Grant application window is open
Grant applications opened on June 26, 2025, and will close on September 26, 2025.
Overview
FSRA awards grants for Ontario-based consumer education initiatives or research that focus on financial literacy or awareness, or initiatives that strengthen the knowledge of those doing business in the sectors we regulate.
Prior to submitting a proposal for funding, applicants should read through the information below as well as our Use of Proceeds from Enforcement Guidance. The Guidance includes important information that potential applicants should become familiar with prior to submitting a proposal.
FSRA intends to use the Proceeds from Enforcement to fund initiatives that are consistent with the purposes set out in the Regulation. These include:
- funding research or educational initiatives to enhance financial literacy, financial awareness, knowledge of rights and obligations or the informed decision making of consumers or pension plan beneficiaries
- funding research or educational initiatives that:
- enhance the knowledge or understanding of persons or entities carrying on business in the regulated sectors, including activities, operations, regulatory obligations, or market trends in the regulated sectors
- have the goal of:
- improving the protection of consumers
- protecting and safeguarding the pension benefits and rights of pension plan beneficiaries
- promoting the good administration of pension plans
- improving compliance by persons or entities carrying on business in the regulated sectors
- enhancing knowledge or information about the regulated sectors
FSRA will review proposals to make an eligibility determination including the following criteria:
- Proposal does not further the commercial interests of the applicant’s membership or key stakeholders
- Proposal duration is no more than two years
- Scope of proposal is limited to Ontario and is for the benefit of Ontarians
Please review our Use of Enforcement Guidance for more details before submitting a proposal.
FSRA encourages entities who have the following elements, and who also have an eligible initiative in accordance with the required purposes of the Regulation, to apply for a Grant:
- not-for-profit organization structure
- incorporated in Ontario or Canada for at least one year
- Entities who maintain appropriate insurance coverage. Note that “appropriate” insurance coverage is determined by FSRA in its discretion by considering, amongst other circumstances and factors, the nature of the event being funded by Proceeds of Enforcement.
Please review our Use of Enforcement Guidance for more details before submitting a proposal.
As an applicant, your proposal should include information that will help FSRA determine its eligibility for grant funding and assess its merit compared to other proposals (see “How eligible proposals will be assessed” tab). Examples of relevant information include:
- Project name
- Project lead name and title
- Dollar amount of grant requested
- Project duration
- Type of project
- Problem statement and supporting evidence
- Project focus, goals and description
- Explanation of alignment with Ontario Regulation 554/21
- Target audience
- Impact on diverse, underrepresented or vulnerable populations
- Any partnerships with co-applicants, related details and rationale
- External content developers or presenters (organizations or individuals), if applicable
- Other sources of funding, if applicable
- Marketing and distribution / reach and engagement
- Impact / performance measurement
- Accountability procedures to administer, manage and oversee any funding received
- Proposed plan for reporting to FSRA on progress and results
Please review our Use of Enforcement Guidance for more details before submitting a proposal.
In assessing eligible initiatives’ merits, the evaluation committee will consider the following attributes, and any additional ones that FSRA may, in its discretion consider relevant:
Alignment
- Alignment with the required purposes set out in the Regulation.
- Alignment with FSRA’s statutory objects under section 3 of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario Act, 2016.
- Scope of the proposal is limited to a specific FSRA-regulated sector or multiple FSRA-regulated sectors.
- Alignment with FSRA’s strategic direction as outlined in its most recent Annual Business Plan.
Value
- Clear, specific and measurable target outcomes for the proposal.
- Explanation of how the proposal would provide good value for money, including a cost/benefit analysis or benchmarking against other examples where possible (FSRA expects cost/benefit analysis to be proportionate to the funding amount requested).
Delivery
- Clear, specific deliverables associated with the proposal.
- Credible plan for completing deliverables on time and within proposed budget.
- Relevant skills and expertise in the project team responsible for completing deliverables, including plans for building skills and expertise where any gaps exist.
- Identification of risks to successful completion of the deliverables and how the applicant will mitigate those risks.
Communication
- Credible plan for communicating with FSRA over the course of the proposed initiative, including ad hoc communication, identification of opportunities for collaboration or cross-promotion, progress reporting, and identification of issues or risks.
- Demonstrated capacity to produce a final report on the project, including a summary impact statement, financial information, and measurement of outcome and output (i.e., deliverables).
Please review our Use of Enforcement Guidance for more details before submitting a proposal.
How to apply
Eligible applicants who have reviewed FSRA’s Use of Proceeds from Enforcement Guidance and who wish to apply should submit their proposal to [email protected]. Applications will only be accepted while the grant application window is open.
Contact us
If you have questions about FSRA’s grant funding that aren’t addressed in the Guidance or on this page please contact [email protected].
Consideration by FSRA as to whether to accept and fund proposals during any given year will be in FSRA’s discretion and may depend on several factors including, without limitation, the availability of Proceeds from Enforcement that have not already been allocated; FSRA’s plans (including annual plans); as well as the eligibility and quality of proposals received.
Grant funding may be a shared-cost program. For example, we may award 75% of total project costs while applicants contribute 25% of total project costs in cash or in-kind.