Applicant Guide: Offshore Wind Indigenous and Coastal Communities Grant Funding

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

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Program Objectives

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 Offshore Wind Indigenous and Coastal Communities Grant Funding (the ‘Grant Funding’) is part of the OWP Program. The objective of the OWP Program’s Offshore Wind Indigenous and Coastal Communities 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), 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.

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 3 fiscal years)

Stacking with Other Government Sources 100%

Eligible Applicants for Grant Funding

The following entities are eligible under the OWP Program’s Grant Funding:

  • Indigenous applicants based in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, 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; and,
    • 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 and attributable 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); and
    • 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, means expenditures that will not be reimbursed by the OWP Program but may be considered as part of the Total Project Costs, include in-kind costs.

Non-admissible Costs, means costs that the OWP Program will not fund nor consider 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

  • “Accessibility” means the provision of flexibility to accommodate needs and preferences, and refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people who experience disabilities. (Source: Canadian Commission for UNESCO Toolkit for IDEA (PDF, 1.5 MB))
  • “Applicant” means the organization that submits a project proposal to the Program.
  • “Diversity” means the acceptance and respect of various human dimensions including race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, socio-economic status, religious beliefs, age, physical abilities, political beliefs or other ideologies.
  • “Equity” means a condition or state of fair, inclusive and respectful treatment of all people based on their individual differences and circumstances. It is the principle of considering people's unique experiences and differing situations, and ensuring they have access to the resources and opportunities that are necessary for them to attain just outcomes.
  • “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.
  • “Inclusion” means the extent to which diverse members of a group, society or organization feel valued and respected.
  • “Indigenous” includes Inuit, Métis, First Nation, status Indian and non-status Indian individuals, or any combination thereof.
  • “Marginalized groups” meaning a group of people that is excluded from full and meaningful participation in society, typically through discrimination or other means of oppression. Members of a marginalized group have reduced access to resources, opportunities and services. A group of people can be marginalized on the basis of factors such as race, ethnicity, sex, gender, ability, age, religion, socioeconomic status, social class and geographic location.
  • “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.
  • “Renewable Energy” means energy derived from natural processes that are replenished at a rate that is equal to or faster than the rate at which they are consumed.
  • “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, 2027, 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 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 is December 18, 2024.

Please complete the following steps to submit your proposal:

  1. Read the proposal questions and prepare your responses in a separate document
    • Proposal questions (questions 1-10)

      Note, these are the questions which you will be required to answer in the online proposal form. Please use these questions to assist you in preparing your responses in advance, because once you begin completing the online proposal form you will not be able to save your progress.

      Only proposal forms submitted through the online application process will be accepted and evaluated.

      Eligibility of the Organization and Proposed Project:

      1. Select the type of organization from the drop-down menu which will be provided in the online proposal form. (Note: must be a legal entity validly registered or incorporated in Canada). These options will include:
        • Canadian For-profit Organization
        • Canadian Non-profit Organization
        • Indigenous Community or Government
        • Tribal Council (or similar entity)
        • Indigenous For-profit Organization
        • Indigenous Non-profit Organization
        • Industry Association
        • Research Association
        • Regional or Community Development Organization
        • National or Regional Indigenous Organization

      Note: For eligibility purposes, the term “Indigenous” is understood to include Inuit, Métis, First Nation, Status Indian and non-Status Indian individuals, or any combination thereof.

      1. For the Program Objectives Description, describe how your project will:
        1. Meet the Program objectives outlined in the Applicant Guide (suggested maximum of 200 words).
        2. Decrease the barriers to participation for Indigenous and/or coastal communities.
      2. For the Eligible Activities Description, select the eligible grant activity(ies) outlined in the Applicant Guide that apply to your project and provide a brief explanation below. (suggested maximum 100 words). Please select the eligible grant activity(ies) from the drop-down menu which will be provided in the online proposal form. These options will include:
        • Activities which support Indigenous and coastal communities and/or organizations to assess options for involvement in the future of offshore wind development.
        • Activities which enable and Indigenous and coastal communities potentially affected by future offshore wind development to investigate opportunities, impacts, and or mitigations
        • Conducting an environmental or traditional land use study and/or survey related to offshore wind development
        • Multiple (if selected, describe which two or more activities above are covered by the proposed project).
       

      Proposed Project Details

      Project Title:
      Project Location:
      Project Timeline:
      Total Project Cost ($):
      Funding Requested from Program ($):

      Note: the project timeline refers to the period the applicant is seeking grant funding for and limited to an end date of March 31, 2027.

      1. For the Project Summary, provide a high-level summary of the project that is brief, non-technical, and non-confidential. (suggested maximum 100 words).
      2. For the Project Goal(s) and Outcomes/Benefit(s), provide overall Project goal(s), including the specific needs and/or gaps within the organization and/or community the proposed project would address, and the main expected outcomes or benefit(s) (i.e., what is expected to be achieved because of the project).
       

      Project Goal(s) and Outcomes/Benefit(s)

      Add or delete goals and benefits as necessary

      Project goals are as follows:

      • Goal 1: (Please describe briefly)
        • Outcome/Benefit 1: (Please describe briefly)
      • Goal 2: (Please describe briefly)
        • Outcome/Benefit 2: (Please describe briefly)
      1. For the Indigenous and/or Coastal Community/Organization Involvement, list the Indigenous communities and organizations and/or coastal community and organizations involved in the project and include a brief description of their role in the project activities.
       

