Indigenous Habitat Participation Program (IHPP) - Contribution funding proposal guidance

Instructions to complete your form
(DOCX - 183KB)

This document provides applicants with an overview of Fisheries and Ocean's Canada's Indigenous Habitat Participation Program (IHPP) contribution funding, and guidance on how to fill in the Proposal Form. Applicants are required to submit an application to be considered for funding.

All sections of the application form must be completed to be considered for funding under the IHPP. Information provided to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) will be treated in accordance with the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. These laws govern, protect and limit the collection, use and disclosure of personal, financial and technical information by federal government departments and agencies.

Note: To be considered, your proposal must be emailed to the DFO regional office in the region in which your project will take place. A list of the regional office contacts can be found at the end of this document. If you experience any issues submitting your proposal by e-mail, please contact the DFO Regional Coordinator to make alternate arrangements.

Should your proposed project meet with the program's requirements and is chosen as a funded project, you will be contacted by your DFO regional office and asked to provide further details about your project as part of the development of the contribution agreement.

For more information on the program, please visit the IHPP website or contact the DFO regional office at the end of this document.

On this page

• Indigenous Habitat Participation Program - Contribution funding context
• General program information
• Proposal evaluation
• Instructions to complete the proposal form
  • Project title
  • IHPP funding request
  • Contact information and organization
  • Project team experience in engagement, capacity building and collaboration
  • Application to other DFO program funding
  • Overview and project description
  • Performance measures
  • Activities
  • Projected expenditures
  • Project support
  • Signature
• DFO regional contacts

A. Indigenous Habitat Participation Program - Contribution funding context

Fish and fishing are socially, culturally, spiritually and economically important for Indigenous peoples. DFO's Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program (FFHPP) has the responsibility for the conservation and protection of fish and fish habitat under the Fisheries Act.

DFO is committed to working with Indigenous peoples in the context of fish and fish habitat conservation and protection to advance the Government's and the Department's commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. On June 7, 2019, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans launched the IHPP to support partnering to achieve mutual objectives related to fish and fish habitat conservation and protection.

IHPP funding is available to support Indigenous peoples through two different streams, the contribution and grant components. The contribution component supports Indigenous participation in the development of regulatory, policy and/or program initiatives related to the fish and fish habitat protection provisions of the Fisheries Act. It helps ensure Indigenous peoples have the capacity to support partnerships and achieve mutual objectives related to fish and fish habitat conservation and protection. The grant component of IHPP supports Indigenous participation in consultations in relation to Fisheries Act and Species at Risk Act project authorizations. Separate guidance is available on the IHPP website for grant funding applications.

This guidance document is intended for contribution funding applications only. The IHPP contribution component provides funding in three areas:

• Engagement funding supports participation of Indigenous peoples in FFHPP processes developing new policies and making regulations.
• Funding for capacity building (available in inland areas only) supports establishing organizational structures; coordinating and managing activities across multiple communities or groups; and increasing access to training and skills development programs for Indigenous peoples.
• Funding for collaborative activities ensures Indigenous peoples can partner with DFO on fish and fish habitat conservation and protection activities related to planning, protection, monitoring, conservation and data collection.

B. General program information

IHPP Contribution fund priorities 2024-2025

The IHPP contribution funding will continue to provide funding to Indigenous Peoples for capacity building, engagement and collaboration activities.

Building capacity

• Establishment or support (as required) for coordinating/management structures to support multiple Indigenous communities or organizations located in the inland regions of Canada.
• Support for information awareness/exchange/training related to the conservation and protection of fish and fish habitat in the inland regions of Canada.

Collaboration

• Activities that support the conservation and protection of fish and fish habitat with long-term benefits

Who is eligible

You may be eligible for the IHPP contribution program if you are an Indigenous group with an interest in regulatory, program or policy initiatives related to fish and fish habitat conservation and protection.

