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Indigenous Partnerships for Species at Risk – Applicant Guide

Indigenous Partnerships for Species at Risk

The Applicant guide

The Indigenous Partnerships for Species at Risk (IPSAR) was formerly called ‘Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk’ (AFSAR). All aspects of the funding opportunity remain the same.

Overview

This guide is designed to help you understand the application process, eligibility requirements, and funding opportunity available through the Indigenous Partnerships for Species at Risk (IPSAR). The program supports Indigenous applicants in their efforts to protect and recover species at risk and preserve their habitats on Indigenous lands and territories.

Applicant guide overview

In this applicant guide, you will find:

Contact the IPSAR office in your region to learn more about available funds in your region (see the end of this guide for contact information).

Applicant eligibility

All Indigenous communities and organizations located in Canada are eligible for funding, including:

Project eligibility

Eligible lands

Projects must take place on:

Eligible species

Projects must support and promote the conservation, protection, and recovery of target species and their habitats on Indigenous lands or lands where traditional food, social, and ceremonial activities are carried out by Indigenous Peoples. To be eligible for IPSAR funding, target species include:

Additionally, IPSAR projects that target at least one species from the above categories may also include proposed actions that proactively prevent species, other than species at risk, from becoming a conservation concern.

For the most up-to-date list of species listed on Schedule 1 of SARA, as well as their recovery strategies, action plans and management plans, please visit the SARA Public Registry. To search for COSEWIC assessed species and to obtain their respective status reports please visit the COSEWIC website.

Eligible activities

The following activity categories are eligible for funding under IPSAR. Those applicable to your project should be clearly identified and explained within your application. The examples listed for each activity category below are options only and do not represent the full scope of possibilities. Activities that do not fall under these categories are subject to approval by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). Please discuss potential project activities other than those listed below with a Regional IPSAR Coordinator.

Ineligible projects and activities include:

Please note, this is not a comprehensive list. If you are unsure about any of the examples listed above or the eligibility of your project and activities, please contact the IPSAR office in your region.

Other considerations

Impact Assessment Act, 2019

Consult your Regional IPSAR Coordinator to determine if the environmental effects of a project may be required under the Impact Assessment Act, 2019.

Official languages

The Official Languages Act (Part VII) requires that the Government of Canada promote both official languages and enhance the vitality of Official Language Minority Communities (OLMC) across Canada. It is recognized that projects or organizations funded by ECCC through a contributions program may have an impact on OLMC; and/or may provide potential opportunities to promote the use of both English and French; and/or may make it possible to promote Canada's bilingual nature.

Applicants whose project may be delivered in a geographic area with OLMCs or which includes any public events, signage, promotional or other communications may need to consider official language requirements, for example:

Any cost related to official language translation is an eligible cost under the program.

Applicants will be required to complete the Official Language Questionnaire for Funding applicants in order to assess the official language requirements that may apply to the project. Applicants should discuss any potential official language requirements and opportunities with their Regional IPSAR Coordinator.

In GCEMS Module 6 and in the section below under, ‘Guide to completing an application', are the requirements for official languages considerations.

Consolidating small projects

Applicants are encouraged to consolidate multiple applications for small projects for the same target species or related priorities into a single, large application that outlines the different priority activities.

Multi-year projects

Multi-year projects are encouraged because they consider longer-term conservation outcomes, and once approved, offer assurance of funding from one year to the next provided the applicants meet all terms, conditions, and other obligations in the Contribution Agreement. New projects may extend 1 to 3 years. Previously approved projects may request additional funds for up to an additional five (5) years, to a maximum 10-year project total.

Contact a Regional IPSAR Coordinator for details.

Regional administration of projects

Applicants whose project crosses regional boundaries should identify a primary region based on where the majority of activities will take place. It is strongly recommended that applicants with projects crossing over regional boundaries discuss their project with the primary region's coordinator early in the application process.

Available funding and matching contributions

The amount of funding per project varies depending on project activities. Project funding usually ranges from $10,000 to $50,000 per project, per year. New projects may request funding for 1 to 3 years. Previously approved projects may request additional funds for up to an additional 5 years, to a maximum 10-year project length.

Project start dates - applicants are strongly encouraged to consider the potential impact of timing of funding decisions on proposed project activities and budgets. Funding decisions may not be made prior to the project start date proposed by an applicant.

Matching contribution requirements

The IPSAR program has a matching contribution requirement of a minimum of 0.20:1 from non-federal sources matching in-kind or cash contributions ($0.20 confirmed match for $1 IPSAR funding). Non-Indigenous applicants are required to obtain a minimum of 1:1 from non-federal sources matching in-kind or cash contributions ($1 confirmed match for $1 IPSAR funding). Matching contribution requirements also applies to non-Indigenous applicants applying on behalf of an Indigenous group.

The program's requirement for matching funds is based on the ability of the applicant to obtain funds over the entire duration of the project and approval is not contingent on securement of all matching funds up front. The rate of matching can be less than 20% of the IPSAR fund amount in any given year, as long as the 20% is met by the project's completion. In-kind costs should be associated only with the portion used in the project, not, for example, the total cost of the materials and supplies. For specifics on the eligibility of and limitations on in-kind resources, please contact a Regional IPSAR Coordinator.

Eligible match sources include band contributions, provincial agencies, non-governmental organizations, private landowners, the private sector, and the applicant, are all eligible.

Matching funds can take the form of either financial or in-kind resources (example: equipment loans, donations of building materials and volunteer labour).

Contributions from other federal funding programs (e.g., EcoAction, Habitat Stewardship Program [HSP]) and federal funds administered by third-party non-governmental organizations) are not eligible as match. If you have questions or are unsure which federal funding program is best suited to your project, please contact your Regional Coordinator for assistance.

Note Re: ‘Anticipated Funding' - All proposed contributions must be listed in the application. If the IPSAR application is successful, all confirmed contributions must be identified in the Contribution Agreement signed with ECCC. If the applicant is not sure where the funding will come from precisely at the time of application, they can specify at the time of application “Anticipated funding from other project funders.”

Application deadline

The deadline for submitting a funding application using the Grants and Contributions Enterprise Management System (GCEMS) portal is 14:00:00 Eastern Time, on the date indicated on the ‘How to apply' page and in GCEMS.

Application extensions

To provide equal treatment to all applicants, extensions are not granted. Should you experience significant issues with submitting your application, please contact your regional IPSAR coordinator before the call closes. To avoid problems, applicants are encouraged to submit their applications early, as online systems can become slower as the deadline nears, due to a high volume of proponents accessing the system.

Application Process in GCEMS

Step 1: Create a GCEMS account

Create a new account and log into GCEMS using your GCKey to access the application. You can create a new GCKey if you have not applied to IPSAR before by following the onscreen prompts.

Note: A GCEMS account can be created at any time including before the funding opportunity is open. Making an account early will help save time when applying for funding.

Review the ‘How to apply' page to ensure your project activities satisfy all the requirements and are eligible IPSAR expenditures. For questions or clarification, please contact the IPSAR office in your region.

For any technical issues related to website functionality and access (e.g., GCKey and SWIM), GCEMS technical support can be reached at sgesc-gcems@ec.gc.ca.

Note: if you have difficulties with the GCEMS application system, the GCEMS technical support staff are quick to respond for assistance and/or please contact your Regional Coordinator if you have difficulties with the application or if you would prefer to apply in a different format.

Step 2: Prepare your funding application using the Grants and Contributions Enterprise Management System (GCEMS)

Develop your IPSAR funding proposal using the GCEMS online portal and visit the GCEMS application instructions page for technical assistance documents, tutorials, and support throughout your application preparation.

Note: the GCEMS web team is available and quick to respond to difficulties. Please contact them directly for technical support at sgesc-gcems@ec.gc.ca.

As the website will automatically log applicants out after 15 minutes of inactivity, you are strongly advised to save your draft proposal in GCEMS frequently or to copy and paste content from an external document to avoid losing your work.

If desired, contact the IPSAR office in your region prior to the application deadline to discuss the application process with an IPSAR Program Officer. Officers can also help provide advice/information on:

Please note, IPSAR Program Officers can only provide guidance if it pertains to the above-listed information. To ensure transparency and fairness for all applicants, they will not provide general input or feedback on potential projects.

Review the ‘What makes a quality project' section of this document for more information.

Step 3: Submit your application

Your application must be submitted in GCEMS before the stated deadline: 14:00:00 Eastern Standard Time on October 30, 2024. Once you have submitted your proposal, you will receive an email from GCEMS acknowledging the receipt of your submission. If you do not receive a confirmation, please contact sgesc-gcems@ec.gc.ca

Following the project review phase, you will receive notification on the funding decision of your proposal. If you do not receive a confirmation, please contact PAEP-IPSAR@ec.gc.ca

When contacting ECCC about a proposal, always reference the GCEMS proposal ID number associated with the application.

How projects are chosen for funding

As the demand for funding from IPSAR regularly exceeds the funds available, there is no guarantee that a project will be funded. Every effort is made to provide applicants with the earliest possible notice once a decision has been reached. Applicants are strongly encouraged to work with their Regional IPSAR Coordinators to ensure projects meet the program priorities.

Selection criteria

Project applications are chosen based on the extent to which they:

Evaluation criteria

Eligible applications are evaluated and prioritized using the following criteria:

Please note: The ability of applicants to complete all reporting and administration requirements under the IPSAR Program will be considered during the evaluation. To this end project evaluators will consider past performance in meeting reporting and administration deadlines for all contribution agreements with ECCC. Inability to meet these reporting requirements may result in the disqualification of an applicant for future funding.

What makes a quality project

Alignment with selection criteria (60%) means:

Technical merit of the application (40%) means:

Quality project description

A quality project description is a brief (suggested maximum 250 words) synopsis of the proposed project including the activities to be accomplished using IPSAR funding on the target species and habitat as outlined in the Application (refer to module 3 in the application). It must contain sufficient information to “stand alone” during the review and approval phases so enough detail is required. In other words, be sure to spell out acronyms, and do not assume that the reader is familiar with or has read the full application.

Consider the following items in developing your project description:

Refer to past years' projects only if building on past results. Even if this is a similar project to past years, do not duplicate the description, but clearly indicate the specific value of this project, and how it makes a unique contribution to the species recovery need being addressed.

Example of a Satisfactory Project Description:

This multi-year IPSAR project will focus on targeted outreach and education to assist in the conservation and recovery of species at risk and their habitats in Saskatchewan. The project activities will take place between May 2025 and October 2026 within the Milk River Watershed (South of Divide). Three(3) SARA listed species will be targeted including: Sage Grouse (Endangered), Loggerhead Shrike (Threatened), and Burrowing Owl (Endangered). Project activities will include a prairie-wide workshop where stakeholders will discuss the benefits and incentives of conserving natural landscapes and best agricultural management practices and outreach events to increase awareness of the importance of native prairie stewardship. The project will also deliver on the three Conserving Nature expected results: Canada’s wildlife and habitat are conserved and projected, Canada’s species at risk are recovered, and Indigenous Peoples are engaged in conservation. The project will contribute to the recovery strategy actions of each species at risk by engaging the community and raising awareness of the species and their threats, including wetland habitat degradation through conversion to agricultural use or invasive species (Priority Sector and Threat), and increasing the network of community members concerned with prairie conservation. Project performance will be evaluated with indicators such as measurable direct outcomes (e.g. number of people engaged) and indirect outcomes (e.g. survey of changes made by leaders to promote native landscapes).

Example of an Unsatisfactory Project Description:

This project will address the threat of the SARA-listed Greater Sage Grouse and other SAR present in the area. It will be conducted within the Milk River Watershed. Outreach activities will be carried out such as holding workshops and delivering classroom education sessions. These activities will enhance and protect the habitat of the Greater Sage Grouse.

Evaluation process

Each application undergoes a technical evaluation by the regional IPSAR coordinator to confirm that it meets eligibility requirements. Applications meeting the eligibility requirements are then prioritized for funding based on alignment with program objectives, including program priorities, and program and project administration criteria. ECCC will aim to have IPSAR funding decisions available by spring 2025.

Guide to completing an online application

The following information will enable you to complete an online project application for IPSAR. Note, the IPSAR Applicant Guide is not a technical guide for navigating GCEMS, but rather provides IPSAR program-specific information to ensure project proposals meet the program eligibility. For any questions regarding navigating GCEMS, please contact: sgesc-gcems@ec.gc.ca.

Module 1: Tombstone Data

Tombstone Data is a summary of organizational and contact information that auto-populates various modules of your GCEMS application. You must complete all fields:

Module 2: Project Summary

Project summary

This module provides an overview of your project. All information is mandatory.

Project title

A short, descriptive title to identify your project.

Project start date/end date

Project dates must fall within the ECCC fiscal year from April 1 to March 31. When determining the proposed project start date, allow for additional time following the funding application deadline. Project start dates should be selected with considerations for the proposal evaluation process, program funding decisions, and funding agreement negotiation with IPSAR if your project is successful. This process can take several months. Contact the IPSAR office in your region should you require further details or clarification.

Project location

Provide your project's location, including information that links your project to any geographic priority regions identified in the ‘How to apply' information. Latitude and longitude coordinates are mandatory. If your project has multiple activity sites or is national in scope, note this in your application in the Project Description field and provide the coordinates for your organization's head office or primary office location in Project Location.

Project goals/objectives

Clearly state the goal(s) and objective(s) of your project and how it will benefit the targeted species or their habitat(s). Provide a clear description of specific and measurable (performance indicator) objectives that are achievable and realistic during the timeframe of the project.

Project description

Provide a summary description of your project, showing the link between the project, the stated goals, and the funding category. Identify the main purpose of your project by clearly explaining the species at risk issue that the project will address and why it is important. Provide baseline information about the species at risk issue that your project will address. Include details on how your project will help resolve the issue, and how the issue is linked to project objectives and indicators.

Explain how your project links to the objectives and expected results of IPSAR. It is important that your summary be concise and include the key result(s)/performance indicator(s) you expect to achieve with your project.

Project team experience

Describe any relevant qualifications and experiences of your project team members that could speak to the organization's experience and ability to carry out your proposed project. Make clear connections on how the knowledge and experience of team members relate to the objectives you provided in the project description.

Financial capacity

Describe your organization's financial capacity to manage this project. This could include outlining other sources of funding for your project in the budget module, such as letters of support to indicate contribution from partnering organization(s) through in-kind support. Additionally, this could include a brief summary of past successful projects, demonstrating your organization's experience managing a project budget of similar size and scale.

Project management capacity

Describe your organization's experience in managing and delivering projects. Provide details on the duties and responsibilities of the position(s) identified in the human resources section of the budget. Include who will work on the project (e.g., project coordinator, volunteers, consultants, technical experts, etc.) and their roles/qualifications. Identify relevant qualifications and experiences of the project team. This section is an opportunity to demonstrate your organization's experience and ability to carry out the proposed project.

Module 3: Indigenous Partnerships for Species at Risk – 2025-2026

Project Type and Primary Region

Identify if this is a new project or request for additional ‘top-up' funds for an already approved project. If you are requesting additional funds for an existing approved project, please provide the project number (starting with GCXE) for which a top-up is requested. Please identify the region where the majority of the activities will take place.

Target Species

List the species that is/are directly impacted or targeted by project activities. To be eligible for IPSAR funding, target species must be listed on Schedule 1 of SARA (except extirpated) and/or species assessed as Endangered, Threatened or Special Concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). Identify if there is a proposed or final recovery strategy in place. Identify if the target species is culturally significant and if so, describe how and/or why it is culturally significant.

Benefitting Species

List the species, other than the target species, within the scope of the project that would most likely benefit from this stewardship project, but that are not directly impacted or targeted by the project activities. (10 species maximum). Please explain how the species will benefit from the project.

Critical Habitat

Does your project contribute to critical habitat threat reduction, improvement, protection, or securement? Critical habitat is habitat essential to the conservation of the listed species as described in (proposed or final) Recovery Documents (Species at Risk Recovery Strategies or Action Plans). If ‘yes', for which species? Identify the type of critical habitat such as bat hibernaculum or grassland. Identify the location of the critical habitat. Please briefly describe how your project will address the critical habitat of the SARA-listed targeted species. Please also include a short description of how you plan to verify and measure the positive impact your project will have on critical habitat.

Land Type

Please indicate in which land type(s) and habitat(s) the project will be undertaken and provide the associated information. Identify the name of the land where the project will take place. Please select one of the three options:

Indicate the habitat type (e.g. forested wetland) and provide a brief description of the habitat. Describe the importance of land to the target species (e.g. estimated percentage of species' range or critical habitat covered by this project).

Ecosystem-based Recovery Initiatives

Ecosystem-based recovery initiatives indicate an awareness of the importance of the surrounding habitat/environment and show that they are part of a larger ecosystem approach or plan. Indicate if the project has a focus on ecosystem-based recovery initiatives. If you answered yes to this question, briefly outline how the project activities will support an ecosystem-based approach. Justification for the project's benefit to a surrounding habitat/environment must be provided. If applicable, please provide the lead organization of the ecosystem-based recovery initiative, a contact person at this organization and letters of support. Please note that letters of support can be attached in the Other supporting information module of GCEMS.

Collaboration among Multiple Partners

Does this project involve collaboration among multiple partners? Collaboration may include those actively involved in undertaking project activities and those solely providing financial or in-kind support. If you answered yes to this question, please provide the following information: the name of partners involved, and a detailed description of the role of each partner in fulfilling project objectives.

Addressing Climate Change

Will your project reduce the effects of climate change on the target species? If you answered yes to this question, please indicate which of the following mechanisms your project will use to mitigate impacts of climate change on target species. Check all that apply, then provide a brief explanation as to why you chose each mechanism:

Briefly explain the rationale for your choices. If you select “other”, also describe the mechanism by which your project will reduce the impacts of climate change on your target species.

Addressing Priority Sectors and/or Threats

To address priority sectors, collaborative activities with forestry, agriculture or urban development sector partners may include, for example:

To address priority threats, threat-based reduction initiatives will seek to reduce risks from illegal wildlife trade, invasive species, and wildlife diseases. Activities may include, for example:

Does your project address a priority sector and/or threat? If you answered yes to this question, please check all options below that apply and explain how your project addresses them.

Work with or build active partnerships within the following sectors to reduce threats to target species:

Projects that will reduce a direct threat to target species from:

If applicable, briefly outline how the project activities will address the priority sectors and/or threats.

Work Plan

Add the activities for each fiscal year of the project.

Fiscal Year

Start by choosing the fiscal year for the specific activity.

Activity Category

Choose the appropriate activity category from the options below:

Activity Description

Provide a brief description for each of the activity categories that support ‘what, why, where, by who, and how' for each activity. Please pay particular attention to the Activity Description, as reviewers will evaluate it and if your project is approved, will form the basis of your contribution agreement and associated reporting templates. Only describe activity types relevant to your project. For outreach activities, applicants will need to describe in detail how each outreach activity will lead to action in implementing on-the-ground species recovery and include a plan for measuring the implementation, either within the timeframe of the project, or within a defined period afterward.

Add the target species that will be addressed by the activity selected. Only the species that were listed previously under the target species drop-down could be added here. Multiple species can be added separated by commas. For species with proposed or final Recovery Strategies, Action Plans or Management Plans, activities must be closely linked to prescribed recovery actions in those documents.

Start and end date of the activity

Indicate the start and end dates for the activity. The time frame of your activity should take place within the federal government fiscal year you have selected (April 1 - March 31)

Amount in dollars ($) of total budget

Please provide the estimated cost of this project's activity out of the total project budget for that fiscal year. This amount should include IPSAR funds and matching contribution. The total for all activities should equal 100% of the funding in each fiscal year.

Amount in dollars ($) of IPSAR budget

Please provide the estimated cost of this project's activity out of the total IPSAR contribution the project will require for that fiscal year. This amount should only be from the IPSAR contribution and will be used to identify the project activities funded by IPSAR. The total should equal 100% of the funding in each fiscal year.

Is the activity identified as a priority activity in an established/published recovery document or in a conservation document? If yes, please indicate the following:

Measurable Results of Activity-Specific Quantitative Measures per Activity

Please provide specific measurable results anticipated for this activity. If your proposed project is funded, you will be required to report on measurable activity results annually. Explain how the results identified will be measured. Please review popup examples for each of the activity categories.

Example: Surveys, Inventories, and Monitoring – 4 Field Surveys & number of species counted. / This year we will perform four (4) spring field surveys to count the number of breeding female caribou in the main calving areas on Indigenous lands. This information will be used to create a conservation plan to determine measures needed to increase caribou populations. This activity will be measured by the number of surveys and the number of breeding females counted.

Measurable results examples for each of the activity categories:

Indigenous Knowledge Application in SARA Processes

Do project activities include the use or documentation of Indigenous knowledge (IK)?

If you answered yes to the above question, please provide the following information:

  1. Please detail what IK is expected to be documented, and the methodology for obtaining the IK
  2. How might this IK contribute to the conservation and protection of the target species and/or management of threats
  3. Please comment on the community's interest in sharing any IK generated by this project with ECCC for the purposes of species assessments and the planning and implementation of recovery documents

Permitting

Applicants are responsible for obtaining the necessary permits for the proposed project from relevant federal and/or provincial authorities (including those required under the Species at Risk Act, the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, and any other provincial or territorial wildlife acts that may apply) wherever the project triggers the need for a permit (for example, it could impact the species). You must verify with ECCC or the Parks Canada Agency whether you require a SARA permit or other permits prior to undertaking your project. Please contact your IPSAR Regional Coordinator for further information.

