National Housing Strategy Research and Planning Fund

The Research and Planning Fund has an annual budget allocation of $750,000 that covers all activity streams. The amount of funds available for new projects each year varies due to the multi-year nature of some projects.

Activity streams

The fund provides financial support in 3 different activity streams:

1. planning activities: up to $75,000 over a maximum duration of 12 months
2. research projects: up to $250,000 over a maximum duration of 24 months
3. knowledge mobilization projects: up to $75,000 over a maximum duration of 12 months

Streams of activity:

1. Planning activities

The planning activity stream provides your organization with the resources to lay the foundation for a future research project.  Organizations that do not have direct experience leading a research project are encouraged to apply for the planning activity stream.

Activities may include (but aren’t limited to) the following:

• stakeholder consultations, including citizen engagement activities
• needs assessments
• environmental scan or preliminary synthesis of relevant literature, case studies, activities or programs
• gatherings of stakeholders and developing partnerships to facilitate regional, national and/or international collaboration among individuals or groups from a variety of backgrounds
• hiring consultants to prepare research applications for groups that don’t have the capacity to do so on their own

2. Research projects

The research project stream provides funding for your organization to undertake a research project with one or more clearly defined research question(s), detailed research methodology, deliverable(s) and a knowledge mobilization plan.

Projects may include (but aren’t limited to) research activities such as:

• literature reviews and environmental scans
• surveys and interviews
• evaluations
• data gathering and analysis
• profiles and case studies

3. Knowledge mobilization projects

The knowledge mobilization stream is for designing, developing and delivering on a knowledge mobilization strategy to share research findings from recently completed research projects.

Activities may include (but aren’t limited to) development of the following:

• campaigns
• presentations
• mock-ups and models
• in person or on-line forums and conferences
• training and educational seminars
• engagement and facilitation activities

The program in action: Visit our National Housing Strategy Project Profiles page to learn more about projects funded by the Research and Planning Fund under the 3 activity streams.

All applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Lead applicant eligibility:

The lead applicant must be an active not-for-profit organization, registered charity, Indigenous government or Indigenous organization in Canada.

*Note: While academic institutions, private organizations and municipal governments can’t act as lead applicants, they are eligible to be project partners. Lead applicants are strongly encouraged to engage with various partners, including community-based organizations that represent and serve populations that are made vulnerable in the housing system.

Project eligibility:

• The project must address one or more National Housing Strategy priority areas for action.
• At the time of application, partner contributions (cash or in-kind) totaling 25% of the total project cost must be confirmed. Letters from contributing project partners must be included with the application.
• The project must not have been funded through the National Housing Strategy Research and Planning Fund in a previous competition year. Support will not be given for a previously funded project, event or identical activity. Funding will only be provided for research projects or activities that will be carried out after the signing of a contribution agreement.

Other considerations:

• Funding will only be provided for research projects or activities that will be carried out after the signing of a contribution agreement.
• Should an applicant’s project be accepted, the applicant understands and acknowledges that they will procure and maintain or cause to be procured and maintained insurance coverage as required by CMHC at their own expense.
• Depending on the level of risk exposure of the project, various insurance coverage and insurance limits may be required and/or adjusted accordingly, such as (but not limited to):
  • Commercial General Liability
  • Errors and Omissions Liability
  • Workers Compensation

The Research and Planning Fund uses a 2-step format for the application and review process.

Stage 1

A call-out for Stage 1 applications launched on August 12, 2024.

Stage 1 applications must be submitted by September 27, 2024, at 2 p.m. in the lead applicant’s local time zone.

In Stage 1, applicants will submit the lead applicant’s background information, a project summary including objectives, outcomes and relevance to the Strategy and an estimated project cost.

CMHC will review Stage 1 applications and invite qualified proponents to submit additional information in Stage 2.

Stage 2

Stage 2 applications will be solicited mid-November and will be due December 18, 2024. In Stage 2, applicants will submit the project team, detailed budget, statement of work and knowledge dissemination plan.

CMHC will review Stage 2 applications and proceed with selecting successful projects.

Projects may expect to commence in March 2025.

• Research and Planning Fund Applicant Guide (PDF)
• Research and Planning Fund Application Form (PDF)*
• Research and Planning Fund Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
• Research and Planning Fund Characteristics of Strong Proposals (PDF)
• Application Portal Guide (PDF)
• National Housing Strategy priority areas for action
• National Housing Strategy glossary of common terms

*Important: To use this interactive PDF, right click (Ctrl + click on Mac) the link to save the file, and then open it in Adobe Acrobat.