First Nation Infrastructure Fund

The First Nations Infrastructure Fund provided $234 million between 2007 and 2013 through a single-window approach to access funding for infrastructure on-reserve, increasing efficiency and streamlining the way for First Nation governments to access federal infrastructure funding.

The objective of the First Nations Infrastructure Fund is to improve the environment and the quality of life of First Nation communities by improving and increasing the development of public infrastructure. This fund also supports roads and bridges, energy systems, planning and skills development projects and solid waste management.

Project Categories

Five categories of projects are eligible for funding under the program, each with several subcategories. All projects must fall within one or more of the eligible subcategories:

Planning and Skills Development

• Comprehensive Community Planning
• Capital / Infrastructure Planning
• Community Infrastructure Awareness and Maintenance Capacity
• Training Related to Supporting Community Infrastructure

Solid Waste Management

• Waste Disposal Site Construction
• Waste Diversion Projects
• Transfer Stations
• Recycling

Roads and Bridges

• Local Roads
• Access Roads
• Cost Sharing With Provincial / Municipal Roads Projects
• Bridges

Energy Systems

• Grid Hook-Up Projects
• Sustainable Energy Systems for Facilities - Solar Walls, Ground-Source
• Heat Pumps, Wind Power, Etc.

Connectivity

• High-speed backbone (transport) networks
• Broadband points of presence (PoPs)
• Local access networks
• Satellite capacity

There have been three calls for proposals since December 2007. All available funding has been allocated to qualified proposals and no further calls for proposals are anticipated.

• First Nations Infrastructure Fund Application and
  Schedule A - Public/Private/First Nation Partnerships
• Program Guide