AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan

What AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan does

AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan (APSS) is a registered Canadian charitable nonprofit (CRA Number 118779057 RR0001) founded in 1985 and headquartered at 1325 Albert Street, Regina, Saskatchewan. The organization delivers a unified harm-reduction and HIV/AIDS service portfolio — anchored by the Queen City Needle Exchange, HIV/STI testing (including point-of-care rapid, dried blood spot, and laboratory testing), free Naloxone training and take-home kits, and client care for people living with HIV (transportation, counseling, housing and medication support). In 2024 it removed 433,962 used needles, distributed 412,068 sterile needles (105.3% return rate), supported 160 HIV-positive clients, trained 911 people in Naloxone (493 kits used in overdose reversals), educated 2,710 people on HIV/HCV/STIs, and held 6,498 harm-reduction conversations.

The business model is non-commercial: every program — testing, Naloxone kits, needles, condoms, counseling, education — is delivered free of charge to clients. Revenue is instead assembled from government grants (including a documented $265,000 Health Canada grant in July 2023) and individual/corporate donations processed through the Canada Helps platform. The technology layer is intentionally lightweight: a self-service web app (reportneedles.ca) for community members to report discarded needles, plus a content-oriented website hosting education resources in English and Cree. Strategic partnerships — All Nations Hope (Indigenous-led support group), Community Based Research Centre (HIV self-tests), Street Project Van (after-hours referral) — function as force multipliers rather than revenue channels.

APSS occupies a quasi-monopolistic role in harm-reduction service delivery in Regina and southern Saskatchewan, with an estimated 11–50 employees and no documented commercial competitor operating at comparable scale. Its growth is constrained by grant cycles rather than market demand, and its durability is anchored in 40 years of community trust, Indigenous partnership depth, and entrenched referral relationships rather than proprietary technology.

Name

AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan

Legal name

AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan Inc.

Website

https://aidsprogramssouthsask.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan is a Regina-based nonprofit (founded 1985) that delivers free harm-reduction services — needle exchange, HIV/STI testing, Naloxone training, and client support — to people living with HIV, people who use drugs, and the wider southern Saskatchewan community, funded primarily by government grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health Services

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Sexual Health & STI/HIV Prevention Health Departments (HLAJAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Communicable Disease Control Programs (TB, HIV/STIs, Hepatitis) (BPAIAJAH), Infectious Disease & Immunization Program Funding (HLAJALAH)

Keywords

• Harm reduction services
• HIV/AIDS support
• Needle exchange program
• Community health services
• Public health outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Regina

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Government and Funder Support: APSS relies primarily on government funding and support from funders to operate harm reduction and HIV/AIDS support programs.
2. Donations: Individual and community donations help fill gaps in funding and provide essential harm reduction and support programs and services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan (APSS) delivers free, confidential harm reduction and HIV/AIDS services to community members in Regina and southern Saskatchewan. Its core offerings include the Queen City Needle Exchange for sterile needle distribution and safe disposal, free HIV/STI testing, Naloxone training with take-home kits, client care and support for people living with HIV, support groups, overdose prevention education, and community education on HIV, HCV, and STIs.

Product overview

AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan (APSS) is a non-profit community organization offering a unified suite of harm reduction and support services rather than a technology product platform. The organization operates the Queen City Needle Exchange for sterile needle distribution and safe disposal, provides HIV/STI testing services with multiple testing methods, delivers Naloxone training with free take-home kits, and offers client care programs for individuals living with HIV. Additional services include support groups, overdose prevention education, and community education on HIV, HCV, and sexual health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Queen City Needle Exchange: The Queen City Needle Exchange provides sterile needles and safe disposal locations for used needles, along with harm reduction counselling.

