Details of transfer payment programs under $5 million

Statutory: Contribution to the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act)

NRCan pays 50% of the operating costs of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board. The province pays the other 50%. This is done pursuant to section 28 of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act. The funds are drawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund. Cost recovery regulations put in place in 2016 allow the Board to cost recover up to 100% of eligible costs from industry, which are remitted to the government of Canada and the province of Nova Scotia on a 50-50 basis.

This transfer payment program does not have any repayable contributions.

The purpose of this grant is to fulfill the federal commitment to the operation of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), in order to improve wildland fire management in Canada through interagency cooperation in wildfire prevention, mitigation and operational response.

The objective of this grant is to provide wildland fire management services to CIFFC participating agencies through:

• Gathering, analysing and dissemination wildland fire management information to ensure a cost effective sharing of resources;
• Actively promoting, developing, refining, standardizing and providing services for the improvement of forest fire management in Canada;
• Sharing equipment, technical personnel and information intended to share risk and defray capital and operating costs related to wildland fire management in an effort to maximize program efficiency from national and provincial/territorial perspectives; and,
• Facilitating national wildland fire prevention and mitigation initiatives.

The expected results include:

• Provision of wildland fire Situation Reports (daily/weekly depending on fire season)
• National standards are developed and refined.
• Movement of resources across jurisdictions
• The coordination of wildland firefighting resources internationally
• Support the development and implementation of national prevention and mitigation strategy

Performance Indicators:

1. Number of fire situation reports and fire danger ratings that are updated daily during the fire season on the Proponent website. The information is available to the public.
2. Number of firefighting resources exchanged through CIFFC in Canada between provinces and territories in regard of equipment, personnel, and aircraft.
3. Resources exchanged through CIFFC across international boundaries in regard of equipment, personnel, and aircraft.

As part of the Wildfire Resilient Futures Initiative, the purpose of the program is to create a Centre of Excellence for Wildland Fire Innovation and Resilience that will support greater collaboration of wildland fire management in Canada and internationally through innovation, knowledge exchange and supporting Indigenous fire stewardship.

NRCan provides funding to support the Centre of Excellence for Wildland Fire Innovation and Resilience to create a venue for wildland fire knowledge mobilization and innovation.

There are no repayable contributions under these programs.

The Center of Excellence implementation will ensure Canadians have access to cutting edge research that supports wildland fire and forest management, climate change adaptation, and Canadian innovations.  The expected results are:

• Stakeholders are engaged in the advancement of science and best practices in wildfire innovation and resilience.

These results will be measured through the following performance indicators:

• Number of stakeholder organizations engaged through the Centre of Excellence for Wildfire Innovation and Resilience.

Canadian Recipients:

• Not-for-profit organizations;
• Indigenous organizations, groups and communities;
• Canadian academic institutions;
• For profit organizations; and,
• Provincial, territorial, regional and municipal governments and their departments and agencies.

The objective of this program is to generate new knowledge through common-good, publicly accessible research and development to support whole of industry progression. This will enable Canadian forest operators and wood product manufacturers to maintain and improve market access, reduce energy consumption and improve on environmental performance through carbon management.

This program will be delivered through non-repayable contribution agreements.

A Performance Information Profile, which will include the expected results of this program, is being revised and will be submitted to Treasury Board Secretariat by March 2024.

FPInnovations is a private not-for-profit R&D organization that specializes in the creation of solutions that accelerate the growth of the Canadian forest sector and its affiliated industries to enhance their global competitiveness.

Support the competitiveness of Canada’s natural resource sectors, improve energy efficiency in Canada and support the organizations associated with the research, development, management and promotion of activities that contribute to departmental objectives.

This authority is a mechanism to further program objectives, the funding disbursed through the Outreach and Engagement activities will be considered in the context of evaluations of the programs to which the funded projects align.

Performance and results information collected from the recipient will serve the purpose of evaluating the program and will therefore relate to the program’s outcomes and results.

The planned results (outcomes) are that:

• NRCan users have access to the Outreach and Engagement Terms and Conditions;
• Activities that support NRCan strategic objectives, which would have been unrealized otherwise, are enabled.

