Ottawa rolling out Indigenous capacity building funds for northern projects

Ottawa’s window is open for Indigenous groups to apply for federal funding to better engage in projects linked to critical minerals mining.

Natural Resources Canada is accepting proposals for the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF) Indigenous Grants stream, part of Ottawa’s broader $1.5-billion Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund. 

Up to $3 million is available in a funding pot for Indigenous organizations or non-Indigenous organizations working in partnership with Indigenous communities, said a federal news release. 

The funding criteria specifically targets initiatives and activities surrounding mine-related clean energy projects, like a wind farm, and transportation infrastructure, like a mine access road.

Individual grant amounts of up to $150,000 are available for organizations, with up to $200,000 supporting Indigenous organizations located in northern or remote communities. 

Ottawa’s definition of a northern community are those located in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Inuvialuit, Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut. Remote communities are defined as those lacking year-round road access and not connected to the electrical grid, highway system or piped natural gas network. 

The deadline for proposal submissions is Dec. 17.

Eligible activities to receive grants include engagement, such as project-related meetings and consultations, and capacity building to help an organization improve its knowledge base to be able to meaningfully take part in discussions about development.

Also eligible is knowledge-gathering activities, to be able to share and incorporate traditional knowledge into a mine road feasibility study or a report to the community about the pros and cons of a particular development. 

Eligible expenses include salaries for employees working on an initiative, travel and training expenses, facility and equipment rentals, legal and contracting services, and communication and media services, among other expenses.

The government said priority will be given to those proposals based on several criteria, such as the potential to deliver “significant benefits” to First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. 

There will be an online information session on Oct. 21.

“Through this funding opportunity, we are supporting Indigenous engagement and participation in key critical minerals infrastructure projects, positioning us a global leader in sustainably sourced minerals while creating good jobs and long-term growth for communities,” said federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson in a statement.