Products and services

• HIV Positive Client Care Program Provides support to individuals living with HIV/AIDS, including connecting clients to medical care, transportation to appointments, hospital and home visits, counseling, housing assistance, and medication support.
• Queen City Needle Exchange Provides sterile needles and safe disposal locations for used needles, along with harm reduction counseling, safer drug use education, and addiction referrals. In 2024, removed 433,962 used needles and distributed 412,068 new needles with a 105.3% return rate.
• HIV/STI Testing Free and confidential testing services for HIV, Hepatitis A/B/C, STIs (Chlamydia/Gonorrhea/Syphilis), and pregnancy, including point-of-care rapid testing, dried blood spot testing, and standard laboratory testing.
• Naloxone Training Free 15-minute training sessions that teach participants how to recognize and respond to opioid overdoses, with free take-home Naloxone kits provided upon completion. Trained 911 people in 2024 and distributed 2,140 kits total.
• Support Groups At Risk Support Group led by Elder Janet Dufour and Danita Wahpoosewyan, meeting weekly at All Nations Hope, providing a talking circle format for sharing and discussion in a safe space.
• Overdose Prevention Education Educational resources and training on recognizing and responding to opioid and stimulant overdoses, including information on the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act.
• Opioid Overdose Prevention Program Connects opioid users with peer support workers, assists with addictions treatment, provides housing and food assistance, and offers referrals to medical professionals.
• Education Services Presents education on HIV, HCV, and STIs to community members, including programs on HIV Basics, HCV Basics, Safer Sex Basics, Harm Reduction, and COVID-19/Mpox facts. Reached 2,710 people in 2024.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• All Nations HopecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll Nations Hope supports the At Risk Support Group led by Elder Janet Dufour and Danita Wahpoosewyan. The support group meets weekly and provides a safe space for sharing and discussing issues in clients' lives.
• GLCR/Q Nightclub and LoungeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosts the Annual AIDS Benefit event held on the Friday evening closest to December 1st for World AIDS Day.
• Community Based Research CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides HIV rapid self-test kits to APSS for distribution to individuals in the Regina community, free of charge.
• Street Project VancoreOthersReferral partner for after-hours needle exchange services. Clients are directed to contact Street Project Van at (306) 766-7799 outside APSS working hours.
• Canada HelpsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline donation platform facilitating secure, confidential online donations to APSS with tax receipts issued through Canada Helps.

Scale indicators7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Street Project Van: Saskatchewan-based mobile needle exchange referenced as APSS's after-hours referral partner. Directly comparable in harm reduction mandate and geographic territory, operating as an evening/mobile complement to APSS's daytime services.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian AIDS Society: National umbrella organization representing Canadian HIV/AIDS community groups. Comparable in mission space but operates as a policy/advocacy and network body rather than direct service provider like APSS.
• REACH Nexus: National HIV research and intervention network including HIV self-test distribution. Directly comparable to APSS's partnership with Community Based Research Centre on HIV rapid self-test kits, but operating at a national research/policy level.
• CATIE (Canada's Source for HIV and Hepatitis C Information): National HIV/HCV knowledge broker providing education resources across Canada. Comparable in disease-education function that APSS delivers at a regional level, though CATIE does not run needle exchange or direct client support.
• Saskatchewan Health Authority: Provincial health system that APSS frequently interfaces with for client referrals and HIV clinic linkage. Comparable in serving HIV+ populations in the same geography but as the public-sector incumbent rather than a community-based nonprofit.

Regional players

• Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation: BC-based nonprofit supporting people living with HIV through housing, nutrition, and clinical care. Comparable in wraparound client care model that APSS offers, but with a more residential-care emphasis in a different province.
• Mainline Needle Exchange: Atlantic Canada harm reduction organization providing needle exchange, safer inhalation supplies, and education. Comparable program mix to APSS but operating in a different Canadian region.

Direct peers

• AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT): Canadian nonprofit delivering HIV/AIDS support, prevention education, and harm reduction services in Toronto. Directly comparable to APSS in mission, target populations, and integrated service model, though at much larger urban scale.
• AIDS Vancouver: BC-based HIV/AIDS organization providing client support, harm reduction, and education. Comparable mission and service mix to APSS, serving a different Canadian region but with overlapping program categories.
• All Nations Hope Network: Saskatchewan-based Indigenous AIDS organization and active APSS partner. Directly comparable in serving HIV+ Indigenous clients in the same province, with overlapping harm reduction and cultural-support programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan