Deadline: 07-Jul-21
The Government of Canada is accepting applications for its Indigenous Forestry Initiative Program to provide financial support to Indigenous-led economic development projects in Canada’s forest sector.
Benefits of the program include:
- increased Indigenous participation in forestry-related opportunities, businesses, careers and governance
- increased engagement and economic development for Indigenous communities and peoples involved in the forest sector
- increased investment and collaboration between Indigenous peoples and other natural resource development stakeholders, including governments, industry and non-governmental organizations
Funding Information
- From the funding expansion in Budget 2019, the IFI has allocated approximately $6.8 million to projects, with approximately $6.2 million available for 2021-2023.
What types of projects are eligible for funding?
- The scope of projects funded by the IFI is broad, with three general categories:
- use and management of forest resources
- clean technology and participation in the forest bioeconomy (e.g. biomass for heat/energy, pellet manufacturing, etc.)
- environmental stewardship
- Examples of IFI funded activities include:
- preparing plans/assessments that cultivate economic opportunities in forestry
- training and skills development to support forestry projects
- planning for forest sector businesses, including startup or expansion
- developing forestry related tools, technology, products, and services
Diversity and Inclusion
- In Budget 2019, the Government of Canada called on its suite of forest sector competiveness programs to include measures to address gender and other representation gaps within the forest sector.
- The IFI remains committed to supporting projects that help create a diverse and inclusive forest sector by increasing Indigenous participation in forestry-related opportunities, businesses, careers and governance.
Eligibility Criteria
- Indigenous communities and governments such as:
-
- band and tribal councils
- governments of self-governing First Nations
- local governments of Inuit communities
- Métis organizations
- economic development corporations
- national and regional Indigenous organizations
- Indigenous (50% or greater ownership by Indigenous people) for-profit and not-for-profit corporations, businesses, joint ventures, partnerships, associations, co-operatives and institutions
- non-Indigenous not-for-profit entities who are working with one or more endorsing Indigenous partner organization(s) to facilitate Indigenous economic development
- provincial, territorial, municipal and regional governments working with an Indigenous partner organization
- academic institutions and research associations working with an Indigenous partner organization
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3oyi6Kj