The purpose of the Indigenous Participant Funding Program (IPFP) is to provide funding in the form of grants for projects and initiatives designed to encourage effective Indigenous participation as well as increase the capacity of Indigenous communities and organizations.
How to apply?
An application form is attached and must be used to complete a funding application. The form must be sent to the following email: IndigenousParticipation-ParticipationAutochtone@tc.gc.ca
1. Program objectives
- Encourage and support the participation of and collaboration with Indigenous communities and organizations in Transport Canada’s (TC) consultation and engagement processes.
- Build Indigenous capacity to support the development of partnership and collaborative opportunities between TC and Indigenous communities and organizations.
- Create opportunities for Indigenous communities and organizations to gather information, provide their views, and collect, protect and utilize Indigenous knowledge for the purposes of implementing TC initiatives, obtain responses to their concerns about decisions and inform decision makers in their consideration of potential adverse impact on Indigenous rights before making decisions.
2. Available funding, approvals and payments
The funding will be provided as a grant. The estimated amount provided in the application, when approved, will be the amount the recipient may receive.
The deadlines for applications can be found in the Call Letter you have received by email to apply for funding under this Program.
Once the application has been approved, a letter of funding approval will be sent to the recipients indicating the Project Approval Date which is when eligible costs can start being incurred.
Maximum fundingFootnote 1 amount:
- Single organizationFootnote 2 - $4,000
- AggregatesFootnote 3 - $7,500
Upon demonstration that the recipient has met all eligible assessment criteria, payment of the grant may be made.
The approved application will form the official agreement between the recipient and Transport Canada.
3. Eligible activities
Grants may be provided to fund the following eligible activities so long as the proposed activity directly contributes to one or more of the program objectives:
Activities include:
- Coordinating local engagement activities and/or meetings
- Reviewing documents and providing written comments
- Preparing for, travelling to and participating in meetings
- Hiring expertise or conducting studies
4. Eligible recipients
- Indigenous governmentsFootnote 4, tribal councils and other forms of regional government, nationally or regionally representative Indigenous organizations, and/or Indigenous development corporations
- Indigenous Communities / Bands / Settlements
- District Councils / Chiefs’ Councils / Tribal Councils
- Indigenous Associations / Organizations / Societies
- Indigenous Commissions / Councils / Authorities / Boards
- Indigenous Economic Institutions / Organizations / Corporations / Co-operatives
- Partnerships or aggregations of Indigenous communities or organizations
5. Eligibility assessment criteria
Eligible recipients must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- The applicant has a direct interest in and/or the applicant’s Indigenous rights are affected by the development, design or implementation of proposed new or modifications to TC’s programs, policies, processes, regulations, legislation and directives, such as:
- Living or owning property in an area that would be affected;
- Has community knowledge or Indigenous knowledge relevant to the subject;
- Has expert information or knowledge relevant to the anticipated effects of the subject;
- Has interests in the potential impact of the subject on treaty lands, settlement lands or traditional territories or related claims and rights.
- Contributes to one or more of the program objectives; and
- Directly benefits the specific communities or regions identified by TC in the call for proposals.
6. Eligible expenses
- Staff salaries and benefits;
- Professional fees (fees for contracted services);
- Room rentals and other facility costs;
- Public outreach, communications materials and associated activity costs;
- Translation costs;
- Honoraria;
- Travel expenditures, which may include:
- hotel accommodation
- car rental and kilometric rates
- other transportation (bus, train, ferry and airplane fares)
- meals and incidentals
- Administrative expenses for up to 15% of total costs, including:
- general administration
- rent
- insurance
- office equipment rental
- membership fees
- Expenses for Provincial Sales Tax and Goods and Services Tax, or the Harmonized Sales Tax, where applicable, for which the recipient is not eligible for a rebate
7. Reporting requirements
Along with the letter of approval, an attestation form will be sent to all recipients. Once the activity has taken place, TC asks that recipients sign-off to confirm that the funding was used for its intended purposes. The form should be sent no later than 30 days after the activity has been completed.
Note that if the signed attestation form is not submitted, TC reserves the right to request that the funding be returned.
8. Service standards & notifications
After receiving an application, we will evaluate whether or not the application is eligible for funding and will inform the applicant.
In an effort to continually improve our services and conduct a transparent process, we have established the following service standards:
- Our goal is to provide applicants with written acknowledgement of receipt of the application within 10 business days
- Our goal is to issue payments within 20 business days following the notification to the recipient that the requirements outlined in the funding agreement have been fulfilled.
We reserve the right to accept or reject any submitted application. We may seek clarification if the information included in the application is not clear.
For more information, please contact:
Email: IndigenousParticipation-ParticipationAutochtone@tc.gc.ca