      Indigenous and/or Coastal Community Organization Involvement

      Add or delete rows as necessary.

      • Indigenous Community or Coastal Community Organization 1: (Brief description of their involvement)
      • Indigenous Community or Coastal Community Organization 2: (Brief description of their involvement)
      1. For the Indigenous and/or Coastal Community Records of Support Explanation:
        1. Provide a list of the Indigenous and coastal communities or organizations involved in the proposed project that have provided supporting documentation (e.g. letters of support, or Band Council Resolution).
        2. Please provide these records of support by email at the time of submission of this application (e.g., letters of support, or Band Council Resolution).
       

      Indigenous and/or Coastal Community Records of Support Explanation

      Provide explanation if a record of support is not applicable to the project. If record of support is submitted by email, no need to respond to this prompt.

      1. For the Experience Description, describe how the experience and expertise of your organization and the individual team members will allow your team to achieve the expected project objectives and outcomes.
       

      Experience Description

      • List the relevant experience and expertise of the applicant organization.
      • List individual team members and their experience in the area of work (e.g., similar past work they’ve completed, previous community relationships, etc.), their role in the project, and the value/expertise they will bring to the project. (Note: attachment of C.V.s not required)
      1. For the Project Activity Risk and Risk Mitigation Strategy, describe any risks associated with the project that the program should be aware of, as well as related mitigation measures that will be implemented, by filling in the table below. (In the online proposal form you will be able to enter more risks as needed. Note: the project will be assessed based on how well the risks have been identified and mitigated, not on the number of risks).
       
      Project Risk and Risk Mitigation Strategy
      Type of Risk:

      ☐ Financial ☐ Social

      ☐ Expertise ☐ Other

      Estimated Likelihood:

      ☐ Low

      ☐ Medium

      ☐ High

      Describe risk, likelihood and planned mitigation measure.

      Financial (e.g. project funding issues); Expertise (e.g. difficulty contracting appropriate support); Social (e.g. lack of acceptance of project by the community).

      Low risk being unlikely to occur (<5%), medium (moderately likely to occur ~25%); High (very likely to occur > 50%).

      1. Provide a detailed plan of tasks/activities that will be performed (i.e., specific steps that will be taken) in order to achieve the project objective(s). Under the description, identify who is responsible for completing the task as well as any partner organization(s).
       
      Task Description Outputs/results Completed by Expected Cost
      1 Insert task name Describe tasks in bullet form Describe what will be achieved as a result of completing the task Insert expected completion date for the task Insert the estimated cost of the task
  2. Complete the proposal application form with your prepared responses
    • Upon completion you will be redirected to an exit page confirming your submission
  3. Review the proposal budget template and questions and prepare your budget in either Word (.docx) or Excel (.xlsx or .csv)
    • Proposal budget template and questions (questions 11-13)

Detailed Project Budget

Provide a detailed budget for the proposed project, by cost category and by fiscal year (Note: each column represents a fiscal year (FY) from April 1st to March 31st).

Please copy the template below into Word or Excel and fill in the required information.

  • Note: Refer to the budget category descriptions in the Appendix. For GST, PST or HST, only the unrebated tax portion of project costs can be included in the budget table below.

Cost Details

Please detail the individual costs included in the eligible totals above, including a justification for why travel costs (if applicable) are necessary for the successful completion of the proposed project. (Justification for travel can be provided as bullet list in Word or Excel format).

Proposed budget template

Approved budget ($) 2024-2025 2025-2026 2026-2027 Total ($)
The program (NRCan grant)
Eligible expenditures
Salaries and benefits
Professional and contracting services
Travel, including meals and accommodation
Other expenses
Total by fiscal year ($)
Total eligible expenditures ($)
Ineligible costs 2024-2025 2025-2026 2026-2027 Total ($)
Ineligible expenditures
Ineligible cost 1 (describe/specify the cost)
Ineligible cost 2 (describe/specify the cost)
Insert additional rows as applicable
Total ineligible expenditures ($)
In-kind costs ($) 2024-2025 2025-2026 2026-2027 Total ($)
In-kind cost 1 (describe/specify the cost)
In-kind cost 1 (describe/specify the cost)
Insert additional rows as applicable
Total by fiscal year ($)
Total eligible expenditures ($)
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 Word or Excel and fill in the required information.

Source of contributions Cash In-kind Total
The program 0
Applicant organization 0
Other Governments 1 (provide name) 0
Other Governments 2 (provide name) 0
Other Contributor 1 (provide name) 0
Other Contributor 2 (provide name) 0
Insert additional rows as needed to reflect all contributors 0
Total 0 0 0
  1. Submit your proposal budget template and any supporting documentation (such as letters of support) by email to offshorewindpredevelopment-predeveloppementeolienextracotier@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.
  2. 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.
  3. The OWP Program may follow-up if a submitted proposal has missing or incomplete information.
  4. 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: offshorewindpredevelopment-predeveloppementeolienextracotier@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 after funding decision

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.

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

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. 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.