This includes:

• Indigenous Communities / Bands / Settlements
• District Councils / Chiefs' Councils / Tribal Councils
• Indigenous Associations / Organizations / Societies
• Indigenous Fisheries Commissions / Councils / Authorities / Boards
• Indigenous Economic Institutions / Organizations / Corporations / Co-operatives
• Partnerships or aggregations of Indigenous groups
• Service providers mandated to work with Indigenous organizations in fisheries, fish and fish habitat, as determined by DFO.

Eligible activities

The IHPP focuses on working with Indigenous peoples in the context of fish and fish habitat conservation and protection to advance the Government's and the Department's commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. It will support partnerships to achieve mutual objectives related to the following activities:

Engagement on regulatory, program and/or policy initiatives

Engagement funding supports preparation for and participation in engagement activities and initiatives associated with the fish and fish habitat protection provisions of the Fisheries Act. Eligible activities under Engagement include:

• providing information, data and views regarding:
  • current or likely effects of the proposed regulatory, program or policy initiative on the regional area
  • related impacts on potential or established Aboriginal rights or titles
• reviewing studies and reports relevant to proposed initiatives (if available)
• giving feedback to DFO on these initiatives
• conducting engagement activities, such as meetings or discussion groups
• conducting outreach to increase awareness of initiatives among Indigenous peoples

Technical capacity-building: fish and fish habitat conservation and protection

To be considered eligible for capacity building funding, the applicant should be located in the inland areas of Canada, where the provinces manage the fisheries and where DFO is responsible for managing impacts on fish and fish habitat under the Fisheries Act.

Eligible activities under capacity-building include:

• operational programming
• monitoring, including baseline monitoring
• monitoring of projects and evaluating activities
• public and community outreach and education
• collaborative planning that is:
  • bilateral between an Indigenous group and DFO
  • multilateral between many Indigenous groups and DFO
  • among Indigenous organizations
• science and research into Indigenous knowledge related to fish and fish habitat
• monitoring and reporting on progress of technical capacity-building

Capacity-building funds will also support:

• training, information, knowledge, skills and professional development related to:
  • fish
  • fish habitat
  • conservation
  • aquatic ecosystems
  • protection of fish and fish habitat
• developing and maintaining management structures and governance, including:
  • administration
  • overall program management
  • organizational strategic planning
• business planning and studies to look at how easy or difficult it may be to build capacity
• outreach activities to strengthen awareness of fish and fish habitat conservation among Indigenous peoples
• collecting, developing and providing data, information and studies on fish and fish habitat conservation issues in support of capacity building

Collaborative activities

Eligible collaborative activities include:

• integrated planning initiatives
• monitoring, including baseline monitoring
• establishing fish and fish habitat conservation and protection priorities
• aquatic ecosystem data collection

Eligible expenses

Under the IHPP's contribution fund, eligible expenses are limited to:

• Travel, including accommodation, meals and allowances, guided by National Joint Council's travel directive
• Hospitality and related expenses based on the Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures
• Salary, wages and other labour for project-specific staff, including employer mandatory benefits as required by federal and provincial governments
  • Human resource costs for core/salaried personnel of the recipient are not eligible (i.e., staff related to the running of the organization); only salaries for temporary or occasional workers hired to undertake the initiative are eligible (the time of core/salaried personnel can be counted towards matching/in-kind support). Mandatory employment-related costs (MERC) are eligible for funding and are typically between 8% and 13%.
  • However, if an organization is structured such that employees are hired to support aspects of specific initiatives, then a portion of said employee's salary/wages as well as employer benefits can be charged to the initiative (i.e., whatever time they place against said work).
• Ceremonial costs, including services, where the funding recipient is an Indigenous group that:
  1. possesses Indigenous knowledge relevant to the initiative; or
  2. provides services to support consultation on impacts on potential or established rights or title. This may include:
     • any ceremonial offerings including relevant costs associated with providing gifts, such as tobacco offered to elders, in recognition of Indigenous participation and respecting Indigenous culture and procedures (e.g., support for ceremonies/prayers, gifts);
     • honoraria for elders and/or Indigenous holders. The elders/knowledge holders cannot be in receipt of any other salary or direct income for the activity for which an honorarium is claimed.
• Professional and specialized services
  • This includes the daily rates and expenses for expert advice or assistance to undertake the proposed initiative (e.g., biologists, engineers, facilitators, etc.) and includes contracts, consultants and legal fees. Legal fees should be linked to engagement activities such as reviews of policies, programs or regulations.
• Training fees and expenses, including materials
  • This refers to training activities that support the capacity building component of the initiative (e.g., courses, training fees and expenses, and any material related to the training). Please note that this does not include conference attendance for the presentation of papers or any academic related activity.
• Insurance
  • This will cover any insurance related expenses related to the initiative's activities as outlined under the contribution agreement (e.g., insurance for vehicle use, satellite offices)
• Outreach materials (e.g. printing costs)
  • These costs are associated with support of the implementation of the initiative (e.g., meeting and outreach and/or educational materials).
• Rental of office space, a room, set of rooms, and/or facilities
  • This can refer to the rental of a satellite office needed to support on-the-ground work, or to the rental of rooms to support a workshop, consultation, and/or meeting. This also includes the rental of any AV equipment associated with use of the facilities.
• Purchase or rental of equipment and upkeep (repairs)
  • This allows recipients to list any equipment rental directly related to the implementation of their initiatives. Furnishings for work spaces should be included in administrative overhead.
• Material and supplies
  • This can refer to any materials or supplies required for the implementation of the initiative (e.g., sampling or monitoring equipment such as hip waders, nets or gloves; meeting materials).
• Audio/video, data, network communications services
  • This includes all telecommunications, communications, and data related services associated with the implementation of the initiative (e.g., video conferencing).
• Administrative overhead up to 15% of the total contribution amount
  • This includes those costs not directly involved in the implementation of the initiative, such as the costs of office administration, e.g., costs associated with bookkeeping, accounting, and reporting. The overhead costs incurred by a sub-contractor (i.e., between the recipient and their contractor) cannot be included in the 15% overhead; instead, it must be presented to the program in the budget table as part of the contractual fees (under professional and specialized services).

Costs other than those listed here are not eligible expenses. Any GST/HST that is not reimbursable by Canada Revenue Agency and any PST not reimbursable by the provinces may also be eligible.

C. Proposal evaluation

Following the proposal submission, each proposal will be initially screened to determine if it meets the minimum requirements to be considered an eligible project. We will not fund activities that duplicate services, studies or written materials that are already being funded by other public or private sources.

We assess all proposals based on eligibility criteria, including:

• activities
• recipients
• expenditures
• relevance to IHPP objectives and the FFHPP, such as fish and fish habitat conservation and protection.

If the proposal is deemed eligible, it will then be assessed to determine whether or not it is to be considered a potential IHPP contribution fund project. Preference will be given to those proposals that:

• Address one or more of the priorities for the IHPP's three areas of contribution funding (engagement; capacity building; or collaboration);
• Engage a broad range of Indigenous partners; and
• Consider the sustainability of the outcome (i.e., have long-term benefits).

We will not fund activities that duplicate services, studies or written materials that are already being funded by other public or private sources.

The evaluation will assess each proposal on its:

• Strategic value: does it align with the IHPP objectives, as well as other national and regional strategies and priorities, and how well does it engage Indigenous groups (i.e., its scope); and
• Technical / program specifics: does the project have the potential to succeed based on the applicant's experience, additional resources, management capacity, and ability to outline how the funds will help to achieve the project's goals.

D. Instructions to complete the proposal form

Please follow the step-by-step instructions below to ensure your Proposal Form is complete. For any inquiries related to the application process, please contact the appropriate regional contact listed at the end of this document.

1. Project title

The project title will be used in all communications related to the project (suggested format: “Name of Indigenous community/organization, subject of initiative”). Maximum 100 characters.

2. IHPP funding request

Indicate the IHPP requested amount for 2024-2025. The amount identified here must also match the amounts identified in the Activities (section 8) and the Project expenditures (section 9).

3. Contact information and organization

3.1 Applicant information

In the table, please use your organization's legal name (i.e., no acronyms or nicknames), or the name/title that you have used previously, if you had a previous agreement with DFO. In either case, it is important that the name you use for financial transactions be presented or it may cause difficulties in the future with payments if you are successful in your application.

For the organization type that best describes your organization, please select from the list in the drop-down menu.

Please make sure you identify and provide the project's contact name and title, as they will become the main contact point for the IHPP project. Further, please include contact information for your organization including phone number, email address, mailing address and the organization's website address.

3.2. Applicant organization description

Please provide a short description of your organization including its mandate(s), objective(s) and structure. Maximum 300 words.

4. Project team experience in engagement, capacity building and collaboration

In this section, we ask that you provide details on the relevant qualification and experience of each member of your team that will support the implementation of your project.

This will be used to demonstrate you project team's capacity to deliver on your initiative.

Please do not include/attach resumes as they will not be taken into consideration.

5. Application to other DFO program funding

Please identify if your organization has applied to, or received funds from, any other DFO funding program in the past, such as the Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk (AFSAR) or the Aboriginal Aquatic Resource and Oceans Management (AAROM) program.

If you have, please list the programs, the associated projects, amount requested, and if you were successful, a brief description.

6. Overview and project description

6.1 Project overview

Please indicate to which of the IHPP's contribution fund priorities your application applies:

• engagement;
• capacity building; and/or
• collaboration.

Then please provide an overview of the project that includes the overall objectives and how the project will contribute to the IHPP's objectives. Maximum 500 words.

6.2 Project description

Please provide a detailed description of the specific tasks, activities and methodology that will be used. Please describe the targeted Indigenous groups or communities (including location(s)) and how the activities link to one or more of the IHPP's priorities including: the processes to be used for engagement; the type(s) of capacity building (or technical capacity) being proposed; and/or the approach to collaboration.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive description, but must be sufficiently comprehensive to address the IHPP's priorities and parameters. Maximum 500 words.

6.3 Outcomes description

As above, this is not meant to be an exhaustive exercise, rather we ask that you describe the outcomes to be achieved as a result of your project including anticipated benefits, and how it could contribute to meeting the objectives of the IHPP (e.g., benefits for your community). This could include short, medium, and long term benefits. Maximum 500 words.

7. Performance measures

7.1 Performance measures for 2024-2025

The performance measures section of the proposal is used to demonstrate the expected outcomes of the project. Please input the numeric values as indicated into the appropriate table(s). The number of partners engaged may include those providing financial and/or in-kind support, as well as any other communities or organizations participating in your initiative.

8. Activities

Only activities funded wholly or in part by the IHPP should be described in this section. Copy/paste the table rows for additional activities to be included in each fiscal year. Administrative fees up to 15% of the total contribution amount should be included.

Please identify your project's key activities (i.e., milestones within a project) and provide: a description of tasks and deliverables; the amount requested for each specific activity; and the start and end dates for each activity. There may be several activities listed in the work plan and additional table rows can be added for these.

The total amount for all activities should be the same as the total projected expenditures in section 9.

In the table(s), please identify the following for each activity:

• Activity name – it has to be clear, concise and descriptive of the activity.
• Amount requested from the IHPP to support the activity (estimated cost) – provide the cost of the activity that will be covered by IHPP funding. The cost of all activities combined in the annual work plan must equal the total IHPP funding identified in Section 9 – Project Expenditures. Administrative fees up to 15% of the total contribution amount should be included for each activity.
• Start and end dates – the timeframe has to be reasonable and include sufficient time to achieve the work for the specific activity. All tasks must be completed by the end of the Government of Canada's fiscal year (March 31, 2025), and no funding can be carried from a fiscal year to another one.
• General description of the specific activity(ies) –explain the activity to be undertaken and how it contributes to the IHPP's priorities. The description does not have to be exhaustive but must provide sufficient information such that there is no question as to how this activity contributes to your project's objectives.
• Tasks –list all major tasks to be undertaken under a specific activity. Applicants must ensure that all tasks are eligible under the program. Tasks should clearly demonstrate the amount of work associated with each activity.
• Deliverables – describe the indicators that would demonstrate that the activity has been accomplished and could include things such as a summary report, invoices, photos…etc.

