Applicant Guide: Offshore Wind Indigenous and Coastal Communities Grant Funding – Call for Proposals

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Supporting Indigenous and coastal communities’ capacity to engage on offshore wind development in Atlantic Canada.

Program objectives – Round 2

Offshore Wind Predevelopment Program Objectives

The Offshore Wind Predevelopment Program (the ‘OWP Program’) aims to help build the enabling conditions for Canada’s offshore wind energy development off the coasts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador by conducting science-based activities and supporting engagement with Indigenous and coastal communities. Expected outcomes of the OWP Program include increased engagement between both Indigenous and coastal communities and the offshore wind industry, regulators, the public sector, and others regarding offshore wind energy development.

Offshore Wind Indigenous and Coastal Communities Grant Funding

The objective of the OWP Program’s grant funding (the ‘Grant Funding’) is to help Indigenous and coastal communities’ in accessing technical and professional support to carry out engagement activities with the offshore wind energy industry, regulators, the public sector, and others as required. This support is intended to increase community knowledge of offshore wind energy development and increase their readiness to participate in offshore wind related consultations and engagements.

The Grant Funding is intended for Indigenous and coastal communities located in Nova Scotia (NS), Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), as well as Indigenous communities in other provinces who fish and/or harvest in the Canada – Nova Scotia and Canada – Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Areas, and is inclusive of the fishing industry and associations who fish in the Canada-Nova Scotia and Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Accord Areas.

Mandatory outcomes of the Grant Funding are to:

Disseminate information, raise awareness, and increase knowledge within Indigenous, coastal communities, and/or stakeholder organizations, that are directly related to offshore wind energy development.

Before you apply

More about this Round 2 Call for Proposals

Under this Round 2 Call for Proposals, the OWP Program will provide grant funding up to $10,000 per fiscal year, until March 31, 2028, to support an applicant’s engagement activities related to offshore wind.

This is the second round of funding for this program, with the first round launched in 2024.

If you have already received funding from the Round 1 Call for Proposals, could you still apply for this Round 2?

Yes, an organization from the Round 1 Call for Proposals can apply for funding in this Round 2 if the project being proposed is a new, different and unique project, relative to their originally-funded project.

My organization already received funding from the Round 1 Call for Proposals, and I would like to continue activities for one additional year. Do I need to apply to this Round 2 of funding?

No. Previously successful applicants who received a multi-year grant from the OWP Program under Round 1 can contact the program via email to apply for an additional year of funding (up to $10,000 for the period up to March 31, 2028) for their existing project activities.

The email to the Program should be submitted by August 31, 2026 (23:59 EST), using the subject line “Round 1: funding extension request”, and should include a brief explanation describing proposed extension activities, a draft budget, and confirmation that this is a 1-year extension of existing Round 1 activities.

How will be grant funding be allocated?

Grant funding under the OWP program involves a “continuous intake” model, with successful applicants funded on a first come first serve basis, until grant funds have been fully allocated.

Eligibility for grant funding

Maximum Program Funding as Percent of Total Project Costs	100%
Maximum Program Funding per Project	$10,000 per fiscal year (for up to 2 fiscal years, limited to March 31, 2028)
Stacking with Other Government Sources	100%

Eligible applicants for grant funding

The following entities are eligible for OWP Program Grant Funding:

Indigenous applicants based in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, or those based in other provinces who fish and/or harvest in the Canada – Nova Scotia and Canada – Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Areas, including:

Indigenous communities or governments
Tribal Councils or entities that fulfill a similar function (e.g. General Council);
National or regional Indigenous councils, and tribal organizations
Indigenous (majority-owned and controlled by Indigenous peoples) 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 regional and community development corporations, research associations and industry associations (e.g., fishing, marine, and boating associations), inclusive of fishers in Canada-Nova Scotia and Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador offshore areas under the Accord Acts.

Eligible grant activities

Eligible Grant Funding activities are limited to projects where the expected outcomes are defined at the outset and contribute to OWP Program objectives and disseminate information, raise awareness, and/or increase knowledge within Indigenous and coastal communities or organizations, directly related to the development of the offshore wind energy.

Eligible Grant Funding activities can include, but are not limited to:

Activities which support Indigenous and coastal communities and/or organizations increasing their knowledge and information related to offshore wind development, and may support their involvement in future government-, regulator-, or private sector-led offshore wind consultation, engagement, and/or or science-based efforts, including but not limited to:
1. Hiring external legal, professional, technical, or commercial services to provide information and share knowledge related to offshore wind development (for example, impacts, benefits, economic opportunities, etc.) through meetings, workshops, etc.
2. Engaging a third-party to facilitate and support engagement activities between the applicant community or organization, with governments, regulators, offshore wind developers, and/or experts in fields relevant to offshore wind development (e.g. marine biology, economic benefits, project impacts)
Activities which support Indigenous and coastal communities’ ability to engage on and inform marine data collection activities related to potential future offshore wind development
Activities which enable interested Indigenous and coastal communities to disseminate information within their community or organization, investigate opportunities, impacts and/or mitigations related to offshore wind development, including but not limited to:
1. Hosting community meetings or workshops to share and discuss offshore wind considerations, opportunities, and information
2. Facilitating the sharing, collection, and conservation of Indigenous and/or community knowledge related to areas where offshore wind development may occur.

