Justice Partnership and Innovation Program
Overview
The Justice Partnership and Innovation Program (JPIP) provides contribution funding for projects that support a fair, relevant and accessible Canadian justice system. JPIP supports activities that respond effectively to the changing conditions affecting Canadian justice policy. Priorities include access to justice, family violence, and emerging justice issues.
The Justice Partnership and Innovation Program includes a number of components. The information on this page relates to the General Projects component. When there are open calls for proposals for other components of the Program, information is included in a box at the top of this page.
Who is eligible?
- Canadian not-for-profit organizations;
- Provincial and territorial governments, regional and municipal governments, provincial and territorial Crown corporations;
- Canadian educational institutions/boards of education;
- International governments or international non-governmental organizations, including bodies associated with organizations of which Canada is a member;
- Bands, tribal councils, self-governing First Nations and Inuit.
Objectives
The objectives of the Program are:
- To promote and encourage involvement in the identification of emerging trends, issues and/or gaps and possible responses with respect to the justice system.
- To promote innovations in the justice system to ensure greater access to the justice system.
- To build knowledge, awareness, understanding and informed dialogue among justice stakeholders and/or the public on justice issues including access to justice, racism, official languages, anti-terrorism, sentencing and other emerging justice issues, including justice related issues in the international fora.
- To inform Canadians about access to justice issues and the justice system in order to contribute to increased public understanding, participation, confidence and trust in the justice system.
Activities
- Workshops, conferences, symposiums;
- Training sessions;
- Pilot, demonstration and research projects;
- Public legal education and information projects.
How to Apply for Funding
The General Projects component of the Justice Partnership and Innovation Program is not currently accepting applications.
Currently Funded Initiatives
For information on projects currently supported by the JPIP, please select “Read More” under the initiatives listed below. Please note that these funding opportunities have closed and applications are no longer being accepted.
Legal Support and Awareness to Address Workplace Sexual Harassment
Read more...
Please note that this funding opportunity has closed and applications are no longer accepted.
Public Legal Education and Information (PLEI)
The Justice Partnership and Innovation Program (JPIP) funds projects that aim to support individuals, particularly those most vulnerable, to access legal education and information resources to better understand their rights and how to access help if they have been sexually harassed in the workplace. Through this initiative, JPIP also funds projects that support employers to create structured supports such as training programs and policies to proactively address workplace sexual harassment.
PLEI is intended to educate people about their legal rights, responsibilities and the overall function of the legal system. PLEI can take various forms and may include printed materials, training and workshops, and online resources to help individuals understand and navigate the legal system, ultimately promoting access to justice.
If you are looking for legal advice related to workplace sexual harassment, please visit the Legal Aid Program’s website.
Objectives of the Funding
All projects align with at least one of the following priorities:
- Funding to better inform vulnerable workers (including but not limited to, racialized women, newcomers, those working in precarious employment, and people living in rural and remote areas) about their rights and how they can access help if they have been sexually harassed in the workplace; and/or
- Funding to support employers to implement training, policies and/or procedures related to workplace sexual harassment.
Projects are supporting the planned outcome of increasing awareness and knowledge of rights and responsibilities in relation to sexual harassment in the workplace.
Accessing PLEI Supports for Workplace Sexual Harassment
Funding through this initiative is over three fiscal years, starting in January 2025 and ending in March 2027. Specific timelines vary by project.
Should you wish to connect with one of the organizations funded through the Legal Support and Awareness to Address Workplace Sexual Harassment – Public Legal Education and Information initiative, please find them listed by province and territory below.
British Columbia
Community Legal Assistance Society
This project will support people who have experienced workplace sexual harassment in British Columbia to access services and navigate legal processes. Public legal education and information resources will be developed and shared broadly with a particular aim to reach vulnerable populations and workers in male dominated workplaces.
Go2 Tourism HR Society
This project will engage with employers in the tourism and hospitality industries in British Columbia to support the creation of workplaces free of sexual harassment through culture change. The project will support the implementation of action plans within workplaces to address sexual harassment, will develop a workplace sexual harassment investigation and reporting training course, and will expand the Safer Spaces training and resources to newcomers, under-represented, non-English and vulnerable workers.
Justice Education Society of BC
This project will empower vulnerable populations in BC, particularly newcomers, immigrants and racialized workers, to understand their legal rights and access support related to workplace sexual harassment. The project will increase awareness, provide support to settlement workers, develop and disseminate multilingual resources, and ensure sustainability through online training.
Mediate BC Society
This project will support employers in the trades to address sexual harassment and bullying of women and gender-diverse people through early, trauma-informed and non-adversarial conflict resolution processes. The project will provide resources, training, and guidance to employers developing and implementing responsive, effective conflict resolution policies and procedures to address sexual harassment and bullying.
Saskatchewan
PARTNERS Family Services Inc.
The project will increase knowledge of workplace sexual harassment for young people who are entering the workforce, or who have recently entered the workforce, particularly those in the hospitality industry or precarious work situations in rural central Saskatchewan. The project will distribute materials to young people through both formal and informal channels and offer workshops through educational institutes and community partners.
Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan
The project will enhance access to public legal education and information resources for vulnerable Saskatchewan workers through tailored training sessions and community outreach. Saskatchewan employers will also be supported to develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent and address sexual harassment in the workplace.
Manitoba
Community Legal Education Association
The project will deliver a series of workshops across Manitoba on workplace sexual harassment and develop videos that will be posted on their website. The workshops and videos will increase awareness and build knowledge of workplace sexual harassment and options for dealing with legal issues if they arise. The project will specifically focus on serving diverse communities, including Indigenous persons, newcomers, rural and remote communities, persons with disabilities, and youth.
Sexuality Education Resource Centre Manitoba
The project will develop and deliver culturally responsive and accessible training on workplace sexual harassment in both official languages to workplaces, international students and settlement agencies in Winnipeg and rural Manitoba. The project will develop and disseminate resources in up to five languages tailored to these populations, both in print and online.
Ontario
BioTalent Canada
The project will support bio-economy employers across Canada by developing and delivering a series of free online training courses to proactively address workplace sexual harassment.
Canadian Council of Muslim Women
The project aims to increase legal knowledge, education and awareness on workplace sexual harassment for diverse Canadian Muslim women entering the workforce and/or currently employed. Awareness campaigns and training workshops on legal obligations and responsibilities in preventing workplace sexual harassment will be offered to small to medium sized Canadian employers hiring diverse Muslim women and/or working with Muslim clients.
University of Western Ontario – Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children
The project will create and disseminate PLEI resources on sexual harassment for those in the skilled trades sector. The project will partner with Unifor to raise awareness of mechanisms for support when experiencing or witnessing sexual harassment at work and will analyze Unifor's existing training to ensure appropriate workplace responses to complainants. The project will raise employer awareness of their responsibilities under Canada's legal framework and will conduct research to increase understanding of sexual harassment within the skilled trades sector.
Electricity HR Canada
The project will enhance awareness, knowledge, and access to resources related to sexual harassment within the electricity sector in partnership with employers. The project will aim to empower workers, especially those most vulnerable to harassment and including individuals preparing to enter the industry, and support employers to create safer and more equitable workplaces.
METRAC: Action on Violence
This project will support access to justice in Ontario by providing legal information about workplace sexual harassment to those from marginalized and underserved communities. Through consultations with target groups and the development and the dissemination of plain language legal information and support, the project will address both virtual and in-person workplace sexual harassment.
The Help and Legal Centre of Northumberland
The project will increase awareness and knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of vulnerable workers, and the legal remedies available to them in relation to sexual harassment in the workplace by creating and delivering public legal education and information resources.
Trucking HR Canada
This national project will help provincially regulated trucking and logistics employers prevent and address workplace sexual harassment through the creation of training modules and resources. Training and resources will be introduced to the industry through a series of educational webinars.
White Ribbon
This project will partner with the Canadian and Ontario Society of Professional Engineers to prevent and address sexual harassment across the sector nationally. The project will develop an online comprehensive certificate training program, hold in-person training sessions, and launch annual social media and communications campaigns. A multi-pronged evaluation strategy will be implemented to assess the project outcomes.
WomanACT
The project aims to improve workplace safety and promote gender equity for women entering skilled trades by equipping women with knowledge of their rights, employer responsibilities, and avenues for support should they experience sexual harassment or any form of violence. The project will also raise awareness with employers and provide them with recommendations, tools and resources to address workplace sexual harassment.
Quebec
Femmes du monde à Côte-des-Neiges
The project will create interactive public legal education resources to inform workers in precarious jobs about their legal rights in relation to sexual harassment in the workplace. Brochures, guides and videos will be developed and translated to facilitate access to legal resources. Training will also be offered to local employers to encourage them to adopt inclusive policies to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. A simplified guide will be produced on anti-sexual harassment policies and distributed to employers.
New Brunswick
The Saint John Multicultural and Newcomers Resource Centre
This project aims to educate and empower vulnerable populations and small and medium-sized employers that employ newcomers. Workplace sexual harassment will be addressed through comprehensive trauma-informed courses, inclusive workshops and information sessions, navigation services, and an accessible online portal.
Nova Scotia
Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia
The project will develop legal information and tools to address workplace sexual harassment with a focus on vulnerable populations and employers in male-dominated sectors including agriculture, higher education institutions and the trucking sector in Nova Scotia.
Prince Edward Island
PEI Human Rights Commission
The project will raise awareness and educate people throughout the province on how to prevent and respond to sexual harassment in the workplace through accessible plain language legal resources. The project will offer free workplace sexual harassment training for employers and vulnerable populations across PEI and will develop an accessible, interactive online navigation tool to support the resolution of incidents of workplace sexual harassment.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador
The project will provide information to Francophone employees and employers to address workplace sexual harassment. A guide that exists in English will be translated, information and resources will be disseminated through interactive hybrid model workshops for employees, and a video will be developed to promote legal information on harassment in the workplace.
Public Legal Information Association of Newfoundland
This project will develop and deliver public legal education and information materials and will work with employers, labour unions, business organizations and other stakeholders to increase awareness and improve legal literacy around workplace sexual harassment. The project will further develop collaboration among employers from various sectors to help prevent all forms of harassment and discrimination in workplaces across the province.
Tenant Protection Fund
Read more...
Please note that this funding opportunity has closed and applications are no longer accepted.
Overview
Budget 2024 announced $15 million in funding over five years to support access to legal information and advice services to tenants facing legal housing matters.
The Justice Partnership and Innovation Program (JPIP) is supporting projects that fill gaps in legal services, supports, and information for tenants across Canada. This funding helps provide increased access to justice for tenants through resources, advice and information, reducing barriers and supporting tenants to navigate and overcome tenant legal matters.
The Tenant Protection Fund includes two main components: Public Legal Education and Information (PLEI), and Legal Information and Advice Services.
The ultimate objective of the Tenant Protection Fund is to increase access to justice for tenants in Canada.
Public Legal Education and Information
PLEI is intended to educate people about their legal rights, responsibilities and the overall function of the legal system. PLEI can take various forms and may include printed materials, training and workshops, and online resources to help individuals understand and navigate the legal system, ultimately promoting access to justice.
Through PLEI projects, individuals may be able to access resources on provincial or territorial laws surrounding tenant housing matters and ways to access avenues of resolution when dealing with a tenancy matter.
The PLEI stream also supports tenant advocacy organizations to undertake research and policy development to address systemic tenant legal issues.
Legal Information and Advice Services
This component of the Tenant Protection Fund is intended to help remove barriers to justice faced by tenants. Projects funded through this component support the provision of legal information and advice services to help individuals understand their options and offer navigation support for specific legal tenancy matters.
Through legal information and advice projects, individuals may have access to a lawyer and/or support workers to help navigate tenant board processes, provide support at meetings with lawyers, provide referrals to other services, and help complete forms or other documentation, among other activities.
Accessing Supports through the Tenant Protection Fund
Funding through the Tenant Protection Fund is over five fiscal years, starting in December 2024 and ending in March 2029. Specific timelines vary by project.
Should you wish to connect with one of the organizations funded by the Tenant Protection Fund, please find them listed by province and territory below.
