Before you apply
Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund (SAR NIF)

Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus)

You are strongly encouraged to take the free online course: Introduction to Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+).

GBA+ is an analytical process used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and non-binary people may experience policies, programs and initiatives. The "plus" in GBA+ acknowledges that GBA goes beyond biological (sex) and sociocultural (gender) differences. We all have multiple identity factors that intersect to make us who we are. GBA+ also considers many other identity factors, like race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability.

Reach out to a partner

Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund (SAR NIF) partners are federal departments or agencies, provincial or territorial government departments or agencies that have a responsibility for SAR as well as recognized national, provincial and territorial SAR volunteer associations.

Finding an appropriate SAR NIF partner is an important step in the application process. You should review the mandate and responsibilities of all SAR NIF partners to make sure you discuss with one that best fits with your project.

Letters of support

The SAR NIF partner may provide a letter of support which should be submitted with your funding application. Letters of support must say that your project is aligned with their mandate and priorities. It will be considered as part of your application package.

If you want to apply for funding under SAR NIF, you should:

  • Reach out to the relevant SAR NIF partner as early as possible
  • Discuss your proposal with your SAR NIF partner to see if your project idea supports their priorities
  • Ask for a letter of support to submit as part of your application package

Choosing a partner

You should discuss your application with one of the following:

  1. If your project supports federal SAR responsibilities (for example, SAR response on oceans, Great Lakes and/or national parks), contact a federal SAR partner.

    These partners include:

    • Department of National Defence (DND), Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)
    • Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Canadian Coast Guard
    • Parks Canada Agency (PCA)
  2. If your project supports provincial and territorial SAR responsibilities (for example: ground and inland water SAR), contact a provincial or territorial government. These are coordinated by emergency management organizations and police services.

  3. If the project supports volunteer activities, contact a recognized national, provincial or territorial SAR volunteer association.

    These associations are:

    • Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary's (CCGA) – National and six regional entities:
      • Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary National
      • Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR)
      • Coastal Nations Coast Guard Auxiliary (CN-CGA)
      • CCGA Central and Arctic (CCGA-C&A)
      • CCGA Québec (CCGA-Q)
      • CCGA Newfoundland and Labrador (CCGA-NL)
      • CCGA Maritimes (CCGA-M)
    • Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) as well as its 13 provincial and territorial member organizations

    • Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC) as well as the provincial and territorial organizations:

      • British Columbia Search and Rescue Association (BCSARA)
      • Search and Rescue Alberta (SAR Alberta)
      • Search and Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers (SARSAV)
      • Search and Rescue Manitoba (SARMAN)
      • Ontario Search and Rescue Volunteer Association (OSARVA)
      • L'Association Québécoise des Bénévoles en Recherche et Sauvetage (AQBRS)
      • New Brunswick Ground Search and Rescue Association (NBGSARA)
      • Newfoundland and Labrador Search and Rescue Association (NLSARA)
      • Nova Scotia Ground Search and Rescue Association (NSGSARA)
      • Prince Edward Island Ground Search and Rescue (PEISAR)
      • Yukon Search and Rescue (YSAR)
      • Northwest Territories: contact SARVAC or the territory emergency management organization
      • Nunavut: contact SARVAC or the territory emergency management organization

See the partners contact list for information.

If no SAR NIF partners fit with your project, contact the National Search and Rescue Secretariat (NSS) at sarsecretariat-secretariatrs@ps-sp.gc.ca to discuss your project.

Eligible and ineligible expenses

Eligible expenses

These are the types of expenses that you can include in your budget as expenses for your project.

  • Communications: which may include costs for printing, telephone, internet, publishing, exhibiting the implementation and/or results of the project
  • Materials and supplies (if required): provide detailed list of equipment, materials and supplies template
  • Professional services: for costs related to legal, accounting, translation, auditing and other consulting services, if not already part of the organization. Costs must only be for project activities and not overhead and organizational costs
  • Honoraria (if required): An honorarium is a symbolic payment given to recognize someone's contribution. The payment is not a wage, does not depend on hours worked or an hourly rate, is not a contractual transaction and does not create any obligations for the volunteer. This can include but is not limited to guest speakers and Elders. Honoraria cannot be used as an incentive to participate in a project.
  • Rental fees: equipment and facilities necessary for the delivery of the project
  • Salaries: for time that employees work directly on the project. The expense must be less than using a contractor for the work. Any employee paid under a project must receive the same benefits as other employees not involved in the SAR NIF project. Volunteers can be included in your budget as in-kind expenses at a rate of $25/hour.
  • Travel accommodation: within the amounts set out by Canadian City Rate Limits
  • Travel meals/incidentals: within the amounts set out by the National Joint Council Travel Directive and Appendix C Meal and incidental rates
  • Travel transportation: within the amounts set out by the National Joint Council Travel Directive and Appendix B Kilometric rates
  • Utilities: for donated space or rented space (if not included in rental/lease agreement)

Ineligible expenses

These are the types of expenses that you cannot include in your budget as expenses for your project:

  • Purchase of a motorized SAR vessel, aircraft, vehicle or maintenance of one, like boats, airplanes, cars, trucks, 4x4s, snowmobiles, and drones
  • Major replacement programs of SAR primary assets
  • Construction of buildings
  • Replace or upgrade equipment or assets that organizations are providing or have previously provided
  • SAR NIF funding beyond the end of the project, to sustain project activities
  • Backdated costs for previously purchased equipment or services
  • Equipment and training for heavy, medium and light urban SAR responders, as defined by Public Safety
  • Payment of salaries, unless meeting all conditions described under Eligible expenses.
  • Ongoing operating and maintenance costs of existing facilities including utilities, building upkeep, etc.
  • Interest on loans, interest charges, bank fees and other costs of borrowing
  • Taxes: If your organization can claim tax rebates, exemptions, credits or reimbursements from the Canada Revenue Agency, do not include that portion in your expenses
    • If your organization does not receive any tax reimbursements, include the full tax amount in your estimated expenses
  • Travel outside of Canada
  • Profit, defined as an excess of revenues over expenditures

Buy Canadian

As part of the Government of Canada's broader efforts to strengthen national economic resilience, applicants are invited to identify potential opportunities to use Canadian suppliers, services, and materials where appropriate. A Canadian supplier is a business that actively operates in Canada. This means the business has a real, physical location in Canada where work happens, is registered with the Canada Revenue Agency and files taxes in Canada, and contributes to the Canadian economy.

Cost-sharing requirement

Before applying for SAR NIF funds, confirm you have the mandatory cost share.

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