IFIT - more information

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INTEGRO is Natural Resources Canada’s online submission portal. Once logged in through GCKey, you will be able to enter the INTEGRO workspace and complete the online forms.

Yes; however the proposed project must meet all mandatory criteria as described in our applicant handbooks.

Yes, an updated or enhanced proposal can be resubmitted.

Yes; however, each capital investment project requires the submission of a unique project proposal form. Companies can only receive funding support for a maximum of three Studies projects.

All applicants must submit a project proposal through INTEGRO.

More information about this funding opportunity, including deadlines, is available on our IFIT – Capital Investment projects page.

Proposed capital investment projects must be at a demonstration to commercial stage and incorporate technology that does not yet exist at the proposed scale and specifications in the Canadian forest sector.

A project proposal enables the IFIT program to ensure the applicant is eligible and meets all mandatory criteria. Proposals are evaluated by an interdisciplinary panel of experts against a set of rated criteria.

Only project proposals with mandatory support documents submitted within deadlines are accepted.

No, there is no specific template. An existing business plan is acceptable as long as it provides key financial metrics that would be typically included when seeking traditional debt financing for a project. It should describe the applicant, demonstrate commitment to the project, and outline how the anticipated financial metrics will be achieved in light of project risks

Studies project proposal are accepted through INTEGRO on a continuous intake basis until all funding has been allocated.

More information about this funding opportunity is available on our IFIT – Studies projects page.

A new entrant is a company that does not currently produce a forest product, but will do so once the project is completed. Startups could be considered as new entrants as long as they produce a new forest fibre derived new forest fibre derived product at the conclusion of the project.

Yes; however, the company must have or propose a facility in Canada and the project must be implemented in Canada.

You can own, rent or lease a facility in Canada to be considered for funding. Also, the project being proposed does not have to be located at the facility where you currently produce your products.

Proposals involving new facilities in Canada should be accompanied by documentation supporting both the ownership of the company’s existing facility as well as how the new facility will be acquired, constructed, leased or rented during project timelines.

There are no restrictions on which NAICS codes qualify for funding; however, applicants must ensure they meet all eligibility criteria.

No. Preference is given to projects that consume wood fibre from currently underutilized sources and will not divert fibre from existing higher-value uses, as set out in our Applicant Handbook - Stream 1: Capital Investment projects.

This category is targeting advanced biomaterials and biochemicals derived from wood biomass including wood extractives, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin.

These components offer opportunities for new high added-value products for applications that meet the requirements of various industrial sectors as an alternative to fossil fuel based products. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• biocomposites
• nanofibres
• resins
• binders
• coatings

No. Projects targeting wood pellet production for use as fuels are not considered under this category.

Projects developing biochar for which the unique commercial use is in chemical and industrial processes would be considered eligible. This would include applications such as metallurgy, agriculture and purification.

Three broad types of projects are included in this category and would occur at an existing pulp and paper facility:

• diversification into new paper based products to address a market gap through use of wet-laid standard production processes (for example – new advanced paper types or new packaging products)
• new products derived from changes in primary pulping processes or the use of the wood pulp in new applications (for example – alternatives for single use plastics such as biocomposites, new air-laid fibre based products, new uses of specialized technical fibres)
• pulp and paper facility revenue stream diversification that makes use of previously undervalued residual streams and by-products to enable the co-located production of new products. (for example – pulp mill effluents, boiler ash recycling, etc.)

No. Projects targeting standard materials such as oriented strand board, plywood and traditional decorative panels are not considered under this category. This category is intended to capture projects that propose advances into new types of products and/or new commercial applications for products such as mass timber construction, acoustic panels and architectural wood based products.

Applicants to Capital Investment projects must demonstrate in their project proposal that the project clearly meets each mandatory criterion including:

• recipient eligibility
• is the advancement of an innovation in the forest sector
• integrated within the forest sector supply chain
• involves the use of material derived from wood fibre

Projects that clearly meet the mandatory criteria will then be evaluated against the program’s rated criteria, including:

• technical feasibility
• innovation
• partnerships
• business plan
• fibre supply
• timing
• value for investment
• diversity and inclusion
• benefits to Canadians

For more information, refer to Section 4.1. Mandatory Criteria and Section 4.2. Rated Criteria of our Applicant Handbook – Stream 1: Capital Investment projects.

Applicants to Studies projects must demonstrate that the proposed study clearly meets each mandatory criterion including:

• eligibility
• alignment with a diversification opportunity
• incremental activities
• timing

Studies projects that clearly meet the mandatory criteria will then be evaluated against the program’s rated criteria, which include:

• relevance and significance of diversification opportunity
• ease of implementation
• level of innovation
• benefits
• diversity and inclusion

For more information, refer to Section 4.1. Mandatory Criteria and Section 4.2. Rated Criteria of our Applicant Handbook – Stream 2: Studies.

