New Horizons for Seniors Program: Rules and Real Data
Quick Answer: The New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) funds community-based projects of up to $50,000 for up to a year, with up to $25,000 of that for capital costs.
Full answer and how we checked it
The 2026-27 call ran from June 2 to July 14, 2026 and is closed; ESDC starts telling applicants their results in January 2027 and hasn't announced the next call. Not-for-profits, municipalities, Indigenous organizations and public institutions can apply, but seniors must lead or help plan and deliver the project. Under the old $25,000 limit, about 2,600 to 3,400 projects a year were funded, with a median near $24,000.
This guide is for: seniors' centres, clubs, Legion branches, community groups, municipalities, Indigenous organizations and charities across Canada that run, or want to run, projects with and for older adults.
Data note: Grantsights checked every rule, date and amount below against Canada.ca program pages and ESDC news releases on October 28, 2026. The agreement figures are Grantsights analysis of the Government of Canada's Proactive Disclosure of Grants and Contributions data, published on the Government of Canada open data portal (opens in a new tab) and downloaded on October 28, 2026. We kept the latest amendment of each agreement and grouped agreements by federal fiscal year of the start date, so "2025-26" means agreements starting April 2025 to March 2026. Amounts are what was agreed, not necessarily what was paid. Every year in the data ran under the old $25,000 maximum, so it shows past demand, not what the new $50,000 limit will produce.
Grantsights' own tools cover US funding only. What we cover outside the US
In this guide (10 sections)
A note before you read: Grantsights builds its search tools and reports for United States funding only, so there's nothing to buy on this page. It points you to the official Canadian program pages instead. If a Canadian version would help you, tell us you're in Canada.
New Horizons for Seniors at a Glance (2026)
The maximum community-based grant doubled from $25,000 to $50,000 for the 2026-27 call, according to ESDC's April 2026 announcement (opens in a new tab). The same release said the 2025-26 call funded more than 2,600 community-based projects worth over $54 million in more than 400 communities, and that the program has funded over 45,000 projects since 2004.
| Feature | Community-based stream | Pan-Canadian stream |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | Up to $50,000 | $1 million to $5 million |
| Capital costs | Up to $25,000 of the grant | Not applicable |
| Project length | Up to 52 weeks | 4 to 5 years |
| How you get in | Open call for proposals | Invitation after a call for concepts |
| Most recent call | June 2 to July 14, 2026 (closed) | Closed October 25, 2024 |
| Next call | Not announced on Canada.ca | Not announced on Canada.ca |
The NHSP program page (opens in a new tab) lists five objectives. Every project must meet at least one:
- Promoting volunteering among seniors and other generations.
- Engaging seniors in the community through mentoring others.
- Expanding awareness of elder abuse, including financial abuse.
- Supporting the social participation and inclusion of seniors.
- Providing capital assistance for new and existing community projects and programs for seniors.
A capital request has to meet objective 5 plus one other. You can't ask for a new kitchen on its own; you ask for a kitchen that lets seniors run a weekly community meal.
Who Can Apply
Not-for-profits held 89.0% of NHSP agreements in 2025-26 (2,330 of 2,619), according to Grantsights analysis of the federal disclosure data. Governments, mostly municipalities, held 7.7% (201), and Indigenous recipients 3.1% (82).
According to the community-based who-can-apply page (opens in a new tab), eligible applicants are:
- not-for-profit organizations;
- coalitions, networks and ad hoc committees;
- municipal governments;
- research organizations or institutes;
- educational institutions, including universities, colleges, CEGEPs and school boards;
- public health and social services institutions;
- Indigenous organizations, including band councils, tribal councils and self-government entities.
For-profit organizations aren't eligible. Institutions funded by a province or territory need that government's agreement to apply, and Quebec organizations may need Quebec government approval before they accept funding. Organizations whose mandate is mainly serving seniors are "strongly encouraged to apply."
You need a valid CRA business number and a CRA or provincial document showing your organization operates, dated within the last 2 years. ESDC won't accept multiple applications from organizations with the same business number and the same governance. Chapters of a parent organization that share a business number can each apply for up to $50,000 per location if they can show separate governance, and each needs its own GCOS account.
