Indigenous Intellectual Property Program Grant

Deadline: 08-Sep-21

The Government of Canada is pleased to announce the Indigenous Intellectual Property Program (IIPP) Grant to fund travel, small-scale initiatives and projects related to intellectual property (IP), Indigenous knowledge (IK) and Indigenous cultural expressions (ICEs).

The IIPP grants are a part of a suite of Indigenous Intellectual Property Program initiatives, which were developed under Canada’s Intellectual Property Strategy. The IIPP initiatives aim to promote a more inclusive IP system for Indigenous peoples, through initiatives focused on education, awareness raising and capacity-building

What is Intellectual Property?

Intellectual property generally refers to creations of the mind, including inventions, literary and artistic works, designs and symbols, and names and images used in business. In Canada, IP rights, include:

patents, for new, useful and inventive products, compositions, machines or processes;
trademarks, for combination of letters, words, sounds or designs that distinguishes one company’s goods or services from those of others in the marketplace;
copyright, for original literary, artistic, dramatic or musical works;
industrial designs, for distinctive new features of an article, including shape, patterns, lines or color; and
geographical indications, for wine or spirits, or agricultural products or foods with qualities, reputation or other characteristics that are attributable to their geographical region.

Funding Streams

There are three funding streams for IIPP grants:

Travel Stream: Grants for Indigenous organizations for travel to events, meetings, discussions and negotiations in Canada and abroad related to IP and IK and ICEs, up to $5000 per person per organization for a single trip or up to $15,000 per organization for multiple trips and/or multiple travellers in a funded year. Grants under this stream can fund required preparation work, travel costs, and registration fees.
Small-Scale Initiative Stream: Grants for IP-related activities, limited in scale and scope, duration and resources required, up to $15,000. For example, these grants can fund activities such as a research project, drafting a policy paper, or developing educational materials and any eligible associated costs.
Project Stream: Grants for IP-related projects that are more complex or comprehensive than Small-Scale Initiatives, requiring more resources and a longer duration and can include a combination of activities , up to $50,000. These grants can fund multiple activities needed to carry out a project, including, but not limited to, related travel, research, development of resource material, event planning, business planning, etc.

Eligibility Criteria

Indigenous (i.e., First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit) organizations that fall under the following categories may be eligible to receive an IIPP grant:

Recognized representative Indigenous bodies at the national level;
Indian Bands/Inuit Settlements;
District Councils/Chiefs Councils;
Indigenous Associations/Organizations;
Tribal Councils;
Other Indigenous Communities;
Indigenous Economic Institutions/Organizations/Corporations;
Beneficiaries of comprehensive land claims and/or self-government agreements with any group of Indigenous people;
Indigenous Cultural Education Centres;
Indigenous Co-operatives; or,
Boards and Commissions.