Finding Clarity in Complexity
The Government of Canada provides Indigenous program funding across numerous Departments. Apart from Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, federal program spending to address Indigenous priorities can be found across the panoply of federal Departments. These programs offer funding to support individuals and organizations in achieving their personal or communal objectives creating a mosaic of potential funding for Indigenous development projects. For First Nations, Inuit and Metis individuals and communities, the search for government financial support can be complex because there are literally hundreds of potential government programs to access – each with its own set of application rules and requirements.
Depending on the objectives of your project, different programs can be open to you. Are you a youth looking to advance your educational journey? An entrepreneur seeking to expand your business? Are you an employer looking to hire Indigenous talent? A community leader searching for ways to preserve your heritage, language and culture? One or many funding sources may be available to you, but success relies on understanding the requirements of government programs in order to tap into them.
This article will walk you through how federal programs are structured and provide some advice on how to access them successfully.
How do I find federal programs to support my project?
There are many programs out there that exist to support Indigenous projects. The bad news is that federal Departments tend to work in siloes, which means that you have to do some internet sleuthing to figure out which program might be a good fit for your project. The good news, though, is that the federal government knows this and has been developing solutions to assist applicants in this search.
In recent years, certain Departments have created pathfinding services to support Indigenous communities and individuals in navigating the complexity of available programming. Here are the main pathfinding services that are currently available:
The Indigenous Business Navigator service offered by Indigenous Services Canada helps to connect Indigenous communities and business entrepreneurs with programs and services available across different federal Departments.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada offers the Indigenous Pathfinder Service which assists Indigenous applicants on Departmental funding options and connects them with program leads.
The Clean Growth Hub is a whole-of-government service for those seeking clean technology funding (note: this service is open to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous applicants).
How do I know if I am eligible for a federal program?
Each program has its set of eligibility requirements describing who can apply for funding. Some programs are open to individuals (ex. youth, women, entrepreneurs), other programs are open to groups or entities (ex, First Nations communities, Indigenous organisations, charities, incorporated businesses). There is no standard language for these eligibility requirements. Whereas some programs will use broad language in describing who can apply, other programs will be very specific thereby limiting who can apply. It is important to note that although most programs are open to all Indigenous heritage groups, some target First Nations, Inuit or Métis peoples.
The program’s application process will describe exactly who can apply for funding. The key is to read the eligibility requirements carefully and to demonstrate that you meet all of the eligibility criteria in order to avoid being selected out of a process from the start.
How do I apply to government programs?
The majority of Indigenous programs can be accessed by applying to them with a project proposal. The project proposal is a document that describes the project, its timeline and the funding required to move it forward. The Department’s website will include a detailed description of all the elements which must be included in the application for it to be considered for funding.
It is particularly important to read the information provided on the application website to understand the kinds of costs that the funding can cover. These are called eligible expenditures and activities. For example, some programs may cover equipment and infrastructure to carry out a project whereas other programs may cover training and capacity building activities. You should also understand the reporting requirements for the potential funding – these are the reports which you will have to make if you are provided with the funding.
Each program is structured according to the Terms and Conditions from which they were created. The Terms and Conditions are internal government documents which describe exactly what programs can, and cannot, fund. Public servants use them as their guidelines in administering programs and they do not have the authority to work outside of the box created by these Terms and Conditions. For this reason, your project proposal should clearly demonstrate how it meets all the eligibility and reporting criteria that are described on the application website.
How will my application be evaluated?
The usual government practice is for staff to evaluate applications by measuring them against pre-determined criteria. This evaluation is usually done in camera and you will have little influence over the evaluation process. However, an applicant who has been refused funding can follow-up with officials to better understand the reasons for the decision and, in some cases, applicants can re-submit a revised application.
It should be noted that a growing number of programs include external Indigenous expertise on review panels to advise on process and make recommendations on funding. For example, Natural Resources Canada has an Indigenous Council to evaluate applications and make recommendations for funding for their off-diesel program for rural communities. The Indigenous Council provides recommendations on which projects should receive funding under the program’s Terms and Conditions.
What kind of financial support will I access?
Generally, federal government programs offer financial support through grants and contributions. A grant is an amount given by the government to a recipient who has successfully applied for funding. The main characteristic of a grant is that it comes with little reporting strings. A contribution is also an amount given by the government to a recipient who has successfully applied to a program, but this funding is subject to performance conditions that are specified in a funding agreement. The conditions usually include objectives which must be met by the recipient in spending the funds and specific reporting requirements to demonstrate performance during the life cycle of the project.
For example, monthly reports may be required to demonstrate progress on the project.
Both grants and contributions can be either non-repayable or repayable, in whole or in part. The contract which is signed between the government and the recipient (called a contribution agreement) will explain the conditions for the repayment of the funds. Some contribution agreements require repayments based on agreed-upon annual amounts. In practical terms, however, most federal programs for grants and contributions do not ask for repayment from Indigenous recipients.
What is stacking?
Different government programs can fund different aspects of the same project. This is called stacking. For example, one program may fund the costs associated with developing the course content for the training of employees while another program may fund the equipment used by those employees during training. When more than one program funds a project, the stacking limits of those programs must be respected.
The stacking limits are the maximum level of total government funding (federal, provincial and municipal) allowed by the program for any particular project. These rules may limit the amount of total government funding for a project. In practical terms, however, the stacking limit of funding for Indigenous recipients from all government sources for a project is often 100% of eligible costs. This can make it advantageous for Indigenous applicants who are able to piece together funding from various government programs to cover most or all of their project.
When should I apply?
Federal departments access their annual budgets at the beginning of the fiscal year, usually in April. Often, Departments have a public call-out for applications in the spring in order to allocate program funding in the spring and summer months. The application call-out is a firm - and usually short - window of time where Indigenous applicants can submit a request for funding. Less frequently, programs have on-going funding throughout the year.
Once a program has allocated its annual budget, there are no more funds to access for the rest of the year and applicants must wait for the next window to try to access funding. It should be noted that although most programs evaluate all proposals against each other, a growing number of government programs have distinctions-based carve-outs so that a certain amount of funding is reserved for Indigenous recipients.
The key to knowing when to apply is to reach out to Departments and ask about future application windows. Often, public servants can give you a good indication of when they expect the next application period to take place which allows you to plan accordingly.
Conclusion
Applying to government programs can be a complex and burdensome process. The key to successful applications is understanding the available programs and their eligibility requirements. My advice? Arm yourself with patience, read the fine print and don’t give up.
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