Indicators to measure these results are:

• % of users reporting accessibility to the Outreach and Engagement Terms and Conditions;
• % of users reporting that this mechanism met their need.

• Canadian and international, for-profit and non-profit organizations;
• Canadian and international universities and academic institutions;
• Indigenous groups (individual or a collective representing more than one Indigenous group); and,
• Foreign, provincial, territorial, regional and municipal governments.

The purpose of the program is to:

• Provide federal science leadership for the collaborative implementation of the Canadian Wildland Fire Strategy, enabling research related to national wildfire risk assessment and analysis to provide information that is grounded in science, which makes strengthened decision-making possible.
• Enhance whole-of-society collaboration and governance to strengthen resilience.
• Increase focus on whole-of-society disaster prevention and mitigation activities to:
  • increase the resiliency of Canadian communities to the risks and impacts of natural disasters.
  • undertake and implement risk reduction analyses and actions.
  • ensure that wildfire response agencies are integrated with each other to implement an effective wildland fire response program.
  • increase the wildfire knowledge of agencies, communities and individuals in order to create a culture of wildfire safety and to empower the public to understand risk.

There are no repayable contributions under this program.

Increase focus on whole-of-society disaster prevention and mitigation activities.

Results (1)

Canadian communities assess their risk with respect to natural disasters and establish and execute risk reduction action plans.

Indicators (1)

Number of communities with completed natural disaster risk assessments and action plans, by disaster type.

Results (2)

Enhanced nationally integrated systems in place to deliver a coordinated deployment of resources in response to natural disasters.

Indicators (2)

Number of agencies with completed technical assessments for implementation of systems interoperability improvements between agencies involved in natural disaster response in Canada, by disaster type.

Results (3)

Canadians have access to reliable, current, and comprehensive information, supporting whole-of-society awareness and action regarding natural disasters.

Indicators (3)

Number of new information, outreach or coordination products, services or functions developed, by disaster type.

Increase focus on whole-of-society disaster prevention and mitigation activities.

Results (1)

Canadian communities assess their risk with respect to natural disasters and establish and execute risk reduction action plans.

Indicators (1)

Number of communities with completed natural disaster risk assessments and action plans, by disaster type.

Results (2)

Enhanced nationally integrated systems in place to deliver a coordinated deployment of resources in response to natural disasters.

Indicators (2)

Number of agencies with completed technical assessments for implementation of systems interoperability improvements between agencies involved in natural disaster response in Canada, by disaster type.

Results (3)

Canadians have access to reliable, current, and comprehensive information, supporting whole-of-society awareness and action regarding natural disasters.

Indicators (3)

Number of new information, outreach or coordination products, services or functions developed, by disaster type.

• Legal entities validly incorporated or registered in Canada including:
  • Not for profit organizations
  • Indigenous organizations, groups and communities;
  • Canadian academic institutions;
  • For profit organizations
• Provincial, territorial, regional and municipal governments and their departments and agencies.
• International Recipients
  • Eligible International Recipients will include treaty organizations and other international legal entities validly incorporated or registered abroad, including: Not for profit organizations such as industry associations, agencies, research associations, standards organizations; and academic institutions.

In 2024-25, NRCan will continue to engage national partners on wildland fire resilience (i.e., federal-provincial-territorial partners, Indigenous and municipal leaders, and the private sector).

Recipients and prospective applicants will be engaged on an ongoing basis through various existing multi-stakeholder forums such as the:

• Canadian Council of Forest Ministers Wildland Fire Management Working Group
• Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre Board of Directors, committees, and technical working groups
• Wildfire program Indigenous Engagement officers and consultation networks

• Geoscience for Sustainable Development of Natural Resources (TGI & CMGD)
• Geological Knowledge for Canada’s Onshore and Offshore Land (GEM-GeoNorth)

This transfer payment program covers four Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) geoscience programs:

• Targeted Geoscience Initiative (TGI)
• Geo-Mapping for Energy and Minerals (GEM-GeoNorth)
• Critical Minerals Geoscience and Data (CMGD)
• Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (CMMI).

• 2024-25: At this time, it is forecast that there will be 4 grants awarded to Canadian academic institutions.
• 2025-27: It is forecast that grants will be awarded to at least 3 academic institutions.

• 60% of all grant funding has been awarded to Northern academia and Indigenous groups. Grant funding for 2025-2027 will be evaluated after a planned call for proposals in the fall of 2024.

• Training of highly qualified personnel (HQP) available for employment in the geosciences.
• Creation of collaborative geoscience research networks to leverage expertise and capacity to effectively solve research questions of pertinence to the exploration industry.
• Generation of geoscience knowledge to enhance the understanding of the processes that formed Canada’s mineral deposits, exploration tools or innovative techniques, and predictive models to enhance detection of buried ore deposits.
• Preparation of a final report on key scientific highlights.

• Enhanced data sets and modelling of Canada’s critical mineral resources, including environmental, societal and governance (ESG) criteria, to delineate economic and environmental pathways and value chains.
• Comprehensive geo-environmental and ESG characterization of critical mineral resources.
• Increased awareness of critical mineral opportunities for mineral processors.
• Improved understanding of the value of critical minerals in mine waste as a potential source of critical minerals.
• Training and mentoring of the next generation of highly qualified geoscience professionals (HQP).
• A narrative report to describe how activities have contributed to the objectives and any performance metrics.

• Leveraging expertise and capacity of geoscience research groups to solve CMMI research questions that support the promotion of critical mineral discovery in all three countries
• Encourage dialogue and tri-lateral research collaboration through CMMI’s framework and engagement platforms such as working groups, workshops and conferences
• Expanded knowledge base of green and transformative mining technologies and practices (through ESG integration in critical mineral research)
• Enhance market access for Canada’s critical minerals and metals.

• Canadian and international not-for profit organizations (including industry and research and professional associations);
• Canadian and international academic institutions;
• Indigenous organizations, groups or communities;
• Provincial, territorial, regional, and municipal governments and their departments and agencies.

• Provincial and territorial governments and their departments and agencies where applicable

• provide research opportunities in natural sciences and engineering to highly qualified individuals in areas of relevance to Natural Resources Canada – Canadian Forest Service
• address the diversity gap in the forest sector workforce with research and training opportunities for students from underrepresented groups to encourage postgraduate studies and careers in fields relevant to the Canadian forest sector

• To facilitate the participation of Indigenous Peoples to determine opportunities to engage in data collection activities in their territories
• To begin conversations to ensure that data and information collected are useful to northern and Indigenous communities and enterprises.

• the number of contribution agreements signed by eligible groups;
• the percentage of funding disbursed versus offered; and,
• the number of Indigenous groups who received funding that provided written/oral comments and/or participated in meetings with the Crown or its representatives.

• Natural resource sectors are innovative
• Clean technologies and energy efficiencies enhance economic performance
• Canada’s natural resources are sustainable
• Enhanced competitiveness of Canada’s natural resource sectors

• Forest Sector Competitiveness

• Support the scale up of Canadian small businesses through early-stage, pre-commercial Research and Development.
• Develop a domestic market for early-stage, pre-commercial innovations.
• Facilitate the subsequent testing and validation of prototypes, as well as prepare a pathway to commercialization and purchase of novel new products by government and non-government customers.
• Fund the development and commercialization of new technology to address specific problems identified by the funding department.
• Foster greater industry-research collaboration through the release of challenges for solutions that address key Government of Canada priorities.

• Generation of new Intellectual Property
• Research collaborations to improve innovation procurement from small businesses
• Small businesses attract venture/patient capital
• Commercialization of early stage R&D/Technology Readiness Levels by small businesses
• Employment of highly skilled workers in the Canadian innovation ecosystem
• Small businesses grow in the Canadian innovation ecosystem

• Number of new products, processes and services developed as a result of the ISC program
• Number of participating firms achieving high growth
• Value of goods and services commercialized following a contract with the government

• $400,000 in grants allocated to target recipient groups by March 31st, 2027.

• Indigenous communities or governments
• Tribal Councils or entities that fulfill a similar function (e.g., general council)
• National and regional Indigenous councils, and tribal organizations
• Indigenous (majority owned and controlled by Indigenous people) for-profit and not-for-profit organizations
• Legal entities validly incorporated or registered in Canada including for profit and not for profit organizations such as electricity and gas utilities, companies, industry associations, research associations, and standards organizations; Community groups; and Canadian academic institutions.

There are two streams of funding under the program.

• Regional modelling: selected Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping Program (FHIMP) Contribution Projects will advance regional flood modelling science and help fill gaps in flood hazard information coverage across Canada. These projects may include all research, developmental and operationalization activities undertaken by a proponent that are intended to result in advancing the above-mentioned objectives. Projects that are aiming to increase organizational efficiency in the application of these models, and to engage on the applicability for land use planning and regulatory purpose will also be considered.
• Traditional Knowledge: The purpose of the FHIMP Traditional Knowledge Stream Contributions funding is to increase the uptake, validity, and relevance of flood hazard mapping in Indigenous communities, as well as to facilitate the exchange of knowledge between Indigenous and scientific practices related to flood mapping.
• The contribution fund will support the development of tools to support communities, traditional knowledge studies, and rights-based engagement processes.

• Percentage of higher-risk areas covered by new flood hazard maps produced in accordance with scientific guidance and made available to Canadians;
• Number of flood map/studies that integrate traditional knowledge.

Proponent must be from one of the following types of legal entities:

• Canadian or international profit and non-profit organizations;
• Individuals;
• International governments, corporations, industry and their associations;
• Research associations and academic institutions;
• Provincial, territorial, regional, municipal and rural government departments, agencies* and some Crown Corporations whose objectives contribute to those of the Program. *This includes Indigenous national, regional, local or remote organizations.

GeoConnections is an ongoing program leading the evolution of the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI) with standards-based technologies and operational policies for data sharing and integration to address key economic, social and environmental priorities.

GeoConnections is co-funding the development of innovative adoption and further development of the CGDI with eligible recipients by using Non-Repayable Contributions.

The GeoConnections program ensures Canada's effective geospatial foundation, the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI) facilitates the sharing and utilization of geospatial information about Canada’s lands, people, and natural resources. In its ongoing phase, the GeoConnections focuses on the continual maintenance and enhancement of the CGDI. Between 2022-2024, the GeoConnections program funded seven recipients through a competitive Announcement of Opportunity. These funded projects significantly advanced CGDI capabilities on innovation and enhanced its socio-economic impact. Notably, they propelled Canada at the leading edge of accessing, sharing and using geospatial information over the Internet; and contributed to the integration and use of geospatial data effective decision-making processes.

The projects predominantly generated AI-based and open-source solutions aligning with government priorities such as emergency management, floods, wildfires, Indigenous reconciliation, and technological evolution. The tangible benefits extend to first responders, Northern Indigenous communities, environmental agencies, Canadian water engineers, and forest managers.

In 2024-2025, GeoConnections will finance projects aimed at addressing climate change and disaster resilience while leveraging and enhancing the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure.

Eligible Recipients:

• Individuals;
• Canadian profit and non-profit organizations;
• International profit and non-profit organizations; International governments;
• Corporations; Industry and their associations;
• Research associations; Academic institutions;
• Provincial, Territorial, Regional, Municipal and Rural government departments, agencies and Crown Corporations as set out in Schedule III, Part 2 of the Financial Administration Act

GeoConnections engaged with potential receipts through the Announcement of Opportunity, which was posted on the official website and distributed via email.

The generic GeoConnections Contribution Agreements mailbox or virtual meetings with potential Proponents were used to answer all queries.

GeoConnections encourages Proponents to provide feedback on the program and its processes at the last project closeout meetings to identify efficiencies and alleviate challenges for the Proponent.

• Natural Resources Science and Risk Mitigation;
• Innovative and Sustainable Natural Resources Development; and
• Globally-Competitive Natural Resource Sectors.

The purpose of the Indigenous Forestry Initiative (IFI) program is to advance Indigenous reconciliation in the forest sector.

The objective of the program is to support Indigenous-identified priorities to accelerate Indigenous awareness, influence, inclusion and leadership in the sector. Historically, IFI support focused on Indigenous-led economic development and Indigenous participation in the forest sector economy.

The IFI has $1M in annual funding. In 2023, IFI received a three-year, $16.6 million renewal ($13 million in total investments to proponents) with a refocused mandate to support broader forest-sector priorities (e.g., knowledge and science activities, engagement, and consultation), in addition to Government of Canada priorities, which include: advancing reconciliation and enhancing economic development outcomes in Indigenous communities.

At a departmental level, the program directly supports the Minister of Natural Resources’ mandated commitments to support forest sector competitiveness, advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, and the Department’s Program Activity 1.2 – Innovation for new products and processes and Sub-Program 1.2.2 – Forest sector innovation.

This program provides non-repayable grants (new in 2023-24) and contributions. The addition of a grant funding mechanism (piloted at $3M over three years) will test the demand for capacity support to rights-holding Indigenous collectives to prepare for, and participate in, industry and provincial-led sustainable forest management planning and forest policy development and engage in related fora. Funding for these aspects has been identified as a barrier for some Indigenous groups in implementing their rights with regard to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent.

Expected results of the initiative are to better align the IFI program with Indigenous priorities in the forest sector, which will help to build trust and improve relationships.

The Grants funding mechanism is intended to increase the capacity of Indigenous communities to respond to issues, opportunities, and obligations in the forest sector through low-risk, high-impact activities where ongoing federal monitoring is not necessary, due to the certainty of project outcomes.

The CFS Competitiveness Suite Performance Information Profile is presently under review following the program’s renewal in 2023. Current performance indicators for IFI Contributions include the following (but are subject to change):

• Number of Indigenous forest sector development opportunities identified, as demonstrated by the number of proposals received by IFI;
• Number of engagement activities (e.g., workshops, training sessions, meetings) held with stakeholders, including with Indigenous groups to advance economic development goals;
• Percentage of recipients providing workforce statistics that support tracking of workforce diversity;
• Number of milestones (tasks) met that advance Indigenous participation in forest sector development opportunities;
• Number of Indigenous led business start-ups or expansions funded by the IFI that are fully capitalized, in construction, and/or are operational; and
• Number of opportunity scans and feasibility studies completed.

IFI Eligible Contribution Recipients include:

• Indigenous communities or governments (including Indian Act bands, self-governing First Nations, Métis Community Organizations, modern treaty implementation organizations including economic development corporations constituted under a modern treaty, etc.);
• Tribal Councils or entities that fulfill a similar function (e.g., general council);
• Provincial, territorial, municipal and regional governments working with or on behalf of one or more endorsing Indigenous partner organization(s) to facilitate Indigenous economic development;
• National and regional Indigenous organizations;
• Academic institutions and research associations working with an Indigenous partner organization to facilitate Indigenous economic development;
• Indigenous (50% or greater ownership by Indigenous people): for-profit and not-for-profit corporations, businesses, joint ventures, partnerships, associations, co-operatives and institutions; and
• Non-Indigenous not-for-profit entities, such as corporations, joint ventures, partnerships, associations, co-operatives and institutions, who are working with or on behalf of one or more endorsing Indigenous partner organization(s) to facilitate Indigenous economic development.

IFI Grants focus eligibility on Indigenous communities and other entities who hold collective Indigenous and Treaty rights under Section 35 of the Constitution of Canada (1982).

• Regional Liaison Officers in five Canadian Forestry Service regions engage with potential applicants at conferences, visit communities and network with other government and industry leaders.
• The program maintains a list of interested applicants and emails these contacts when a call for applications is announced with application details.
• The IFI program conducted targeted engagement during 2022-23 to inform immediate program design and delivery needs for its 2023 renewal.
  • 2022-2023 engagement was focused on two key sources: issues raised by National Indigenous Organizations (NIOs), communities, and Indigenous organizations in conversation with regional, and Indigenous program staff; and the suggestions made in the IFI Advisory Review conducted by NRCan’s Audit and Evaluation Branch (AEB) with support from Goss Gilroy Inc. during the 2022-23 fiscal year. Topics focused on funding allocation and delivery, project approvals decision making, and approaches to performance measurement and reporting.
• To support the program’s next anticipated renewal in 2026, more extensive engagement will take place over 2023-24 to 2025-26. Engagement activities will include collaborative design exercises and targeted events that will include program participants, NIOs, and other Indigenous forest sector stakeholders who will collaborate in identifying barriers and opportunities to support distinction-based needs and forest sector priorities of Indigenous communities.

Subsequent input gathered during planned engagement in advance of IFI’s 2026 anticipated renewal will be used to propose a new IFI delivery model that more closely aligns to Indigenous partners’ priorities, reconciliation, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA).

As part of the Wildfire Resilient Futures Initiative, the purpose and objective of this grant is to support the development and exchange of knowledge, tools and resources by and for indigenous communities; also, to support capacity building to increase the use of cultural practices and indigenous knowledge as a fire risk management tool.

There are no repayable contributions under this program.

The expected results are:

• The knowledge foundation for wildland fire risk reduction is expanded.
• Highly Qualified Personnel (HQPs) are trained, including Indigenous fire practitioners.
• Science and knowledge of wildfire risk assessment, mitigation and adaptive forestry practices in the Canadian context are advanced.

These results will be measured through the following performance indicators:

• Knowledge production measured by the quantity of academic or “Indigenous Knowledge” output stemming from funded projects including project reports, published articles, research reports theses, handbooks risk maps, software, methodologies, and databases.
• HQPs supported through the program (including master’s students, PhD students, Post Doctoral Fellows, and Indigenous fire practitioners.)

• Indigenous communities or governments (including Indian Act bands, self-governing First Nations, Métis Community Organizations, modern treaty implementation organizations including economic development corporations constituted under a modern treaty, etc.)
• Tribal Councils or entities that fulfill a similar function (e.g., general council)
• Regional and national Indigenous organizations
• Indigenous not-for-profit (50% or greater control by Indigenous peoples) and for-profit (50% or greater control by an Indigenous community / communities) corporations, businesses, joint ventures, partnerships, associations, co-operatives, and institutions
• Academic institutions and not-for-profit organizations working with an Indigenous partner organization

• Natural Resources Science and Risk Mitigation;
• Innovative and Sustainable Natural Resources Development; and
• Globally-Competitive Natural Resource Sectors.

• Number of Indigenous forest sector development opportunities identified, as demonstrated by the number of proposals received by IFI;
• Number of engagement activities (e.g., workshops, training sessions, meetings) held with stakeholders, including with Indigenous groups to advance economic development goals;
• Percentage of recipients providing workforce statistics that support tracking of workforce diversity;
• Number of milestones (tasks) met that advance Indigenous participation in forest sector development opportunities;
• Number of Indigenous led business start-ups or expansions funded by the IFI that are fully capitalized, in construction, and/or are operational; and
• Number of opportunity scans and feasibility studies completed.

• Indigenous communities or governments (including Indian Act bands, self-governing First Nations, Métis Community Organizations, modern treaty implementation organizations including economic development corporations constituted under a modern treaty, etc.);
• Tribal Councils or entities that fulfill a similar function (e.g., general council);
• Provincial, territorial, municipal and regional governments working with or on behalf of one or more endorsing Indigenous partner organization(s) to facilitate Indigenous economic development;
• National and regional Indigenous organizations;
• Academic institutions and research associations working with an Indigenous partner organization to facilitate Indigenous economic development;
• Indigenous (50% or greater ownership by Indigenous people): for-profit and not-for-profit corporations, businesses, joint ventures, partnerships, associations, co-operatives and institutions; and
• Non-Indigenous not-for-profit entities, such as corporations, joint ventures, partnerships, associations, co-operatives and institutions, who are working with or on behalf of one or more endorsing Indigenous partner organization(s) to facilitate Indigenous economic development.

• Regional Liaison Officers in five Canadian Forestry Service regions engage with potential applicants at conferences, visit communities and network with other government and industry leaders.
• The program maintains a list of interested applicants and emails these contacts when a call for applications is announced with application details.
• The IFI program conducted targeted engagement during 2022-23 to inform immediate program design and delivery needs for its 2023 renewal.
  • 2022-2023 engagement was focused on two key sources: issues raised by National Indigenous Organizations (NIOs), communities, and Indigenous organizations in conversation with regional, and Indigenous program staff; and the suggestions made in the IFI Advisory Review conducted by NRCan’s Audit and Evaluation Branch (AEB) with support from Goss Gilroy Inc. during the 2022-23 fiscal year. Topics focused on funding allocation and delivery, project approvals decision making, and approaches to performance measurement and reporting.
• To support the program’s next anticipated renewal in 2026, more extensive engagement will take place over 2023-24 to 2025-26. Engagement activities will include collaborative design exercises and targeted events that will include program participants, NIOs, and other Indigenous forest sector stakeholders who will collaborate in identifying barriers and opportunities to support distinction-based needs and forest sector priorities of Indigenous communities.

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) engages with Indigenous Peoples in dialogues on issues related to its mandate. The contributions are intended to facilitate Indigenous participation in dialogues.

The primary focus for 2024-25 will be on consultations relating to the development of regulations under the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, for example, the Indigenous Ministerial Arrangements Regulations.

This transfer payment program does not have any repayable contributions.

The expected result is that Indigenous groups are engaged with the Crown or its representative in dialogues related to NRCan’s mandate.

Performance measures related engagement with Indigenous groups on the development of Ministerial Regulations and development of regional natural resource priorities:

• Engagement on the proposed Indigenous Ministerial Arrangements Regulations
• Confirmation of what was heard in early engagement on the proposed Indigenous Ministerial Arrangements Regulations. Develop a what we hear report.
• Establish engagement mechanisms and partnerships with regional based Indigenous groups/organizations across the country through the Regional Energy and Resource Tables following a distinctions-based approach that advances economic reconciliation by ensuring Indigenous peoples are participants and economically prosper in the transition to net-zero.
• Develop Regional Table collaboration frameworks and regional pathway documents that incorporate perspectives shared through engagement with Indigenous partners.

Direct Recipients: Those recipients that participate in dialogues or produce relevant knowledge, expertise, reports or input for the purpose of a dialogue to support active and meaningful Indigenous involvement in issues related to NRCan Mandate, including:

• Indigenous communities or governments;
• Tribal Councils or entities that fulfill a similar function (e.g., general council);
• National and regional Indigenous councils, and tribal organizations;
• Indigenous (majority owned and controlled by Indigenous people) for-profit and not-for-profit organizations; and,
• Members of Indigenous groups with community knowledge, Indigenous traditional knowledge or input relevant to the policy dialogue, and with interest in the issues discussed through the policy dialogue.

Initial recipients: Recipients that will further distribute funding to Ultimate Recipients, including:

• Indigenous communities or governments;
• Tribal Councils or entities that fulfill a similar function (e.g., general council);
• National and regional Indigenous councils, and tribal organizations; and,
• Indigenous (majority owned and controlled by Indigenous people) for-profit and not-for-profit organizations

Ultimate Recipients: Those recipients that receive funding from an Initial Recipient to participate in dialogues or the production of reports or input for the purpose of a dialogue, including:

• Indigenous communities or governments;
• Tribal Councils or entities that fulfill a similar function (e.g., general council)
• National and regional Indigenous councils, and tribal organizations;
• Indigenous (majority owned and controlled by Indigenous people) for-profit and not-for-profit organizations; and,
• Members of Indigenous groups with community knowledge, Indigenous traditional knowledge or input relevant to the dialogue, and interest in the issues discussed through dialogue.