Eligible grant expenses

Eligible expenditures are those necessary to support the objectives of the Grant Funding and must be directly related to the implementation and conduct of the proposed project. Eligible expenditures include:

Salaries and benefits for employees on the payroll of the applicant organization, for the actual time spent by those employees on the project
Professional and contracting services
Other expenses, including:
- Printing services and translation
- Data collection services, including processing, analysis and management
- Facility expenses for seminars, conference room rentals, etc. (excluding hospitality)
- Honoraria and costs associated with an Indigenous ceremony, where the applicant is an Indigenous organization.
GST, PST, or HST costs, net of any tax rebate to which the applicant is entitled.

Where the OWP Program determines it is necessary for the project, the following may be considered as eligible expenditures (though justification will be required from the applicant):

Legal costs under the “Professional and contracting services” category; and
Travel expenditures, including meals and accommodation, based on National Joint Council rates.

Ineligible Expenses, which will not be reimbursed by the OWP Program but may be considered as part of the Total Project Costs, include in-kind costs and hospitality costs directly related to the project (such as food and beverage for meetings and workshops).

Non-admissible Costs, which will not be reimbursed by the OWP Program nor considered towards Total Project Costs, include proposal preparation costs, capital expenditures, construction costs, building renovation costs, lost income, purchase of land, costs associated with the protection of intellectual property, salary benefits unrelated to the project (e.g., employee bonuses), and any costs incurred outside of the Total Project Costs period defined below.

Stacking of assistance

Applicants will be required to disclose all anticipated sources (Canadian and non-Canadian) of funding for the proposed project, including approved in-kind funding, clearly identifying contributions from other Canadian government sources (federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal).

The maximum level of total Canadian government funding authorized under these terms and conditions will be 100% of Total Project Costs.

The stacking limit must be respected when assistance is provided. In the event that actual Total Government assistance exceeds the eligible expenditures, NRCan will adjust its level of funding (and seek reimbursement, if necessary) so that the stacking limit is not exceeded.

Definitions

Applicant: means the organization that submits a project proposal to the Program.
Fiscal Year: means the period beginning on April 1st of any year and ending on March 31st in the next year;
In-kind costs: are cash-equivalent contributions in the form of goods and services for which no cash is exchanged but that are essential to the project and would have to be purchased if they were not provided by the applicant organization or a project partner.
Indigenous: includes Inuit, Métis, First Nation, status Indian and non-status Indian individuals, or any combination thereof.
Offshore Wind: refers to electricity produced by wind turbines that are installed in open water, usually in the ocean (Source: International Energy Agency, World Energy Outlook 2019 – Analysis - IEA).
Project: means the Applicant’s activity(ies) identified in the Proposal, as approved by the Program.
Proposal: means a written Project proposal signed and submitted by the Applicant to the Program, including any additional attachments requested by the Program.
Stacking: means the maximum limit of total Canadian government funding (federal, provincial, territorial and municipal) that is permitted under a grant agreement for a Project.
Total Project Costs: means the Program’s funding and other verifiable cash or in-kind Project contributions, either received or contributed by the Applicant, from the grant agreement signature date to the Project completion date or March 31, 2028, whichever is earlier.

How proposals will be assessed

The following mandatory assessment criteria will be used to evaluate Grant Funding proposals:

How well the Project addresses overall OWP Program and Grant Funding objectives
The ability and capacity of the Applicant to deliver the Project, based on the proposed Project team and its individual and collective experience and expertise
Clearly described and achievable Project timelines and milestones
Detailed budget with verifiable cost estimates for the Project activity(ies);
Clearly described risks to the success of the Project and mitigation strategies (where applicable).

Complete proposals will be assessed on a first-come, first-served basis during the Call for Proposals or until such time as the Grant Funding has been allocated.

The Program will reserve up to 40% of Grant Funding for Indigenous applicants for this Call for Proposals.

How to submit a proposal

The deadline to submit a proposal for Round 2 is August 31, 2026.

Please complete the following steps to submit your proposal:

Complete the proposal application form.

Upon completion you will be redirected to an exit page confirming your submission

Review the proposal budget template (below) and questions and prepare your budget in either Word (.docx) or Excel (.xlsx or .csv). Organize by cost categories and by fiscal year. (Note: each column should represent a fiscal year (FY) from April 1st to March 31st).

