To ensure that when grants or contributions are made to voluntary non-governmental organizations serving the members of the public of both official language communities, communications with and services to the public are provided in both official languages in accordance with the spirit and intent of Part IV of the Official Languages Act.
It is government policy that federal institutions providing grants or contributions to voluntary non-governmental organizations for activities, projects or programs involving service to a public composed of members of both official language communities must take the necessary measures to ensure that the recipients of public funds respect the spirit and the intent of the Official Languages Act when serving the public.
This policy applies to all federal institutions subject to Schedule I of the Financial Administration Act. Other federal institutions must respect the spirit of this policy.
This policy does not apply to grants and contributions made to individuals or to contractual arrangements between federal institutions and the private sector for providing services to the public on behalf of a federal institution (see section 25 of the Act and note in chapter 1-1). For specific policy requirements on grants and contributions related to events of national or international scope, see also chapter 1-3 of this volume.
Pursuant to the Treasury Board policy on grants and contributions, a federal institution may make either a grant (unconditional transfer payment) or contribution (transfer payment with conditions) to a voluntary non-governmental organization.
In the case of a grant, the institution must determine, when first reviewing a proposal, if a public consisting of both official language communities is to be served, in accordance with requirements 3 or 4 below, or both. If so, the commitment to meet obligations relating to service to the public in both official languages must be a criterion for eligibility for grant funding.
In the case of a contribution, a clause in the contribution agreement must, where appropriate, clearly set out the recipient's commitments concerning service to the public in both official languages, in accordance with requirements 3 or 4 below, or both.
The terms of this clause may vary depending on the nature and the purpose of the activity, project or program, as well as the government's interest in the activity, project or program in question (e.g., bilingual image of the country, national or local scope, etc.) and the type of organization receiving the assistance.
1. In the case of both grants and contributions, the federal institution must, at the outset, indicate clearly its expectations with regard to official languages to the recipient organization (see Appendix A).
2. For both grants and contributions, the recipient organization, in consultation with the federal institution providing funding, must first determine the clientele involved and, if required, the language obligations.
The activity, project or program may require the use of only one official language or neither one of them, depending on the particular public involved.
3. In cases where it has been determined that an activity, project or program receiving financial assistance is national in scope and includes services to the general public of both linguistic communities, federal institutions must ensure that recipient organizations will:
4. When the activity, project or program receiving financial assistance is regional or local in scope and the recipient organization, in consultation with the federal institution providing funding, determines that the demand justifies the use of both official languages, services to the general public must be provided in both official languages (see policy requirement 3 above).
When a grant or contribution is made for a regional or local activity, project or program aimed at and operated by a group specifically identified with one of the two official language communities, federal institutions may wish to consider whether funding a similar activity, project or program for the other official language community might be appropriate.
The Treasury Board Secretariat will ensure that this policy is implemented through:
Parts IV and VII of the Official Languages Act
Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations
Treasury Board policy on grants, contributions and other transfer payments, Treasury Board Guide on Financial Administration for Departments and Agencies of the Government of Canada (GFA), chapter 9.4 (to be published in Treasury Board Manual, Financial Management volume, binder 1, part 3, chapter 16)
Treasury Board Manual, Official Languages volume, policies on service to the public (chapters 1-0 to 1-5)
Please direct enquiries to the person responsible for official languages in your institution. This person may then address policy interpretation questions to the:
Official Languages and
Employment Equity Branch
Treasury Board Secretariat
When it is agreed that the recipient organization must serve a public consisting of both linguistic communities in both official languages, the federal institution providing funding should: