Applications open for Capacity Grant – Canada

The grant provides funds to support and develop strategies and abilities to initiate actions that benefit fish, wildlife and habitat conservation aligned with objectives of the HCTF. Capacity grants assist with the first steps in planning, designing, engaging, or implementing a project.

Goals of the Grant

• Support preliminary planning to address a conservation issue or challenge in the community.
• Increase capacity to enhance the ability to implement a project.
• Develop skills and abilities of communities to undertake conservation projects.

In support of their strategic plan, the grant will emphasize the following:

• Indigenous community-led fish, wildlife, and habitats conservation
• Climate change adaptation, mitigation, and cumulative effects on fish, wildlife, and their habitats
• Caribou habitat restoration or conservation projects taking place in current caribou herd ranges
• Broad and diverse participation in HCTF programs and projects

Funding Information

• Eligible expenses up to $25,000. Grant completion must be within 2 years of approval. 80% of grant will be issued up front and 20% once completed and final summary of work is submitted.

Eligible Activities & Items

• Pilot projects, surveys, test field methods, scoping or feasibility studies
• including desk-top research, mapping, literature review, discussions with regional
• and or biology experts, Indigenous knowledge systems and methodologies,
• and best practices review.
• Partnerships or networking meetings, planning workshops; focus groups;
• sharing knowledge, collecting community input.
• Field equipment needed to undertake planning or preliminary
• field-work, with a maximum request of up to $10K.
• Hiring a consultant, short-term salary or facilitation fees to lead or do planning, training and advising including honoraria or salary for field-based mentors, trainers, advisors.
• Specialized training courses such as guardians or keepers training
• (e.g., Streamkeepers, Wetlandkeepers etc.); technical and scientific application training (e.g., GPS, mapping, data, testing equipment); sampling and surveying techniques, monitoring and cameras, remote sensing or vegetation monitoring, or for development of a conservation leader(s) in Indigenous communities by supporting post-secondary training (1 or 2 year certificate/diploma).

Eligibility Criteria

• Applications must be made by an individual with the lead organization. The Project Lead is the individual with the authority and ability to administer the grant and fulfill the obligations to conduct the grant activities, deliver value for money, manage risk and financial controls while fulfilling other the terms and conditions of the grant.

Ineligible

• Administration costs such as office space, admin fees, furniture and office equipment and supplies.
• Standard Safety and survival training, smalloperator training or certifications
• e.g., boat, atv, firearms, chainsaw, etc.
• Purchase of vehicles, boats, atv’s, quads, trailers, skidoos, building infrastructure, computers, phones, or cameras.
• Salaries for employees including government.
• Costs for legal fees or lobbying activities.
• Media production and communications.
• Purchase of land, tenure, lease, or licenses.

For more information, visit Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.