Indigenous Off-Diesel Initiative: Cohort 2 (2022/2023)

On this page

• About the Initiative
• Participation requirements
• Who can apply?
• Application and selection process
• Indigenous languages
• Upcoming webinars
• Contact us

About the Initiative

The Indigenous Off-Diesel Initiative (IODI) is a clean energy training and funding program that supports Indigenous-led climate solutions in remote Indigenous communities that currently use diesel or fossil fuels for heat and power.

IODI was first launched in 2019 and was designed based on 18 months of engagement with Indigenous communities, rights holders, and organizations. It is delivered in collaboration by the Indigenous Clean Energy Social Enterprise (ICE SE) and the federal government.

IODI supports a cohort of participants (called Energy Champions) in their journey – from training through to project implementation. Energy Champions are encouraged to work closely with a team of clean energy leaders and to engage with their communities to support community energy literacy and ensure that projects reflect their community’s priorities.

Learn more about the Energy Champions from Cohort 1 and their projects.

We are now accepting applications for the next cohort of Energy Champions!
Join us at an upcoming webinar to learn more.

Access the application form (PDF, 199 KB)

Apply to IODI today for the opportunity to access:

• Up to $1,525,000 in funding for community clean energy training, planning, and projects
• Participation in the 20/20 Catalysts program, run by the ICE SE
• Unique opportunities for collaboration and peer-to-peer learning
• Support for your activities from expert mentors

There are ten Energy Champion spots available in Cohort 2. Those who are selected have the opportunity participate in all three phases of IODI:

Energy Champions, with the support of their teams and communities, must fully complete each phase before they can move onto the next. The federal government and ICE SE will support participants in completing each phase and accessing resources, while being responsive and flexible to community priorities.

Interested individuals and teams are encouraged to reach out with any questions about the program before the deadline on November 30, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST.

Participation requirements

To join the 2022/2023 cohort, you must be available to participate in the 20/20 Catalysts program delivered by Indigenous Clean Energy Social Enterprise from April-July 2023 or have already completed the Catalysts program. For more information about the 20/20 Catalysts program, please visit the ICE website.  

If you have already completed the 20/20 Catalysts Program and are selected to join the Initiative, you will complete a 2-day refresher course instead of participating in the full 20/20 Catalysts Program again.

Costs associated with travel to 20/20 Catalysts Program training sessions and in-person training and events are covered by the Indigenous Off-Diesel Initiative.

Please let us know if you require any accommodations to support your participation in the program.

Who can apply?

The Indigenous Off-Diesel Initiative (IODI) is open to individuals and teams from remote Indigenous communities in Canada that have a keen interest in becoming clean Energy Champions in their community.

• Applicants must reside in, or have strong and ongoing ties to, a remote Indigenous community or group of remote Indigenous communities in Canada.
• Priority will be given to applicants whose communities do not already have federal funding for community-scale clean energy or energy efficiency projects.

Not eligible:

• Remote Indigenous communities involved in projects that will result in grid connection or connection to other sources of power (such as a major hydro project) within 5 years of the application deadline.
• Individuals and communities who have already participated in the first cohort of IODI.

Application and selection process

To apply to join the second cohort (2022/2023) of IODI, please complete the application form (PDF, 199 KB) and submit it by email to nrcan.remoteenergy-energieadistance.rncan@canada.ca.

Video submissions can be made for the application. Applicants must still write out page 1 (Contact Information) and page 11 (Program Commitments).

The deadline to submit applications is November 30, 2022 by 11:59 PM PST.

Applications submitted by November 21, 2022 11:59 PST will have the opportunity to receive feedback from the program team on their application submission to ensure completeness.

Interviews with all eligible applicants will be conducted to supplement the application form. Interviews will take place between October 2022 and January 2023.

An external Indigenous jury will assess and evaluate all applications, including the forms and interview results. ICE and the federal program team will ensure there are no conflicts of interest for any jury members and will require Non-Disclosure Agreements to protect applicants’ information.

The external Indigenous jury will recommend up to 10 Energy Champions to participate in the Indigenous Off-Diesel Initiative Cohort 2 (2022/2023)

Both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be informed by the end of February 2023.

Indigenous languages

If you are looking for support translating any of the program materials into Indigenous languages, please contact Chloe Elias at chloe.elias@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

Upcoming webinars

Join us at any of the following webinars to learn more about the application process and the Initiative. Feel free to ask any questions during the webinar or in advance by email. To sign-up for any of the webinars, please email us at nrcan.remoteenergy-energieadistance.rncan@canada.ca.

• Thursday, October 20 at 8pm AST / 7pm EST / 5pm MST / 4pm PST
• Tuesday, November 1 at 3pm AST / 2pm EST / 12pm MST / 11am PST – delivered in French
• Monday, November 21 at 7pm AST / 6pm EST / 4pm MST / 3pm PST
• Monday, November 28 at 4pm AST / 3pm EST / 1pm MST / 12pm PST

These webinars will be hosted on Zoom and participants can ask questions in English or French.

Each webinar will have federal program staff and team members from the Indigenous Clean Energy Social Enterprise to chat with about the funding, resources, and the 20/20 Catalysts program.

Accessibility

Please let us know if there is anything we can do to support your participation. English and French speakers will be on all webinars. We do not currently have ASL or QSL services planned for these sessions, but transcription will be enabled. A recorded version of the presentation is available if you are unable to attend live. Please contact us to request the recording or ask questions.

Contact us for more information

If you have any questions about the application process or the Initiative, please contact Chloe Elias by email at chloe.elias@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

Please contact Bonnie Van Tassel at bvantassel@indigenouscleanenergy.com, with any questions about the 20/20 Catalysts Training Program.