Forest Innovation Program

The Forest Innovation Program (FIP) supports research, development and technology transfer activities across Canada’s forest sector. Together, these activities are intended to help the forest sector pursue its ongoing transformation through the development and adoption of innovative science-based solutions.

Who is eligible for funding?

• Universities, colleges, and other academic institutions
• Provinces, territorial, regional and municipal governments and their departments and agencies where applicable
• For-profit enterprises that produce forest products and that have existing forest product manufacturing facilities (for example, pulp, paper, or lumber mills) located in Canada
• For-profit enterprises that supply materials, products, or services to forest products enterprises defined above
• Not-for-profit forest sector organizations
• Not-for-profit research institutions

History of the Program

Since 2007, the Government of Canada has been supporting initiatives that foster innovation and create new market opportunities for Canada’s forest sector. Renamed in 2012, the Forest Innovation Program (FIP) began as the Transformative Technologies program and grew to include initiatives such as the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC).

Today, the Transformative Technologies program is a part of the FIP with research is carried out by FPInnovations, Canada’s not-for-profit forest research institute.

The CWFC collaborates with FPInnovations and other key stakeholders to strengthen the visibility of the Canadian Forest Service by aligning federal research and deployment expertise with identified, innovation-oriented needs of the forest sector.

In June 2017, the Government of Canada expanded the FIP with $63 million in funding over three years (2017 – 2020) from the Softwood Lumber Action Plan.