Indigenous Food Systems & Agriculture Skills & Training Program

The Indigenous Food Systems & Agriculture Skills & Training (ISAT)program supports Indigenous Nations, communities, businesses, and organizations in increasing Indigenous participation in agriculture, seafood, food processing and related community economic development initiatives. ISAT funds activities involved in training and skills development, peer-to-peer learning, and revitalization of cultural and economic food harvesting and production practices. The 2023/24 program provides up to $80,000 of funding per project. Program funding is available to successful applicants for projects beginning on or after January 1, 2024 and must be completed no later than January 1, 2026.

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Deadline: October 12th, 2023.

 

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TELUS Indigenous Communities Fund

TELUS Indigenous Communities Fund offers flexible grants up to $50,000 for Indigenous-led social, health and community programs. Projects must clearly address a pressing social or well-being need and create measurable community outcomes. Projects that have been funded in the past include a community garden, STEM programming for youth, language revitalization, and wellness programs.

 

Deadline: October 13, 2023. 

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Climate Resilient Communities: Food Infrastructure Grant (FIG)

This United Way grant offers up to $20,000 to support rural, remote, and Indigenous communities to build food systems resilience to climate change. Eligible capital expenses include investments in infrastructure and equipment that promote climate resiliency, sustainable food practices and traditional food processing methods. Some examples are: ​

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• Solutions for sustainable growing, such as greenhouses, seed libraries, and garden boxes. 

• Equipment for traditional food processing, such as smoking, canning, curing, and freeze-drying. 

• Climate-resilient food infrastructure, including cool storage alternatives like root cellars

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Deadline: Nov 20th, 2023

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Critical Food Infrastructure Grant

This United Way grant aims to increase access to traditional and culturally preferable foods by supporting initiatives prioritizing Indigenous food sovereignty and regional self-determination. It aims to reduce barriers to food access such as high food costs, logistical challenges, and lack of food infrastructure. Eligible expenses include:

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• Purchase or lease of physical sites to receive, process, store and/or redistribute food to community members; 

• Dry or cold storage space to increase food-safe storage capacity and duration. For example, Food Safe Shelving and storage areas, back-up power and generators; 

• Logistics and Transportation. For example, refrigerated vehicles; 

• Food preservation equipment to extend shelf-life and facilitate year-round access to nutritious foods 

• Equipment to preserve food to extend the shelf life and provide year-round food access to nutritious foods; 

• Infrastructure to procure and grow food locally such as hunting, fishing, harvesting, gardening.  For example, physical structures such as greenhouses, garden plots, community farms, machinery, equipment, water irrigation systems; 

• Shelters for animal husbandry; 

• Food infrastructure upgrades. 

• A maximum of 20% of the project budget could be directed to fund capacity for project implementation, e.g. staff time, labour or consulting 

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Funding available per agency: $5,000 to $100,000

Deadline: Nov 20th, 2023

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Food Security & Food Sovereignty - New Relationship Trust

The Indigenous Food Security and Sovereignty Grant distributed through New Relationship Trust provides grants to Indigenous organizations and business in BC that want to participate in and receive financial supports to develop, expand, or strengthen their Indigenous food systems. There are two streams available:​

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• Stream 1 (up to $150,000): funding for activities associated with the planning and design phase of a food security project

• Stream 2 (up to $250,000): funding for activities associated with the implementation of a food security project

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Deadline: Dec 1st, 2023 or when funds are exhausted.

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First Nations Well Being Fund

This program offers funding to First Nations and Tribal Councils to support projects related to community well being and poverty reduction. Areas of particular focus for funding will include, but are not limited to, food security, social and cultural supports, employment, education and training, families, children and youth, mental health, and transportation.

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• Stream 1: Community Projects offers up to $100,000 for local food security initiatives, such as community kitchens or gardens that support training and social inclusion, as well as initiatives that provide employment and training opportunities (could be related to food skills or coordinator positions). 

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Deadline: Dec 31st, 2023

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First Nations Well Being Fund

This program offers funding to First Nations and Tribal Councils to support projects related to community well being and poverty reduction. Areas of particular focus for funding will include, but are not limited to, food security, social and cultural supports, employment, education and training, families, children and youth, mental health, and transportation.

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• Stream 1: Community Projects offers up to $100,000 for local food security initiatives, such as community kitchens or gardens that support training and social inclusion, as well as initiatives that provide employment and training opportunities (could be related to food skills or coordinator positions). 

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Deadline: Dec 31st, 2023

 

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TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Grant

The Foundation supports a wide range of environmental initiatives, with a primary focus on environmental education and green space programs. Eligible projects include schoolyard greening, park revitalization, community gardens, park programming and citizen science initiatives. Generally, funding requests range between $2,000 and $8,000.​

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Deadline: January 15th, 2023. 

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Edible Trees Program - Tree Canada

Funding is available to educational institutions, Indigenous communities, community groups or gardens, food banks, community housing projects, municipalities, or other groups interested in planting edible trees on publicly accessible sites. Up to $3,500 in funding is available per project.

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Application form example: Edible Tree Program Application Form.pdf

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Applications open in October of each year. Start planning your orchard now!

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Farm to School BC - Farm to School BC Grants

School communities may apply for a maximum of $3,000 to launch their Farm to SchoolBC project. The amount granted will be dependent on the scope of the proposed program. A total of 30 grants will be allotted for the 2022 granting cycle. Projects may include building garden beds, foraging local food, growing indigenous plant gardens, small-scale farms, indoor growing spaces, and much more. For more farm to school program ideas, click here.

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Applications currently closed, next intake will open October 2023.

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First Peoples’ Cultural Council Heritage Stewardship Program

This First Peoples’ Cultural Council program offers four funding streams: climate change, digitization and archiving, oral histories and protocol, and sense of place. Several projects could be linked with food security and food sovereignty, for example, documenting the impact of climate change on local fisheries and other food sources. Applicants can apply for up to three streams within the program, each with a maximum of $25,000. See the detailed guidelines here.

 

Applications closed. Check back for future intakes and similar programs.

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First Peoples Cultural Council Braided Infrastructure Pilot Project

The Braided Infrastructure Pilot Project (BIP) is a one-time funding opportunity from First Peoples Cultural Council. Up to $250,000 in funding is available for B.C. First Nations infrastructure projects that braid together arts, culture, heritage and languages. BIP will fund projects that conserve, repair or develop B.C. First Nations’ cultural heritage, arts and language infrastructure. This could include:

1. Historical, art, language and cultural places, archives and collections that are of collective value to a B.C. First Nation community.

2. Physical infrastructure such as buildings, trails and structures that support public and community access to:

• Stories of historic places and the places themselves.

• The transmission of community memory and traditional practices, crafts and trades.

• Cultural materials that support telling the stories of historic sites and the transmission of community memory and traditional practices, arts and trades.

• Art and language materials and forms.

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Applications closed. Check back for future intakes and similar programs.

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Community Grants Program - Canadian Roots Exchange

CREation is a multi-level funding program that supports strengths-based, community-focused and youth-led projects taking place in communities across Canada. Grassroot Indigenous youth groups/collectives (ages 15-29) are eligible to apply for funding to support community programs and projects, while receiving innovative mentorship, training and capacity-building opportunities. Funding will be provided to projects/groups that seek to create impactful community change and increase the wellness, resiliency and engagement of Indigenous youth. This program aims to support Indigenous youth to take ownership over the wellness of their peers and community. There are four streams:

 

• Youth Empowerment Stream: Sprout – $2500

• Partnership Stream – Parks Canada - $2,500-$5,000

• Partnership Stream – Entrepreneurship - $2,500-$5,000

• Medium Project Stream – $30,000

 

Applications closed. Check back for future intakes.

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Gardens for Good Grant Program

The Gardens for Good grant program supports community gardens across North America that are growing organic food and making a difference in their communities. Sofar, Nature’s Path has supported 52 community gardens with more than $515,000 in grant funding.

 

Intake for 2023 closed. Check back in Spring 2024 for next intake.

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SilverChef Community Grants Program

SilverChef is a B certified corporation that provides flexible equipment finance and funding to hospitality businesses and small communities. The Community Grants Program offers $5,000 to purchase selected ‘Certified Use’ commercial kitchen equipment ($3,750 credit plus $1,250 in cash to assist with freight & installation).

 

Application form: SilverChef_Community_Grants_Program_Application_Form_Canada_June2022.pdf (shopify.com)

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Applications closed.

