Funding to Support Victims and Survivors of Sexual Offences - Victims Fund

Overview

The Federal Victims Strategy (FVS) is led by the Department of Justice Canada and seeks to improve access to justice for victims and survivors of crime and give them a more effective voice in the criminal justice system.

The Victims Fund, a component of the FVS, provides grants and contributions to support projects and activities that encourage the development of new approaches, promote access to justice, strengthen the capacity of service providers, foster the establishment of referral networks, and/or increase awareness of services available to victims and survivors of crime and their families.

As of July 18, 2026, the Criminal Code refers to all offences that have any kind of sexual aspect as offences that are of a sexual nature or committed for a sexual purpose. For the purpose of this initiative, projects and activities related to supporting the victims and survivors of any offence that is sexual in nature or committed for a sexual purpose will be considered. The crimes do not have to have been reported to police.

This call will support projects and activities that:

• enhance access to justice for survivors and victims of sexual offences, particularly in relation to the provision of trauma-informed services;
• seek to develop and deliver training for criminal justice professionals on laws relating to sexual offences, including recent changes contained in former Bill C-16 (the Protecting Victims Act) such as the new coercive control offence (which will come into force by June 18, 2028);
• Promote an understanding among criminal justice professionals of how to identify coercive control; and
• advance trauma-informed, victim-centred approaches to restorative justice in the context of sexual offences and other instances of serious harm, where feasible and appropriate.

The Victims Fund does not provide criminal injuries compensation for victims of crime.

Funding Opportunity Objectives

This Call for Proposals invites interested applicants to submit project proposals that contribute to one or more of the following objectives of the Victims Fund:

• promote access to justice and participation by victims in the justice system;
• promote the development of laws, policies and programs for victims;
• promote the implementation of principles, guidelines and laws designed to address the needs of victims of crime and articulate the victim's role in the criminal justice system;
• increase knowledge and awareness of the impact of victimization, the needs of victims of crime, available services, assistance and programs, and relevant legislation;
• encourage governmental and non-governmental organizations to identify victim needs and gaps in services, and develop and deliver programs, services and assistance to victims; and
• promote capacity-building within non-governmental organizations.

Eligible Project Activities

Applications may include, but are not limited to, the following types of activities:

• Projects, training or services designed to enhance access to justice for survivors and victims of sexual offences, particularly in relation to the provision of trauma-informed services, including trauma-informed approaches to support victims’ and survivors’ participation in the criminal justice system;
• Develop and deliver training for criminal justice professionals and first responders on laws relating to sexual offences, including recent changes contained in former Bill C-16 (the Protecting Victims Act), such as the new coercive control offence (which will come into force by June 18, 2028);
• Promote an understanding among criminal justice professionals of how to identify coercive control;
• Develop and deliver training for criminal justice professionals, restorative justice practitioners and first responders on trauma-informed practice, and the unique considerations that should be taken into account when working with survivors of sexual offending, especially when they are a member of a particularly vulnerable population;
• Projects or services that fill identified gaps at various stages throughout the criminal justice process for survivors of sexual offences;
• Pilot or enhance support services tailored to the specific needs of sexual offence survivor populations, especially underserved communities, such as victims and survivors living in rural, isolated or remote areas, victims and survivors with disabilities, racialized victims and survivors, newcomers to Canada, two-spirited, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning, queer, intersex and (2SLGBTQI+) gender non-conforming communities; and
• Projects that develop or enhance models of support for victims of sexual offences and other instances of serious harm in restorative justice programs to ensure that they have choices and receive support before, during and following a restorative justice process.

Planned Results:

All applications must demonstrate how they will contribute to the planned results for the initiative:

• Increased capacity to support victims and survivors of sexual offences.
• Increased awareness about the unique needs of victims and survivors of sexual offences.
• Increased access to services for victims and survivors of sexual offences.

Who can apply for this funding?

• Not-for-profit non-governmental organizations
• Inuit, Métis, First Nations governments, bands, Tribal Councils, local, regional and national Indigenous organizations
• Professional organizations
• Canadian educational institutions

Key Considerations

The following key considerations should be clearly addressed in every application. These considerations will be part of the assessment criteria for all applications received.

Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus)

GBA Plus is an analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive initiatives, including legislation, policies, programs and services. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue being addressed and how; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people directly impacted; and discovering, anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative.

GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography, language, race, religion, and sexual orientation. When preparing your application, explain which groups your project will serve and how your activities will affect them, especially groups that face higher risks or barriers.

