1.1 Description

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is looking to work with industry stakeholders by funding the creation of new education, training and awareness (ETA) projects. These projects must be designed to improve compliance with provincial laws within the AGCO’s mandate and/or enhance awareness of issues of public interest within the sectors the AGCO regulates.

For the funding cycle, the total amount of funds the AGCO will make available to stakeholders through this ETA Fund is $350,000, with a maximum amount of $125,000 for any one project or initiative. In order to encourage a variety of ETA initiatives, a portion of these funds will be dedicated to smaller projects, in which applicants are seeking funding of $30,000 or less. Applicants whose proposals are selected will be expected to complete their work by March 31, 2022.

1.2 Context

Over the past several years, the AGCO has been modernizing its approach to regulation by proactively supporting compliance rather than relying primarily on enforcement or disciplinary activities after an incident or compliance infraction has occurred. The goal is to help stakeholders to comply with the law by helping them to better understand their regulatory obligations.

Since 2009, funding for educational, training and awareness initiatives has been available through the AGCO’s Orders of Monetary Penalty (OMP) account. This account is funded through the monetary penalties that have been assessed against licensees, registrants and others regulated by the AGCO who have contravened provincial laws. The AGCO is required to use all of the money collected through monetary penalties exclusively for ETA purposes. Over the years the AGCO has increasingly leveraged OMP money to develop educational projects and initiatives to promote and enhance regulatory compliance.

The AGCO recognizes that stakeholders are uniquely positioned to understand the needs and priorities of their industries and members, and so can play an important role in increasing the knowledge and capacity of AGCO regulated persons to comply with the law.  Many also have experience developing public awareness campaigns on topics or issues relevant to the AGCO’s mandate. Through the use of the ETA Fund, the AGCO has expanded its use of OMP funds so that industry associations, social responsibility groups and others who are similarly active and have capacity to deliver programming in the sectors the AGCO regulates can apply to develop projects strategically aligned with the AGCO’s mandate and funding objectives.

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