Budget template
Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund (SAR NIF)

Download budget template (Excel 139 KB)

The budget includes all revenues and expenditures planned for a project. You must use the template provided and upload it into the online Application for Funding to be considered for funding.

Please make sure that activity-related expenditures are included in the budget.

The in-kind and cash contribution from other sources must be a minimum of 5% of the total project cost.

If you have any questions or have accessibility concerns with the template, please contact sarnif-fnirs@ps-sp.gc.ca.

Instructions for filling out the budget template

Along with your work plan, this budget template forms the basis of your application for funding. Please make sure that it is as detailed and accurate as possible to avoid complications and delays.

This budget template is completed in 3 simple steps, as described below.

• Step 1: Review these instructions
• Step 2: Complete the budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 1 (i.e. enter your project's estimated costs) and budget for FY 2,3,4,5 (if applicable)
• Step 3: Review the budget summary (and address any flagged errors)

Steps must be completed in order. Should you have any trouble completing a particular step, please refer back to these instructions.

Step 1: Review these instructions

Before proceeding to Step 2, make sure you have read all instructions. We will use the information you provide in this form to assess the total cost of the project. We will also check if the expected sources of funding would cover the costs. Costs must align with the activities described in your work plan. Completing this budget template does not guarantee that the program will cover the listed expenses if your project is selected.

Before you start, we recommend you take a brief look at each section to better understand how your budget will come together.

Step 2: Complete the budget for FY1 (and FY2, FY3, FY4, FY5 if applicable)

In this step, you will enter each estimated cost related to your project proposal.

• Write clear and detailed descriptions for each cost, so that they are easy to match to the activities. Use the examples of eligible costs provided below
• Compare your budget to your work plan to ensure that it includes all required costs for each activity. We may remove costs that are not clearly linked to activities. The department only covers costs and activities directly related to a project
• Costs must be reasonable and comparable to regional norms
• Round all budget costs to the nearest dollar
• Projects may start in November 2026 at the earliest (tab Fiscal Year 1 2026-27)
• Projects may be up to 36 months duration
• The government fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31, so the Budget form Fiscal Year (FY) tabs are divided out that way. Your project may start and end in the middle of a fiscal year; therefore make sure to use the correct number of months in your calculations on each FY tab
  • For example, if the project starts in November 2026, the maximum project end date is October 2029. Therefore, for this example, you should plan five (5) months budget on FY1 tab, twelve (12) months budget on both FY2 and FY3 tabs, and seven (7) months budget on FY4 tab

Adding an expense

To add an expense, start with the left-most column (Column 'A' / Project Expense Name), filling the information from left to right for each expense line.

Only include cash and/or in-kind amounts that are confirmed. This would be any contribution that a source has indicated they will provide when/if the project takes place. If contributions from other sources are not confirmed, they should not be included in the budget.

Expense categories

Each expense must have an appropriate expense category. Please review the eligible and ineligible expense categories in the Before you Apply section. Eligible and ineligible expenses are reiterated below. Please select the most appropriate option to the best of your knowledge.

Additional column information

Project expense description: Column A

Fill in the name, a brief description and concrete examples of the expense. The description should explain and justify the amount requested across the entire row, including Public Safety Canada funding and funding from other sources combined, if applicable. This can be achieved by briefly demonstrating calculations or costs from similar recent projects. A breakdown of examples can be found in the Budget expense categories table.

Expense category: Column B

Select the appropriate category that best describes the expense from the drop-down menu. Description of each category can be found in the Step 2 Help table below.

Public Safety Canada: Column C

Fill in the estimated Public Safety Canada contribution for this expense.

Other government funding (cash): Column D

Fill in any other government's cash contribution amount to the expense (if applicable). A cash contribution is money that covers project costs.

Other government funding (in-kind): Column E

Fill in any Other Government's in-kind contribution amount to the expense (if applicable). An in-kind contribution is a good or service provided instead of cash. For example, if a partner provides a room for a project activity but does not charge you, it is an in-kind contribution. Another example is the time a volunteer spends on your project.

Name of other government: Column F

Fill in the name of the other government's department or agency who is contributing to the expense (if applicable).

Non-government funding (cash): Column G

Fill in the non-government entity's cash contribution amount to the expense (if applicable). A cash contribution is money that covers project costs.

Non-government funding (in-kind): Column H

Fill in the non-government entity's in-kind contribution amount to the expense (if applicable). An in-kind contribution is a good or service provided instead of cash. For example, if a partner provides a room for a project activity but does not charge you, it is an in-kind contribution. Another example is the time a volunteer spends on your project.

Name of non-Government: Column I

Fill in the name of the non-government entity that is contributing to the expense (if applicable).

Budget expense categories

Federal Contribution Program limit per project: 95% of total eligible expenses.

Ineligible expenses

• Purchase of major primary SAR vessel, aircraft, vehicle or maintenance of same. No boats, airplanes, cars, trucks, 4x4s, snowmobiles, or drones
• Major replacement programs of SAR primary assets
• Construction of buildings
• Replace or upgrade of equipment or assets that organizations are providing or have previously provided
• SAR NIF funding beyond the end of the project, to sustain project activities
• Backdated costs for previously purchased equipment or services
• Equipment and training for heavy, medium and light urban SAR responders, as defined by Public Safety
• Payment of salaries, unless meeting all the conditions described in the Eligible activities/expenses column
• Ongoing operating and maintenance costs of existing facilities including utilities, building upkeep, etc.
• Interest on loans, interest charges, bank fees, and other costs of borrowing
• Taxes, for the portion that the recipient receives back in government tax rebates
• Travel outside of Canada
• Profit, defined as an excess of revenues over expenditures

Step 3: Review the budget summary tab and address any flagged errors

This section provides you with a financial overview of your project. All calculations are from information provided in tabs 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d and 2e. Please review to ensure your project is accurately represented.

Most budget errors are automatically identified for your convenience. However, please ensure that all eligible expenses are included and categorized to the best of your knowledge in tabs 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d and 2e of your budget, as this cannot be verified for you. All budget integrity conditions which received an 'ERROR' after verification should be addressed before the budget and its totals are submitted as part of your application.

Date modified:

2026-04-01