Note: As permits take time to arrange, recipients should address this need several months before the project start date to reduce delays once a funding announcement is made (see the SARA Registry).

If your project requires a permit, please add each type of permit in the box below using ''Add permitting'' and include the issuing authority and the status (e.g. application submitted, obtained, not started).

Module 4: Project Budget

This module will present your project's financial details. Clearly state the total amount of ECCC cash funding requested for your project.

Add Contributor(s)

You will be asked to provide information on all project funders and identify a Contributor Type for each in the Project Budget Table (including your funding request from IPSAR and your own organization's contribution to the project).

Please provide a ‘Contributor name' in the text field. Choose the ‘Contributor type' from the dropdown list. ‘Other' optional contributor types include other ECCC support for your project, support from other federal government departments, provincial governments, municipal governments, Indigenous organizations, or others. Choose from the dropdown list if the funding from the contributor is confirmed.

Cash funding requests from the IPSAR should be shown in the budget template under “ECCC” in the cash column.

Please note, in order to proceed to the next module, the “Amount Requested” must match what is stated in the project budget template. Prepare a budget using the budget tables provided in the online GCEMS application.

Add Expenditure(s)

You will add each expenditure item for each fiscal year of your project. Please refer to the eligible expenses for the categories available. Provide a brief description of the cost and which activity it will be associated with. Example: Salary and wages for project manager, printing expenditures for brochures and communications documents, etc.

Eligible expenses

Costs related to the following types of expenses are eligible under the IPSAR program:

Please refer to the National Joint Council's website for your provincial/territorial kilometric rates.

Note:

Please consider the following elements:

Note: IPSAR does not provide in-kind services and should not be listed as an in-kind supporter.

Tips for completing a strong budget:

Module 5: Other supporting information

Providing the following supporting information is recommended. Should it not be provided at the time of submission, it may be required at a later date:

Additional letters not listed above that confirm other funding (both cash and in-kind) may be requested from successful applicants before a funding agreement can be signed and funds provided.

Note: Any information submitted after the deadline will not be considered in the application evaluation process.

Allowed file types include: Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xlsx), Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx), PDF (.pdf), JPG (.jpg), GIF (.GIF), KMZ (.kmz). File Upload may take up to a minute to process. To upload your document, please click Upload file. A maximum size of 10 MB per file is accepted.

Module 6: Official languages

Completing the Official Languages module of the application is a mandatory requirement for all applications to ECCC funding programs. Applying organizations must respond to all questions by selecting “Yes” or “No”.

Information Required

Depending on your project's audience, and in accordance with the Official Languages Act, you may be required to offer products and/or services to the public in both official languages. Ensure any associated costs (e.g., translation) pertaining to project delivery and/or promotion are included in the budget.

Module 7: Certification

Applicants must certify that the information stated in the application is complete and accurate.

Once your application is complete, submit it using GCEMS.

Note: if you have difficulties with the GCEMS application system, the GCEMS technical support staff are quick to respond for assistance and/or please contact your Regional Coordinator if you have difficulties with the application or if you would prefer to apply in a different format.

After submitting your application

Acknowledgment of Receipt

Acknowledgment of receipt is automatically generated by GCEMS. If you did not receive an acknowledgment of receipt, you should contact GCEMS at sgesc-gcems@ec.gc.ca to confirm that your application was received.

Note: Due to Government of Canada policy, communication with applicants regarding application status during the project review and selection phase is prohibited until the departmental approvals in principle have been granted. ECCC will notify all applicants of such approvals in principle and will do so for each individual application submitted. ECCC aims to send these notifications as early as possible. Therefore, applicants should expect variation in the timing of notifications within a program and between ECCC or other Government of Canada funding programs. Applicants will be notified as soon as funding approvals in principle have been made, and negotiation of the Contribution Agreement will follow. This notification may also be shared with Members of Parliaments of the applicants. The program is unable to reimburse applicants for any expenses incurred prior to the official notification.

Review

Once the Call for Proposals is closed, your application is reviewed by IPSAR regional teams to verify eligibility and to assess selection criteria and technical merit merit. All project proposals are subject to the same evaluation process and criteria and are reviewed to ensure that they provide sufficient information to adequately assess the proposal and that they meet eligibility requirements.