British Columbia
The People’s Law School
The project will address the legal information, referral and advice needs of tenants in British Columbia by developing resources to address common tenancy issues experienced by renters.
Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre
The project will increase tenants' awareness and knowledge of tenant-landlord law and available free legal services and develop a series of multilingual fact sheets and outreach materials. The organization will offer a community space for tenants to access plain language legal information and receive rental housing assistance. Clients facing evictions will be supported with access to summary legal advice and support in applying for judicial reviews of their evictions, and other documentation assistance. A housing navigator will support tenants by providing legal information, distributing public legal education resources in the community, and offering workshops on rights and responsibilities of tenants.
Community Legal Assistance Society
The project will aim to advance and support the role of tenant unions in assisting tenants in British Columbia, particularly those with intersectional barriers. A research report will be produced outlining the current state of tenant unions in BC, Canada and abroad, and based on the report, recommendations will be made for legislative and policy changes related to tenant unions. In addition, public legal education will be provided to tenant unions to support their ability to assist and advocate for tenants. A national conference will be held on tenant advocacy and organizing.
Downtown Eastside SRO Collaborative Society
The project will support tenants living in single room occupancy hotels to increase their knowledge of their rights and build their capacity to advocate for the enforcement of city bylaws and for improved living conditions and stability. Community based research will also be undertaken on housing justice and the application of vacancy control bylaws.
Alberta
Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta
The project will gather feedback from resource users on their specific needs for translated and self-help materials and enhance the existing tenancy law website and resources to better support tenants in Alberta.
Edmonton Community Legal Centre
The project will enhance access to justice for tenants in Alberta by hiring a Tenant Lawyer and a Tenant Support Coordinator. They will provide summary legal advice for tenants facing issues with landlords, assist with forms, and prepare clients to represent themselves at the Residential Tenancy Dispute Service. Additionally, navigation support will be offered. The project aims to empower tenants to understand their rights, advocate for themselves, address unfair rental practices, and prevent evictions.
Institute of African Advancement
The project will conduct community participatory research, deliver public legal education workshops, and develop and distribute culturally relevant resources on tenant legal processes in multiple languages including Swahili and Somali. Resources will empower tenants to understand their rights and legal options related to housing and tenancy matters, specifically supporting African families, youth, immigrants, and newcomers in Edmonton.
Saskatchewan
Public Legal Education Association of Saskatchewan
The project will develop and distribute PLEI resources on tenant housing matters for school communities and community organizations that work with youth. This will support tenants and future tenants to increase their awareness and knowledge of their rights and legal options when dealing with housing matters.
Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan
The project will provide legal advice and support services primarily to clients with low-income who have a residential tenancy issue in Saskatchewan. Residential tenancy issues covered will include evictions, security deposits, damage claims, quiet enjoyment claims, pest complaints, and appeals of decisions made by the Office of Residential Tenancies.
Manitoba
Community Legal Education Association of Manitoba Inc.
The project will provide tenants with information on common problems they encounter. A series of short videos and fact sheets will be developed and available in both English and French to provide accessible legal information on main areas of concern for tenants.
Association des juristes d’expression française du Manitoba (InfoJustice Manitoba)
The project aims to improve access to justice for French speakers and newcomers in tenancy law. The organization will offer legal advice and support services in French and will implement awareness activities and informational workshops to educate tenants on legal issues related to renting.
Ontario
Community Legal Education Ontario
The project will develop a guided pathway to help tenants across Ontario enforce their rights and seek remedies for landlord complaints. A self-directed online course will also be created for front-line workers to assist clients with housing-related legal issues.
Muslim Legal Support Centre
The project will support Muslim tenants in Ontario to increase their awareness and knowledge of tenant rights and legal obligations, and support those facing a legal issue by providing legal advice services. Legal advice clinics and education workshops will be offered and will cover topics such as eviction prevention, rent control and tenant protections.
The Stop Community Food Centre
The project seeks to enhance access to legal support by establishing a free legal clinic for tenants in the Davenport West community. This clinic will empower tenants with the knowledge to navigate tenancy issues, including lease agreements, eviction processes, and tenants' rights. Additionally, the organization will strengthen its capacity by providing specialized housing law training to advocacy staff.
The Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples
The project will increase access to justice for Spanish-speaking tenants in Ontario by increasing their awareness and understanding of their legal rights and options when dealing with housing matters through public legal education resources and by providing on-site legal advice.
Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario
The project will broaden the reach of legal education and information materials to non-English speaking tenants and those facing legal and systemic barriers to housing stability as a result of gender-based violence. Resources will be translated into multiple languages to support tenants to understand their rights and help them feel empowered to advocate for themselves.
Regent Park Neighbourhood Association
The project will develop and distribute multilingual public legal education and information for tenants in the Regent Park neighbourhood of Toronto. Tenant rights training sessions and webinars will be offered. Collaboration with partners and tenants will support the assessment of systemic housing issues and recommendations to the City of Toronto.
Centre for Immigrants and Community Services
The project aims to increase access to justice for newcomers and refugees facing discrimination in Toronto. It will achieve this by providing training sessions for settlement and community workers, offering legal education workshops for newcomer tenants, and partnering with legal professionals to provide legal advice. The organization will also support community agencies in delivering tenant rights workshops and enhance its multilingual tenant support website, making it a central resource hub.
Centre de services communautaires Vanier
The project aims to increase access to justice for newcomers and immigrants in the Vanier region of Ottawa. Public legal education and information workshops on tenancy-related topics for current and future tenants will be offered. Additionally, the organization will expand its existing tenancy support program by hiring paralegals to provide tenants with summary legal advice, assist with completing and reviewing tenant applications, and refer them to relevant programs and agencies.
Sudbury Community Legal Clinic
The project will provide public legal education across Northern Ontario on tenants’ rights, provide support for completing tenant applications to file with the Landlord Tenant Board, and enable tenants to self-advocate. The project will also provide summary legal advice and brief services to tenants.
Niagara Community Legal Clinic
The project will address the intersecting legal needs of poverty affected tenants in the Niagara Peninsula. In-person public legal education sessions will be offered throughout the region, in addition to online sessions and social media campaigns. Individual legal advice will be offered to clients who are facing legal situations in the Landlord and Tenant Board and potential intersecting legal issues in the Human Rights Tribunal and/or small claims court. The project aims to support marginalized tenants and houseless people, particularly those who are Indigenous, Black, racialized, trans, female, and/or queer.
Québec
Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain
The project will offer training sessions to its network on policy development to enhance the capacity of these organizations to address systemic legal tenancy issues. A directory of key tenant resources will also be developed to assist tenants when looking for support across Quebec.
Éducaloi
The project will identify the current needs of different target audiences in terms of understanding their rights as tenants. Following these consultations, Éducaloi will deliver a training workshop for community partners, and adapt, print and distribute public legal education tools in several languages.
The Refugee Centre
The project aims to increase awareness and knowledge, as well as enhance access to legal support for refugees, newcomers, and refugee claimants in Canada. The organization will create and translate public legal education and information materials, organize workshops and training sessions, and provide legal advice to ensure clients are fully informed and supported throughout their legal proceedings. Additionally, they will conduct research and develop policy recommendations to advocate for changes that improve housing security and protect tenant rights for vulnerable populations.
Centre de justice de proximité Outaouais
The project will provide access to legal advice services for tenants, specifically immigrant tenants in the Outaouais region. In collaboration with key community service providers, legal clinics will be offered throughout the region. A network of practice will also be created across the 13 regions in Quebec served by a Centre de justice de proximité to enhance the capacity to support tenants with legal issues.
www.info-justice.ca/centres/outaouais
Moelle Épinière et Motricité Québec
The project will provide access to legal information and advice services for tenants with disabilities in Quebec. Legal education resources and information sessions will be offered, in addition to access to legal advice and navigation services. Supports will provide information on legal rights and options specific to disabled tenants, as well as how to navigate disability programs and assistance in relation to housing.
New Brunswick
Public Legal Education and Information Service of NB
The project will provide access to legal information about residential tenancy law in both official languages for tenants in New Brunswick. Legal clinics will provide access to legal advice, especially in rural and majority francophone areas in the province. A legal InfoLine service will also be available to tenants to ask legal questions and receive tailored legal information on tenancy issues.