The seniors rule is real. Seniors must lead the project or play a central part in planning or delivering it, and the application must describe their role at submission. ESDC's screening also requires that at least 50% of the people served are seniors. Activities can't be left for a committee to decide after approval.
What NHSP Pays For, and What It Doesn't
Administrative costs can take up to 25% of the funds requested, and capital costs up to $25,000, according to ESDC's eligibility rules. Everything else must be a direct project cost.
| Eligible costs | Ineligible costs |
|---|---|
| Staff wages and mandatory employment costs for delivering activities | Core operating costs, such as unrelated salaries, utilities and day-to-day maintenance |
| Instructors, presenters and facilitators | Medical interventions or devices |
| Event and workshop costs, materials and supplies | Vehicles |
| Honoraria | Land or buildings |
| Equipment linked to eligible activities | New construction that increases square footage |
| Repairs or renovations to a facility you own, up to $25,000 | Renovations to a building you don't own or don't yet occupy |
| Travel to the main activity when seniors can't otherwise get there | Decorating and beautification, such as painting or landscaping for looks |
| Administration such as bookkeeping and phone, up to 25% | Leisure transportation, such as sightseeing trips |
| Alcohol, tobacco (outside specific cultural rituals) and cannabis | |
| Grant writers or lobbyists hired to prepare the application | |
| Any cost incurred before the agreement is signed |
Source: ESDC, New Horizons for Seniors community-based projects, who can apply, checked October 28, 2026.
The ineligible activities matter just as much. ESDC excludes projects where tourism or leisure is the main purpose, projects providing core health services to individuals, fundraising, projects seeking recurring funding for ongoing work, and activities where seniors aren't the main participants. Renovation requests need at least one contractor quote dated within the past year.
Six Years of New Horizons for Seniors Data
New Horizons agreements peaked at 3,445 in 2023-24 and fell to 2,619 in 2025-26, a 24% drop, according to Grantsights analysis of the Government of Canada's Proactive Disclosure of Grants and Contributions data. The total agreed fell from $71.1 million to $54.7 million.
| Fiscal year (agreement start) | Agreements | Total agreed | Median | Middle half of agreements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 3,001 | $61.2 million | $24,000 | $17,333 to $25,000 |
| 2022-23 | 3,068 | $61.0 million | $23,000 | $15,875 to $25,000 |
| 2023-24 | 3,445 | $71.1 million | $24,000 | $17,955 to $25,000 |
| 2024-25 | 2,902 | $60.3 million | $23,667 | $18,054 to $25,000 |
| 2025-26 | 2,619 | $54.7 million | $23,813 | $18,600 to $25,000 |
Grantsights analysis of the Proactive Disclosure of Grants and Contributions data, fiscal 2021-22 to 2025-26. Latest amendment of each agreement. Agreed values, not necessarily paid.
The 2025-26 figure lines up with ESDC's own count of more than 2,600 projects worth over $54 million, which is a good sign the data captures the program. Only 2 agreements starting in 2026-27 appear in the data so far, which is expected: decisions on the 2026-27 call start in January 2027. Don't read that as a full year.
The bigger story is the ceiling. In every year, the largest agreement was exactly $25,000, and at least a quarter of agreements sat at that cap. Applicants were asking for the maximum, and ESDC was often granting it. That's why the limit doubled. With a $50,000 cap and no announced budget increase in the sources we checked, the same money could fund fewer projects. That's our inference, not an ESDC statement.
For example, one organization in Edmonton, Sage Seniors Association, received $25,000 in the 2025-26 call, according to ESDC's April 2026 release. Small organizations show up at the cap too: in the 2025-26 data, Digital Seniors Newfoundland & Labrador in St. John's and the Farm Centre Association in Charlottetown each had $25,000 agreements.