To learn more about GBA Plus and to assist with developing your application, you are encouraged to take the free online course: Introduction to Gender-Based Analysis Plus and consult Justice Canada’s GBA Plus Tool for applicants and recipients of federal funding.

Trauma-Informed Practice

Trauma-informed practice is a client-centred model that is built on knowledge about the impact of violence and trauma on people’s lives and mental and physical health. It requires programs to integrate this knowledge into all aspects of practice and programming in ways that foster their clients’ safety, respect and empowerment. Trauma-informed practice is an emerging and innovative approach that can help build resilience and reduce the negative impacts for victims and survivors of trauma. Applications should demonstrate an understanding of trauma-informed practice as it relates to victims and survivors of sexual offence crimes and describe how this practice will be built into project activities.

A victim-centred approach is an approach that prioritize the rights, safety, well-being, dignity, and autonomy of victims. It seeks to minimize further harm, provide victims with information and support to inform their choices, and ensure that victims are treated with compassion, fairness, courtesy and respect throughout all processes and interactions. A victim-centred approach to restorative justice seeks to maximize the input and participation of victims in determining their needs and defining obligations and desired outcomes, as well as the terms and conditions for engagement in a restorative justice process^{Footnote 1}.

For proposals related to victim-centred restorative justice, applicants should demonstrate how safeguards will be put in place to support voluntary, safe and effective restorative justice processes.

Official Languages

In support of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act, Justice Canada is committed to facilitating the participation of official language minority communities and their organizations in the development and assessment of Justice Canada’s policies, programs and services having significant impact on the development of the communities. Furthermore, Justice Canada is committed to taking measures to ensure that 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 Justice Canada 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 Justice Canada funding.

Applications should describe how the proposed project will consider the needs of English and French linguistic minority communities, as applicable.

Examples of Eligible and Ineligible Expenses

The following are typically considered eligible for funding (this is not an exhaustive list of eligible expenses):

• Salaries and Benefits
• Travel (consistent with the National Joint Council Travel Directive)
• Office equipment, furniture, and supplies
• Professional fees
• Evaluation
• Training
• Audit
• Administrative Costs(max. of 15% of total project costs)

Ineligible expenses include the following:

• Capital expenses (i.e., purchases of land, buildings, and vehicles)
• Retroactive funding
• Services or activities already funded or delivered
• Projects focusing on independent legal advice and representation will be excluded from this call.

Length of Projects

• The length of your project will depend on the proposed objectives and activities.
• Projects are expected to start as early as April 1, 2027.
• Projects can have a maximum duration across three fiscal years. All projects must end by March 31, 2030.

How much funding is available for each project?

The level of funding will vary from project to project based on the nature and scope of the proposed activities with maximum amount of $450,000 per project over three fiscal years. Funds are limited and there is a need to ensure a diversity of projects and regional distribution of funding. Unfortunately, it may not be possible to fund all eligible projects.

Assessment Criteria

Applications must clearly demonstrate:

• Alignment with the objectives and planned results.
• Knowledge of community needs and experience supporting victims and survivors of sexual offences.
• Clear description of identified target population groups, project activities and expected impacts.
• Integration of key considerations listed (GBA Plus, trauma-informed practice, official languages).
• Strength of partnerships and community engagement.
• A realistic and detailed budget aligned with proposed activities and scope of project.
• Organizational stability and strong support structures.
• Efficient organizational financial management practices.
• Strong reporting practices, including a history of submitting complete and timely reports to funders in line with funding agreement requirements.

How to Apply for Funding

To apply:

• Request the application forms
  • E-mail vf-fv@justice.gc.ca
• Submit your completed application
  • By e-mail to vf-fv@justice.gc.ca
  • Deadline: October 26, 2026, at 12PM Pacific Time (PST).
• Acknowledgement of receipt
  • You will receive an e-mail confirming receipt of your application within 7 calendar days.
  • If you do not receive a confirmation, please contact the Programs Branch by phone at 613-941-4193.

Funding Decisions

Justice Canada may not be able to approve all eligible applications as funding is limited.

Funding decisions will be communicated by email to the contacts identified in the application. Funding decisions are expected before April 1, 2027.

If your project is approved:

• Justice Canada will contact you about next steps.
• A funding agreement must be signed and finalized before you can begin project activities.
• You will need to obtain Justice Canada’s permission before any public announcement of the funding.

Additional Information

For further information, please contact:
Victims Fund
Programs Branch
Department of Justice Canada
Phone: 613-941-4193
Email: vf-fv@justice.gc.ca