No; however, it is an overall consideration for funding.

The IFIT program aims to create a portfolio of projects that is broadly distributed across the country. Under past calls, IFIT has achieved this goal with projects from coast to coast. The program has delivered a number of outreach and engagement activities to help ensure quality applications are received from across Canada.

Yes. Projects selected for funding will be publicly announced after the signing of contribution agreements.

The goal of the IFIT program is to fund the most transformative technologies in the forest sector. A company’s previous interactions with the program do not determine eligibility for current funding opportunities.

Corporate approval does not need to be shown at the project proposal phase. However, applicants are encouraged to include this information if corporate board approval has been secured.

Corporate approval is required at the due diligence phase for short-listed projects being considered for funding.

Yes. However, applicants must demonstrate that their project constitutes an advancement of forest sector technology in Canada at a demonstration to commercial scale and that the technology does not yet exist, at the proposed scale, in a forest sector industrial facility in Canada.

Preference will also be given to projects with greater potential for replication across the sector, which could include various facilities of the same company. The IFIT program must also have enough information on the proposed technology to assess the technical merits of a proposal and to assess potential environmental impacts.

Yes. The total Canadian government assistance (federal, provincial/territorial and municipal) can cover up to 100% of total project costs.

Applicants must ensure that their proposal does not violate the stacking limits required by other funding organizations.

No. Only eligible expenses incurred after a contribution agreement has been signed by the applicant and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) will be reimbursed.

Yes; however, these contributions must be directly tied to the project.

Eligible in-kind contributions must be a tangible expense, for example contribution of equipment from a project partner or use of a partner’s laboratory.

While the IFIT program has the capacity to fund up to 50% of total project costs, preference will be given to projects demonstrating a high proportion of total project costs leveraged from industry partners (rather than other government funding) and projects demonstrating secure/confirmed partnerships.

The total Canadian government assistance (federal, provincial/territorial and municipal) will not exceed 100% of the total project costs. Historically, the average IFIT contribution was approximately 35%.

Payments will be made upon receipt of documentation as defined in the contribution agreements, which has been signed by the applicant and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). Payments are generally made on a quarterly basis with a predefined amount withheld until project completion.

Final payment will not be made until all agreed-upon project activities have been completed by a proponent and are deemed acceptable by NRCan.

Not necessarily; however, the project must be implemented in Canada.

For example, a piece of equipment could be purchased from a foreign supplier, but must be installed at a Canadian facility.

No, not directly by the IFIT program. Costs can only be reimbursed to the eligible lead company that signed the contribution agreement.

Please contact the IFIT team as the answer to this type of question will involve specifics on a case-by-case basis.

Please seek the advice of a tax professional.

Costs associated with the production or export of softwood lumber are not eligible. A trade review, with the assistance of Global Affairs Canada, will be conducted to ensure compliance with all trade obligations, including the Softwood Lumber Agreement, as part of its evaluation process.

A diversity and inclusion plan may include, but is not limited to a recipient’s:

• public approach to promoting diversity, inclusion and equality
• corporate anti-discrimination policies
• available statistics on proportion of designated groups employed at all levels of their firm in Canada
• hiring processes and supplier selection methods in Canada
• corporate activities that seek to increase or support diversity in Canada’s forest industry, including training for hiring managers and staff

For more information, refer to Section 6.1. Diversity and Inclusion Plan of our Applicant Handbook – Stream 1: Capital Investment projects. For reference and your internal use, download our suggested Template - Diversity and Inclusion Plan [23 kb Word, 484 kb PDF]

The diversity and inclusion reporting requirements for funding recipients include:

• an updated Diversity and Inclusion Plan and Questionnaire for the first quarterly report of each fiscal year
• a description of implemented diversity and inclusion measures as part of the final report
• an updated Diversity and Inclusion Plan and Questionnaire included in required post-project reporting

In the context of the IFIT program, innovation refers to a technology or process that does not currently exist at the proposed scale or specification in the forest sector in Canada. For more information on program definitions and requirements, refer to Section 4.2.2. (Innovation) of our Applicant Handbook – Stream 1: Capital Investment projects.

There is no preference of one type of company over another. The IFIT program works to ensure its portfolio of funded projects is diverse in size and scope. All projects undergo a transparent and comprehensive evaluation process. Projects that are well aligned with mandatory and rated criteria have a higher likelihood of success.

For more information about the results of the IFIT program and the projects it has funded, read:

• IFIT Performance Report 2010-2014
• IFIT Performance Report 2015-2016
• IFIT-funded projects

For more information, please email the IFIT team.