding Framework Policy Statements, including Francophones, immigrants, Indigenous people, 2SLGBTQ+ community members, older adults, people living in poverty, people with disabilities, racialized people, rural residents, women and youth. Priority neighbourhoods, as defined by the Neighbourhood Equity Index, will also be a priority.

Timeline

Dates are subject to change at the discretion of the City of Ottawa.

Definitions

For the purpose of the administration of the Civic Events fund, eligibility criteria and funding process, “Board of Directors,” “Good Standing” and “Not-for-profit” shall have the following meanings:

Board of Directors

A democratically elected board of a minimum of three (3) persons who are responsible for the management and operations of the organization, each is eighteen or more years of age and is a member of the organization. The majority of the directors must be residents of the City of Ottawa and shall not be related. The board shall have a constitution that clearly outlines responsibility in relation to the delivery of activities, events, programs, projects, and services; holds regular meetings with a minimum of four per year or two per operating season; holds an annual general meeting which is open to the public and has an election component; and provides annual financial statements that are available to the public and the City.

Good Standing

The applicant has fulfilled all the terms and conditions of all previous and current agreements with the City and is in good financial standing with the City (i.e., no arrears).

Not-for-profit

The organization is operated for a collective, public, or social benefit and not as a business aiming to generate profits.

Application process

For more information on eligibility and the application process please visit Apply for Civic Events funding.

Contact

All questions and inquires on this funding process should be sent to communityfunding@ottawa.ca.

Assessment of proposals

Allocation of funds

Stage 1: Screening for Completeness and Eligibility

A City of Ottawa staff member will review all applications to ensure that they:

• Comply with all requirements for submission
• Have been received with all required sections completed
• Provide all information and documents, or a reason for not providing it that is acceptable to the City
• Satisfy all eligibility criteria.

Stage 2: Civic Events Allocation Committee Review

• All eligible applications will be assessed through an allocation committee process. The Civic Events Allocation Committee, comprised of City of Ottawa staff from the Social Development and Funding branch, will review all proposals and score them in relation to the evaluation criteria.
• As part of the evaluation, applicants may be asked to provide clarification on certain aspects of the proposal. Clarifications and information given by applicants may be included and scored with the criteria above.
• The Allocation Committee will discuss and rank each application and has the right to adjust the scoring based upon the discussion. They will recommend an amount of Civic Events funding to be awarded to each successful applicant.

Stage 3: Management Allocation Review

• The Program Manager of the Social Development and Funding branch will review the recommendations from the Community Events Allocation Committee to ensure that funding is awarded to eligible organizations and events in accordance with the stated purpose of the funding.
• The Program Manager can adjust the funding amount based on this review and will provide the final decision on the applicants to be approved for Civic Events funding and allocation amounts.
• The decisions of the Program Manager are final and not subject to any right of appeal.

Contribution Agreement Process and Requirements

The City will send a letter by email to each successful applicant with an offer of a Civic Events contribution and a draft contribution agreement that includes a description of the event the contribution is to be applied to and the terms and conditions of the contribution. Applicants shall notify the City within 5 business days of the date of the letter whether they wish to accept the contribution and enter into a contribution agreement. The City may withdraw the offer of contribution if the applicant does not accept the offer of contribution within 5 business days of the date of the letter.

The contribution agreement includes a condition that the applicant (the “Recipient”) provide the City with a certificate of insurance indicating that the Recipient has in place appropriate commercial general liability insurance for the event described in the contribution agreement and the activities that will be part of the event, subject to a limit of between two and five million dollars ($2- 5,000,000.00), with the City of Ottawa named as an additional insured.

Once the contribution agreement has been signed, the City will provide the contribution in the form of a single payment to the organization.

Please note that if the organization is not incorporated, all at least three of the directors of the organization will be required to sign the Contribution Agreement and will be individually accountable, liable, and responsible for the activities of the organization and the event.

Reporting Requirement under the Contribution Agreement

Successful applicants are required to report on the outcome of the Civic Event. This will include providing a financial statement of actual revenues and expenses as well as a brief description of the event itself.

Insurance

Successful applicants must obtain at least $2,000,000 of commercial general liability insurance coverage for the event. The City of Ottawa must be named as an additional insured.

If the event is being held at a City-owned facility, park, or sports field for which the applicant has signed an Ottawa Rental Contract, there is no requirement to obtain additional insurance as it is included in the cost of the contract. The applicant will be required to provide a copy of the rental contract.

Bouncy Castles must be set up by a professional company that remains on site to monitor its use, removes it, and carries their own insurance with the City of Ottawa named as an additional insured.

If fireworks are intended as part of the event, they must occur under the supervision of a fireworks Supervisor. See Section 9: Fireworks and Open Air Fires in the City of Ottawa Event Guide.

General Expectations

Successful applicants are required to fulfill all the terms and conditions of the contribution agreement. If there are difficulties in complying with any of the terms and conditions of the contribution agreement, City staff must be informed immediately so all parties can work together to resolve the situation.