9. Projected expenditures

This section provides details on the IHPP funded expenditures for the project being proposed. Please provide a description of the project expenses and associated amount(s) for each expense category, for 2024-2025. The expense categories used are the same as the IHPP's eligible expenses identified above, and the level of detail required for each category will depend on the nature and value of a specific expense. The table below provides an example of the amount of detail required for each budget line item. Please note that in the proposal, the expense description requires only a minimum degree of detail, as at this stage this information is only preliminary. Should your project be selected, further detail under the expense description may be required to develop the contribution agreement following discussions with the IHPP regional office, if insufficient details are provided in your proposal.

The total amount for all projected expenses should be the same as the total for all activities in the work plan in section 8.

Please refer to Section B under Eligible Expenses for the full list of expense categories.

10. Project support

10.1 Sources of support

The Sources of Support tables are used to identify all sources of support (cash and in-kind support) for a project in each fiscal year. The tables are also used to help identify whether a project has met the program's stacking, which is based on the total support provided for all years of the project.

The total financial support for an IHPP project from all levels of government (i.e., federal, provincial, territorial and municipal) cannot exceed 100% of the eligible expenditures of the activity, and of the total project value (i.e., 100% stacking). This takes into account both government cash (e.g., funding provided) and in-kind (e.g., a federal scientist contributing to the project). The cost of activities or personnel funded by federal contribution programs (e.g., AAROM), as directly related to implementing an IHPP project, will count towards the federal and stacking limits.

For each contributor, please fill in the required columns in the table. In the first column, enter the full name of the organization(s) providing support to the project (please spell out any acronyms that have not already been defined), along with a brief description of the activities supported by their contribution (e.g., Wabano Centre).

Please fill in the amounts received (i.e., either cash or in-kind) from each funding source in the other columns, based on the type of support received (e.g., federal, other levels of government, or others (e.g., industry)). If your project may include DFO staff time, provide an estimate of the time as in-kind support on a separate line.

Should your project be approved, please note that a letter confirming cash support from other sources may be requested. Letters of support are only required for cash amounts equal to or greater than a percentage (5%) of the total contribution value. This means that for a project with a total annual value of $100,000 (including cash and in-kind from other sources), we would only require confirmation letters for any cash amount of $5,000 or more.

In the last column of the table, please indicate whether funding support is confirmed at the date of the application. Should your project be approved, please note that a letter confirming cash support from other sources will be requested with any year end/final reporting.

11. Signature

By selecting the checkbox, you confirm that all information contained in the proposal form is accurate.

DFO regional contacts

The Proposal Form must be e-mailed to the appropriate regional DFO e-mail address listed below. Confirmation of receipt of each application will be sent within 5 business days; a file number will be assigned for use in future correspondence. If you experience any issues submitting your proposal, please contact the DFO Regional Coordinator in advance of the deadline to make alternate arrangements.

• British Columbia: dfo.pacihpp-ppahpac.mpo@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
• Alberta: dfo.caihpp-ppahca.mpo@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
• Saskatchewan: dfo.caihpp-ppahca.mpo@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
• Manitoba: dfo.caihpp-ppahca.mpo@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
• Ontario: dfo.caihpp-ppahca.mpo@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
• Quebec: dfo.queihpp-ppahque.mpo@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
• New Brunswick: dfo.glfihpp-ppahglf.mpo@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
• Nova Scotia: dfo.marihpp-ppahmar.mpo@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
• Prince Edward Island: dfo.glfihpp-ppahglf.mpo@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
• Newfoundland and Labrador: dfo.nlihpp-ppahtnl.mpo@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
• Yukon: dfo.pacihpp-ppahpac.mpo@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
• Northwest Territories: dfo.caihpp-ppahca.mpo@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
• Nunavut: dfo.caihpp-ppahca.mpo@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
• National: dfo.ncrihpp-ppahrcn.mpo@dfo-mpo.gc.ca