The Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan (AFCS) is pleased to administer the Request for Proposals for the Urban Partnerships Program (UPP). The realigned Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS), announced in February 2014, is a strategic framework implemented by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC), to address urban Aboriginal issues in the multi-jurisdictional and multi-stakeholder environment of Canada's urban centres.

The AFCS is responsible for administering a portion of the UAS, which includes UPP throughout the province. In Saskatchewan, AFCS will be administering $2.327 million for projects that address employment barriers faced by urban Aboriginal people through projects in Social Economy Social Enterprise (SESE), Youth Urban Partnerships (YUP), and Innovation. The newly realigned UAS retains its focus but with a more streamlined approach, which reduces the costs of administering and delivering each program.

The overarching goal of the UPP is to assist organizations in delivering programs and services which increase urban Aboriginal participation in the economy while attracting additional investments. Participation in the workforce means that Aboriginal people have the skills, knowledge, and training needed to secure and maintain employment, while excelling in a strong Canadian economy. Increased participation is occurs when individuals obtain a solid education, a comprehensive skill set and strong self-advocacy skills – all of which can be used to access and utilize services/supports that reduce those challenges which create employment barriers.

With a proven track record of accountability and transparency, and as part of the Friendship Centre Movement, the AFCS is well positioned to administer program funds provincially. As a local CBO, AFCS staff understands the difficulties faced within project delivery and can be reactive to needs that ensure success in programming. Friendship Centres are recognized as Canada's premier service delivery organizations for off-reserve Aboriginal service delivery, and these centres have always been mandated to serve the needs of all Aboriginal people regardless of Aboriginal status. Similar to the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC), the AFCS is governed democratically, status blind, and is accountable to both the federal government and directly to the urban Aboriginal community.

Further information on the RFP can be found at:
www.afcs.ca/urban-partnerships.html