Following this administrative assessment, your project proposal is examined by a team of technical reviewers, which may include experts from ECCC, other federal government departments, or provincial departments (as applicable) to evaluate your application's selection criteria and technical merit. The last step includes conducting a final evaluation of each of the applications received.

If your application is approved in principle, you will be contacted to negotiate a funding agreement that outlines the terms and conditions of the funding. Federal Members of Parliament and/or their team will be advised about the approval in principle of a project and be provided with the following information: applicant name, project title, project description, project location, funding amounts, communication activities, and contact information.

If your application is not approved, you will also be informed of this decision via email.

Any questions or comments may be directed to the IPSAR regional offices.

My project was accepted – now what

Once confirmation of approval of the project is received, applicants will be required to submit additional information, including but not limited to the following:

Cash flow statement

A detailed cash flow statement of all sources of revenue (including all in-kind contributions) and expenditures that are part of the approved project will be required.

Reporting obligations

The Contribution Agreement, between the recipient and ECCC, will specify project report deadlines and will include the required forms. Reporting will be completed online, and recipients will need to provide regular progress reports, annual reports (for multi-year projects) as well as a final report at the end of the project.

These reports will describe project revenue, expenses, accomplishments and detailed descriptions/ quantifications of project outputs and outcomes. Project expected results are basic quantifiable project achievements while project intermediate outcomes include longer term indicators of effectiveness of project activities in supporting the recovery of species and their habitats.

Project expected results for annual or final project reports could include:

Project intermediate outcomes for annual or final project reports could include:

Outcomes and accomplishments must be reported using the performance indicators identified in the Contribution Agreement. It is important to note that different projects may have different reporting requirements. The Regional IPSAR Coordinator will advise recipients on specific reporting requirements.

SAR survey data sharing

Recipients will be encouraged to provide species occurrence or habitat data collected in the context of the project to their respective provincial/territorial wildlife data repository centre and to ECCC or Parks Canada, as however relevant to your project. Recipients will be asked to confirm in the final report the submission of data.

Intellectual property rights

Any Intellectual Property Rights created by the recipient in association with their obligations and responsibilities under this agreement shall vest in and remain the property of the recipient. ECCC shall have no rights to this intellectual property for any purpose without the express written permission of the recipient.

Public acknowledgement

Recipients are responsible for providing ECCC with final copies of any document or material utilizing the ECCC identifier, wordmark and/or acknowledgement statements prior to printing or distribution, for ECCC approval of the use of said logos and/or acknowledgement statements. The Regional IPSAR Coordinator will need to be consulted prior to making any communications products such as publications, public information releases, advertising, promotional announcements, activities, speeches, lectures, interviews, ceremonies, and websites. All such communications products originating from the project must acknowledge ECCC's contribution by displaying the ECCC identifier with the public acknowledgement text along with the ECCC wordmark.

Overlap with other federal funding programs

You can only receive funding from one federal funding program for each approved activity. Any application submitted to other Environment and Climate Change Canada funding programs (e.g., Habitat Stewardship Program and EcoAction, etc.) must be for activities that are different from those submitted in the IPSAR application. Organizations should review information from other Environment and Climate Change Canada funding programs to determine which program is the best fit for their project.

Links to additional information

Please see the following websites for additional information that may be useful for your application:

Please contact us at PAEP-IPSAR@ec.gc.ca or contact the appropriate Regional IPSAR Coordinator for all other questions. Please note that Regional IPSAR Coordinators are available to answer questions during regular business hours, local time.

Contact Us

For general questions, enquiries, and news about the IPSAR, including funding opportunities, please contact the National IPSAR Office or any of our regional coordinators. 

National IPSAR Office
Email: PAEP-IPSAR@ec.gc.ca

New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island
Atlantic IPSAR Regional Coordinator
Email: SCF-ATL.PAEP-CWS-ATL.IPSAR@ec.gc.ca

Quebec
Maxime Chénier
Email: maxime.chenier@ec.gc.ca

Ontario
Danielle Aulenback
Email: danielle.aulenback@ec.gc.ca

Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan
Maggie Glasgow
Email: maggie.glasgow@ec.gc.ca

British Columbia
Gillian Booth
Email: gillian.booth@ec.gc.ca

Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon
Sara Wong
Email: sara.wong2@ec.gc.ca

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2025-02-13