New Horizons for Seniors by Province
Quebec had 840 NHSP agreements in 2025-26 and Ontario had 816, the first year in our data that Quebec led, according to Grantsights analysis of the disclosure data. Ontario fell 32% from 2023-24 while Quebec barely moved.
| Province or territory | Agreements 2023-24 | Agreements 2025-26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quebec | 870 | 840 | -3% |
| Ontario | 1,192 | 816 | -32% |
| British Columbia | 456 | 299 | -34% |
| Alberta | 289 | 214 | -26% |
| Nova Scotia | 131 | 95 | -27% |
| Manitoba | 131 | 85 | -35% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 80 | 75 | -6% |
| Saskatchewan | 111 | 66 | -41% |
| New Brunswick | 119 | 62 | -48% |
| Prince Edward Island | 35 | 28 | -20% |
| Yukon | 14 | 17 | +21% |
| Northwest Territories | 12 | 12 | 0% |
| Nunavut | 5 | 10 | +100% |
Grantsights analysis of the Proactive Disclosure of Grants and Contributions data for fiscal 2023-24 and 2025-26, by recipient province. Territory counts are small, so a few projects swing the percentage.
The data doesn't explain why provinces moved differently. What it does show is that an Ontario, B.C., Saskatchewan or New Brunswick group faced a much smaller pool of successful projects in 2025-26 than two years before. If you're in one of those provinces, the rural and remote points and the vulnerable-group points below carry more weight.
How ESDC Scores Applications
Organization track record is the single biggest criterion at 20% of the score, according to ESDC's How ESDC assesses your application page (opens in a new tab). Applications go through organization validation against CRA data, then eligibility screening, then scoring.
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Mandate, qualification and track record of the organization | 20% |
| Benefits to seniors | 15% |
| Project objective | 10% |
| National priorities | 10% |
| Senior involvement | 10% |
| Benefits to community and community support | 10% |
| Project activities | 10% |
| Cost effectiveness | 5% |
| Vulnerable groups | 5% |
| Rural and remote location | 5% |
ESDC says it will refuse applications that are incomplete or contain errors, and past problems such as missing reports can lead to rejection. The amount you ask ESDC for has to match across the budget questions.
The 2026-27 national priorities, listed on the program objectives page (opens in a new tab), were supporting healthy aging, preventing senior abuse, celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion, and supporting financial security, including helping seniors get government benefits and file taxes. Meeting one is optional, but skipping it gives away 10% of the score.
What the NHSP Call Doesn't Tell You
The call for proposals says up to $50,000. It doesn't tell you that, under the old rules, a quarter or more of funded projects got the full cap, or that the number of funded projects fell for two straight years. Here's what that means for your next application.
Don't assume the new maximum is the new normal. The program has a history of granting the cap, but nothing in the sources we checked says the budget doubled with it. Asking for $50,000 because you can is a red flag if your project would work at $30,000. Cost effectiveness is scored, and a lean, specific budget reads better.
Track record outweighs everything else. At 20%, your organization's mandate and record count for more than benefits to seniors (15%). A new group should show what its members have run before, name partners, and keep the project small enough to deliver. Groups that underestimate this section often score poorly even with a good idea.
The building rule catches people. Renovations only qualify on a building you own and already occupy, with programming for seniors. Seniors' clubs that meet in a municipal hall or a church owned by a diocese can't put capital money into that space. Equipment that moves with you is the safer capital request.
Seniors have to be on the page, by name or role. "A committee will decide activities" fails screening. Describe which seniors plan, lead or deliver which parts, and how many will take part.
Don't start early. No cost before the signed agreement is eligible, and ESDC only starts sending results in January 2027 for the call that closed in July. Plan a project that can start in spring.
Watch the timing without guessing. ESDC's April 2026 release said the 2026-27 call would launch "later this spring," and it opened June 2. Canada.ca hasn't said when the 2027-28 call will open. Ask your regional NHSP office about information sessions through the program's contact form, keep your GCOS account active, and draft now so you aren't writing in a six-week window.
How to Prepare for the Next Call
Applications for the 2026-27 call went through Grants and Contributions Online Services (GCOS), and the 2026 call announcement (opens in a new tab) said all required documents must be included at submission, with incomplete applications screened out. A practical checklist:
- Register in GCOS now. Identity validation and authorization codes take time, and the call window was six weeks.
- Gather proof of operation. Your CRA business number plus a CRA or provincial document dated within 2 years.
- Get a quote. Any renovation or repair needs a contractor quote dated within a year of submission.
- Build the budget by category. Separate capital (up to $25,000), administration (up to 25%) and direct costs, and keep the requested amount consistent everywhere.
- Write down the seniors' roles. Who plans, who leads, who delivers, and how many seniors take part.
- Pick an objective and a national priority. Both, if they fit honestly.
