Northern Participant Funding Program

Funding for Indigenous peoples and other Northerners to participate meaningfully in impact assessments and some regulatory processes of major projects in Yukon, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories. Funding may also be provided for impact assessments in the Eeyou and Nunavik Marine Regions.

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About the program

The Northern Participant Funding Program assists people in meaningfully participating and having their voices heard in impact assessments of major infrastructure and resource extraction projects, as well as associated regulatory processes that are likely to affect, positively or negatively, their land, lives or livelihoods.

Indigenous governments, non-governmental organizations, individuals and, in some cases, local governments can submit funding applications for such activities as:

Funding level

The total funding level for the program is $15.8 million over 5 years,from 2023-24 to 2027-28.

A recipient can receive up to $150,000 per project, per fiscal year (April 1 to March 31), depending on their application and on the funding available. Multi-year contribution agreements may be available if an impact assessment takes place over multiple fiscal years, and recipients can receive funding to participate in multiple impact assessments per fiscal year.

Eligible impact assessments and regulatory processes for major projects

Funding is provided in order to support participation in impact assessments and regulatory processes, such as water licensing, and also to support non-project specific capacity building related projects.
Please contact us at aidefinanciereparticipants-participantfunding@rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca if you have any questions.

Majorprojects are eligible for funding if they are:

  • large
  • complex
  • potentially controversial, or
  • of significant interest to local communities

The program primarily targets natural resource and infrastructure projects; to date it has funded participation in impact assessments of large-scale mining and remediation projects.
Factors that determine project eligibility include:

  • size and location
  • potential for public concern, interest or opposition to the project
  • potential for adverse environmental, cultural or socio-economic impacts
  • potential for impacts on established or asserted rights
  • use of new or untested technologies
  • complexity and duration of the project

Funding approaches

Funding is provided by contribution agreement.
There are 3 funding approaches available forIndigenous recipients:

  • Set contribution
  • Fixed contribution
  • Flexible contribution

Non-Indigenousrecipients are only eligible for the set contribution approach.

Fixed Carry over of funds is possible with the department's approval*

If carry-over is not approved, funds will be returned to the department
Can be kept at the end of the agreement with the department's approval

If keeping unspent funds is not approved, funds will be returned to the department
Flexible Carry-over of funds is automatic without department's approval Any unspent funds at the end of the agreement must be returned to the department
Set No carry-over of funds between fiscal years Any unspent funds at the end of the fiscal year must be returned to the department.
*carry over only applies if the fixed agreement spans multiple fiscal years

We will workwith recipients to create a contribution agreement that works for your needs. For details about each funding approach, visit Funding approaches.

Reporting requirements

The program requires 2 reports annually from recipients:

  • Activity report: The purpose is for recipients to report their activities related to the funding they received, and to give feedback on the program.
  • Financial report: A record of the funds and how they were spent. These can be audited or unaudited, depending on the contribution agreement.

Who can apply

To be eligible for funding, parties must meet at least 1 of the following criteria:

Under certain circumstances municipal governments may be eligible. For more information please email aidefinanciereparticipants-participantfunding@rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca.

Individuals, groups or organizations that represent for-profit organizations or have a direct commercial interest in the development are not eligible for funding. Organizations that represent a level of non-Indigenous government are also generally ineligible, though an exception may be made for some municipal governments that serve a predominantly Indigenous population.

Available funding opportunities

When participant funding is available for an eligible project we will:

Application and review process

Contact aidefinanciereparticipants-participantfunding@rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca to receive a funding guide and application form.

Applications are reviewed by an independent application review committee. The committee consists of at least 3 people from territorial and federal governments, Indigenous organizations or other knowledgeable persons that have no interest or stake in the project.

The committee reviews funding applications, identifies groups whose contribution is valuable to the assessment of the proposed project, and recommends a level of funding required to effectively support participation.

The program aims to have decisions made within 4 weeks of receiving applications. Because funds are limited some applicants may receive less than the amount for which they applied, or may not be awarded funding.

Funded initiatives from April 2018 to March 2023

Project Territory Fiscal year
Mary River Iron Ore Mine Phase 2 Nunavut 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-2022
Mary River Production Increase Proposal Nunavut 2022-23
Whale Tail Gold Mine Pit Expansion Nunavut 2019-20
Meliadine Gold Mine Nunavut 2020-21
Meliadine Gold Mine Extension Nunavut 2022-23
Diavik Diamond Mine Northwest Territories 2019-20
Pine Point Lead-Zinc Mine Northwest Territories 2021-22, 2022-23
Norman Wells Waste Management Facility Northwest Territories 2022-23
Faro Mine Remediation Yukon 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23
Coffee Gold Mine Yukon 2019-20, 2021-22
Kudz Ze Kayah Mine Yukon 2019-20
Casino Mine Panel Review Yukon 2022-23
Mount Nansen Remediation Yukon 2022-23
Eagle Gold Mine Extension Yukon 2022-23
Brewery Creek Gold Mine Yukon 2022-23

Initiatives funded in the 2023-24 fiscal year

Project Territory Fiscal year
Chidliak Diamond Mine Nunavut 2023-24
Back River Project Energy Center Nunavut 2023-24
Mary River SOP Nunavut 2023-24

Contact us

We are committed to improving the program and welcome input on how the program can best serve our Indigenous and Northern partners.

If you have any suggestions please contact us at aidefinanciereparticipants-participantfunding@rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca.

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