Proposal budget template and questions (intake Form questions 11-13)

**Proposed budget template**
Proposal budget ($)	2026-2027	2027-2028	Total ($)
Requested program grant
Eligible expenditures
Salaries and benefits
Professional and contracting services
Travel, including meals and accommodation
Other expenses
Total eligible expenditures ($)

Ineligible expenditures	2026-2027	2027-2028	Total ($)
Ineligible expenditure 1 (describe/specify the cost)
Ineligible expenditure 2 (describe/specify the cost)
Insert additional rows as applicable
Total ineligible expenditures ($)

In-kind costs ($)	2026-2027	2027-2028	Total ($)
In-kind cost 1 (describe/specify the cost)
In-kind cost 1 (describe/specify the cost)
Insert additional rows as applicable
Total in-kind costs ($)
TOTAL PROJECT COSTS ($)

Source of contributions

Provide a list of all other contributors for the project, including both cash and in-kind contributions. The list should also include your organization’s contribution.

Please copy this template into the Project Budget Word or Excel and fill in the required information.

Source of contributions	Cash	In-kind
The program
Applicant organization
Other Governments 1 (provide name)
Other Governments 2 (provide name)
Other Contributor 1 (provide name)
Other Contributor 2 (provide name)
Insert additional rows as needed to reflect all contributors
Total	0	0

Submit your proposal budget template and any supporting documentation (such as letters of support) by email to owpp-ppee@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca
In the subject line include “Offshore Wind Grant: Budget Template and Supporting Documentation”. An automatic reply will inform you that your supporting documentation has been received. If you do not receive an automatic reply, please send a follow-up email to the OWP Program.
The OWP Program may follow-up if a submitted proposal has missing or incomplete information.
Following the assessment phase, all applicants will receive a funding decision by email. Please refer below for service standards and notification timelines.

For any questions while completing the proposal template, please contact the OWP Program at: owpp-ppee@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

Note: The OWP Program will not respond to inquiries about proposal status from the date of submission until applicants have been informed whether or not their proposals were accepted. However, if you have any issues in submitting your proposal please contact the program.

If your proposal is accepted

Following the proposal evaluation phase, the OWP Program will seek internal approval of the selected proposal(s). All applicants will be notified via email of the grant funding decision. Proposals selected for funding consideration will then go through a due diligence process to confirm final details needed to draft the grant agreement. The eligible expenditures period will begin the date the grant agreement is signed by all parties.

To understand the timeline for approval and negotiation, please see the Service Standards section below.

Note: Until a grant agreement is signed by all parties, no obligation exists on the part of NRCan to contribute funding to a project.

How payments will be issued

The OWP Program will sign grant agreements with selected applicants that will outline the required documentation for payment. Grant payment(s) will be made on an annual basis, following agreement signature.

All grant expenses must be verifiable and necessary for the implementation of the Project. The full list of Eligible and Ineligible expenses is under the “Eligible Grant Expenses” section above.

A final narrative report, using the preferred format of the Applicant, is due three months after the project completion date in the grant agreement. More information about reporting requirements will be detailed in the grant agreement.

Service standards

Activity	Service Standard
Acknowledgement of receipt of proposal	5 business days after receipt of proposal
Program funding decision	90 business days after deadline for Proposal submission
Program payment issued	30 business days

Other conditions

No Member of the House of Commons shall be admitted to any share or part of the grant agreements, or any resulting benefit.
Applicants will comply with the Conflict of Interest Act and the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders.
Funding may be cancelled or reduced in the event that departmental funding levels are reduced by Parliament.
Organizations will be required to acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada in all public information produced as part of the Project.
Grant agreements will include requirements for public information products, news releases, public announcements, and other events.

Disclaimer

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) reserves the right to alter or cancel any request for proposals, funding amounts and/or deadlines associated with any Program component, or to cancel any proposal process at its sole discretion. Any changes will be communicated to Applicants via the Program website. NRCan is not obligated to respond directly or indirectly to any of the items submitted under a Call for Proposals.

Proposals may also be shared with other Government of Canada initiatives or groups.

Any costs incurred for the submission of a Project proposal are at the Applicant’s own risk and cannot be considered as part of Total Project Costs. Natural Resources Canada will not reimburse any Applicants for expenses incurred in responding. Applicants will have no claim for damages, compensation, loss of profit, or allowance arising out of providing comments and/or information in response to Call for Proposals. In all cases, any funding under any submission, review and assessment process will be contingent upon the execution of a grant agreement.

Until a written grant agreement is signed by both parties, no commitment or obligation exists on the part of NRCan to make a financial contribution to any project, including any expenditure incurred or paid prior to the signing of such grant agreement.

Contact us

Please contact us for questions concerning the program at: owpp-ppee@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

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