Here's a hypothetical, not a real group. A Legion branch in rural Saskatchewan wants a digital literacy program where tech-confident seniors teach other seniors to use video calls and spot scams. That meets objective 2 (mentoring) and the healthy aging and senior abuse priorities, earns rural points, and could include up to $25,000 for laptops and a projector the branch keeps. Asking for $28,000 with a tight budget is a stronger application than padding it to $50,000.
Our guides on how to write a grant proposal and how to write a grant budget cover the basics, and they apply in Canada too.
Where to Go Next
Between NHSP calls, look at local money. Our community foundation grants guide explains how local foundations fund seniors' programs, and Ontario groups should read our Ontario Trillium Foundation guide. Churches running seniors' programs can check our church grants in Canada guide. If you want summer staff for a seniors' program, the Canada Summer Jobs guide covers the 2027 call, which closes December 3, 2026.
Sources Checked
All pages read on October 28, 2026.
- Canada.ca, New Horizons for Seniors Program (opens in a new tab)
- Canada.ca, NHSP community-based projects (call status) (opens in a new tab)
- Canada.ca, NHSP community-based who can apply (opens in a new tab)
- Canada.ca, NHSP program objectives and national priorities (opens in a new tab)
- Canada.ca, NHSP prepare to apply (opens in a new tab)
- Canada.ca, How ESDC assesses your application (opens in a new tab)
- Canada.ca, NHSP after you apply (opens in a new tab)
- Canada.ca, NHSP pan-Canadian projects (opens in a new tab)
- Canada.ca, NHSP 2026 call for proposals (opens in a new tab)
- Canada.ca, April 2026 NHSP funding announcement (opens in a new tab)
- Government of Canada open data, Proactive Disclosure of Grants and Contributions (opens in a new tab)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can you get from the New Horizons for Seniors Program?
Up to $50,000 for a community-based project lasting up to 52 weeks, including up to $25,000 for capital costs such as renovating space you own or buying equipment. The maximum rose from $25,000 to $50,000 for the 2026-27 call, according to Employment and Social Development Canada. In Grantsights analysis of the Government of Canada's Proactive Disclosure of Grants and Contributions data, the median agreement under the old $25,000 limit was $23,813 in 2025-26.
When is the next New Horizons for Seniors call for proposals?
Canada.ca hasn't announced one yet. The 2026-27 community-based call ran from June 2 to July 14, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and is closed. ESDC says it will start telling applicants the status of their application in January 2027. The pan-Canadian stream's last call closed on October 25, 2024 and was open only to organizations invited after a call for concepts.
Who is eligible for a New Horizons for Seniors grant?
Not-for-profit organizations, coalitions, networks and ad hoc committees, municipal governments, research organizations, educational institutions, public health and social services institutions, and Indigenous organizations including band councils, tribal councils and self-government entities. For-profit organizations aren't eligible. Seniors must lead or play a central part in planning or delivering the project, and at least 50% of the people served must be seniors.
What can't New Horizons for Seniors funding pay for?
ESDC lists core operating costs such as unrelated salaries and utilities, medical interventions or devices, vehicles, land or buildings, new construction that adds square footage, renovations to a building you don't own or don't yet occupy, decorating and landscaping for looks, leisure transportation such as sightseeing trips, grant writers or lobbyists hired to prepare the application, and any cost incurred before the agreement is signed.
How many New Horizons for Seniors projects get funded each year?
About 2,600 to 3,400 recently. Grantsights analysis of the federal disclosure data counts 3,001 agreements starting in fiscal 2021-22, 3,068 in 2022-23, 3,445 in 2023-24, 2,902 in 2024-25 and 2,619 in 2025-26. ESDC's own April 2026 announcement put the 2025-26 call at over $54 million for more than 2,600 projects.
Can a church or faith group apply to New Horizons for Seniors?
A not-for-profit can apply whatever its background, and the program pages don't single out faith groups either way. The project has to meet a program objective, be led or shaped by seniors, and serve mostly seniors. Renovation money can't go to a building your organization doesn't own, which matters for congregations whose building belongs to a diocese or property trust.
Last updated October 28, 2026. Published by Grantsights from public sources. See our editorial policy, how we build and check guides, corrections and how we make money.
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