Nova Scotia
Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia
The project will develop PLEI resources, including a short video series, on landlord obligations, specifically in scenarios of owner-occupied properties. Community outreach sessions will be held around Nova Scotia to further support increased awareness of tenant and landlord obligations.
Nova Scotia Legal Aid Commission
The project will expand legal tenancy advice services across the province of Nova Scotia to meet an increasing demand. Public legal education materials will be developed and updated throughout the project, and workshops on tenants' rights will be delivered across the province and in partnership with community organizations and service providers.
Prince Edward Island
Community Legal Information Association of PEI
The project will expand Renting PEI's reach to further support tenants by providing rental law information in plain language. Specifically, the project will connect with more tenants from underserved populations, such as minority language communities, newcomers, and tenants living in rural areas.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Public Legal Information Association of Newfoundland and Labrador
The project will update and develop new legal education and information resources for tenants in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and will deliver presentations to extend outreach to newcomer and student populations. The project will provide access to free legal advice from a roster of participating practicing lawyers. The organization will develop and deliver plain language legal education materials including presentations for tenants outlining their legal rights, obligations and procedures under the provincial Residential Tenancies Act. The project will focus on marginalized and vulnerable populations who are renting and will collaborate with community-based organizations to enhance legal support and awareness for tenants in the province.
Yukon
Yukon Status of Women Council
The project will increase tenants’ access to justice in the Yukon by developing legal education resources, advocacy support, and developing recommendations for addressing systemic housing issues. The focus of the project will be addressing tenant advocacy and housing justice issues from a Northern perspective. Tenant legal education and advocacy tools will be developed and made accessible on an online hub. An awareness campaign will be launched, focused on tenant rights and housing issues. Research and input from tenants will support final policy recommendations to address systemic housing issues.
NATIONAL
Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (in partnership with the National Right to Housing Network)
The project will provide accessible public legal education and information resources, conduct targeted outreach, and convene tenants with lived experience and key stakeholders to develop roadmaps for implementing systemic policy solutions for housing.
www.caeh.ca
www.housingrights.ca
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN)
The project will enhance awareness and knowledge of housing rights and legal options when dealing with housing matters for low-to-moderate income tenants. Public legal education workshops and resources will be developed and delivered in six regions across Canada. ACORN will partner will local legal clinics to deliver the workshops and distribute materials.
Atira Women’s Resource Society (in partnership with the Women’s National Housing and Homelessness Network)
The project will empower women and gender-diverse tenant leaders, maintaining a focus on intersectionality and rural and remote communities, to mobilize tenant rights education, enhance awareness of legal resources, and advocate for stronger tenant protections. Following a needs assessment, culturally appropriate and accessible tenant rights education curriculum will be developed to educate individuals on tenant rights, navigating legal systems, and accessing support services. Local tenant leaders will be trained to support their peers and to build capacity for community advocacy.
Official Languages
In support of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act, the Department is committed to facilitate the participation of official language minority communities and their organizations in the development and assessment of the Department's policies, programs and services having significant impact on the development of the communities; and to take measures to ensure that the Department of Justice's programs and services reach official language minority communities. In the context of project funding, these measures include:
- outreach to official language minority communities to enhance their understanding of the Department of Justice funding programs; and
- encouraging contacts between organizations that are receiving financial assistance and official language minority organizations/groups to ensure that the needs of these communities are taken into consideration in relation to the proposed projects to be considered for Department of Justice Canada funding.
Sustainable Development
The Department of Justice encourages you to submit proposals electronically. If you submit your application on paper, please consider printing on both sides of the paper. These actions will minimize environmental impacts.
Publications and Resources
Contribution Funds for Non-Governmental Organizations, a Handbook (HTML)
We designed this guide as a reference tool to help you better understand and comply with the financial requirements described in contribution agreements. We recommended that you review this handbook if you receive funding for your project.
Contact Information
Department of Justice Canada
Justice Partnership and Innovation Program
284 Wellington Street, 6th Floor
Ottawa ON K1A 0H8
Telephone: (613) 941-4193
E-mail: jus.jpip-pjpi@justice.gc.ca
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