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Garden Grant Program

Whole Kids Foundation, aims to get kids knowing and connecting to their food, so they become more curious about how things grow or taste, and more willing to try new foods. This is why we believe in edible garden learning spaces! The Garden Grant program provides a $3,000 monetary grant to support a new or existing edible educational garden located at either a: K-12 school, or a non-profit organization that serves children in the K-12 range.

 

Application form: 2023-Whole-Kids-Foundation-Garden-Grant-Application_FINAL.pdf (wholekidsfoundation.org)

 

Applications closed.

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Indigenous Food Systems & Agriculture Partnership Program – IAF

This program supports Indigenous communities, businesses, and organizations in increasing food security and sovereignty over their food systems and strengthens Indigenous peoples’ success within the agriculture and food sector. The program funds activities involved in agriculture, food processing, and/or food systems planning, training and skills development, technological adoption, productivity and profitability improvements, and climate change adaptations. $80,000 is available per project for a maximum of two years (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024).

 

Applications closed.

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Heritage Infrastructure Program – First Peoples’ Cultural Council

Up to $250,000 in funding is available for First Nations organizations in B.C. with a focus that includes Indigenous heritage. The goal of this program is to assist First Nations communities to safeguard, revitalize and celebrate their heritage through heritage infrastructure projects. This can include First Nations bands, Tribal Councils and Indigenous led not-for-profit societies. Of note is that eligible projects include construction and upgrades to longhouses, bighouses, carving sheds, community meat freezers and meat processing stations.

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Applications closed October 2022. Check back for future intakes.

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Feed Opportunity Fund – Maple Leaf Feed Opportunity

The Feed Opportunity Fund is offering two funding streams this year: Project Grants to support initiatives that reduce barriers to food security; and Learning Grants for collaborative research or knowledge sharing initiatives. Both funding streams offer up to $150,000 per year and may be extended up to three years. Funding priority will go to collaborative initiatives working across organizations, government, and academia.

 

The program is undergoing restructuring. Sign up for their newsletter to be notified of when the program runs again:

Apply for Funding - Feed Opportunity

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Real Estate Foundation - General Grants

REFBC’s grants program supports projects that contribute to sustainable land use and real estate practices. Grants can support: • Applied research • Public and professional education • Policy analysis and law reform. Grant dollars can be used for project-related costs, including staffing and program delivery, project coordination, communications, consultant fees, workshops, and travel. They are particularly interested in projects that support Indigenous rights and interests in land use and real estate.

 

Note: projects need other funding contributions as well, REFBC will only fund up to 50%

 

Applications open Winter (February) 2024.

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B.C. Indigenous Agriculture Development Program – BC Government

The B.C. Indigenous Agriculture Development Program supports Indigenous people’s success in the food and agriculture sector. The program is divided into one stream for Indigenous governments, communities and organizations and another stream for Indigenous entrepreneurs. Each stream has two steps of financial support to work with a B.C. Ministry of Agriculture pre-approved Qualified Business Consultant. For governments, communities, and organizations:

• Step 1 provides up to $5,000 for agriculture opportunities assessment.

• Step 2 provides up to $10,000 for financial and business planning.

• Community engagement top-up fund: During each step of the program, you are eligible for up to $2,000 of additional funding to support community engagement during your project.

 

Application intake is now closed. The program is under review, check back for news of future offerings.

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Co-op Community Spaces Funding

The Co-op Community Spaces Program was established to improve community health and well-being by building places for Western Canadians to come together, build social connections and enable community development.

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• Projects can apply for between $25,000 and $150,000 in capital funding.

• The program supports small-scale community agriculture initiatives in both rural and urban spaces, including community gardens and food education facilities.

• Projects must be located in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba.

• Projects must provide the opportunity for permanent signage.

• Projects must be available and accessible for community use.

• Application sample: SPONSORIUM - Proposal Request Form (co-op.crs)

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Applications currently closed, check back for 2024 application dates.  For inquiries please contact: communityspaces@fcl.crs

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Indigenous Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative – Agriculture Canada

This grant is available specifically to advance economic opportunities through building capacity in growing, producing and selling food. Projects could include developing an approach to growing and selling fresh produce or building/sharing skills and knowledge to scale up or enhance a current agriculture project. Proposals are being accepted until September 30, 2022 and the initiative ends on March 31, 2023. Cannot exceed $500,000 a year. 

 

Applications currently suspended due to high demand.

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