Application Deadlines

The New Relationship Trust offers First Nations a continuous intake for new applications based on the following Funding Deadlines:

Grant Name

Status

Closes

Nation Building Grant

May 15, 2024

December 1, 2024 (or when funds are exhausted)

Declaration Act Engagement Grant

Opens: May 15, 2023

Continuous intake

Youth, Elders, Language Grants

Opens: May 15, 2024

December 1, 2024 (or when funds are exhausted)

BC Indigenous Clean Energy Initiatives

Closed

TBA

Community Energy Diesel Reduction

Closed

TBA

K-12 Education Grants

Opens: May 15, 2024

December 1, 2024 (or when funds are exhausted)

Indigenous Cannabis Business Fund (ICBF)

Open

Continuous Intake

Student Scholarships & Bursaries

Opens: May 15, 2024

August 1, 2024

AED Indigenous Initiative

Closed

Closed: November 17, 2023 as funds were exhausted.

Indigenous Food Security and Sovereignty

Opens: May 15, 2024

December 1, 2024 (or when funds are exhausted)

Indigenous Co-operative Initiative

Open

Continuous

Indigenous Labour Market Fund

Opens: January 15, 2024

December 1, 2024 or when funds are exhausted – whichever comes first

Poverty Reduction and Social Inclusion Fund

Opens February 20, 2024

Closed March 8, as funds were exhausted

First Nation Funding Grants

Nation Building Grant

The Nation Building program provides funding opportunities to First Nations and Tribal Councils in British Columbia to support their nation-building activities according to their self-determined priorities. A project or initiative meant to strengthen the institutional, governance, and community capacities in reclaiming and rebuilding resiliency, self-determination, and sovereignty, within each Nation’s own context is considered an eligible project.

Youth Grant

The Youth Grant program provides funding opportunities to youth groups in First Nation communities in British Columbia to support inclusiveness, belonging, physical, well-being, cultural, traditional, creative, entrepreneurial activities all geared towards giving First Nation youth the tools, experiences, confidence, motivation, and teachings to be secure in their First Nation identity.

Elder Grant

The Elder Grant program provides funding opportunities to elder groups in First Nation communities in British Columbia to improve access and the quality of elder experiences and activities for maintaining inclusion, belonging, cultural, emotional, mobility, health, and physical well-being. 

Language Grant

The Language Grant program provides funding opportunities to First Nation communities in British Columbia for initiatives that revitalize First Nation languages and supports activities that build capacity to encourage and create new fluent speakers.

K-12 Education Grant

The K-12 Education Grant program provides funding opportunities for First Nation Kindergarten to Grade 12 classes in British Columbia to support learning environments that give First Nation students the best chance to transition to healthy, engaged, and productive young adults and support them to aspire to and experience greater opportunities for higher educational outcomes. Projects should create connections to First Nation culture and traditions that builds capacity, confidence, and motivation for students to be secure in their First Nation identity.

Equity Matching Grant

The NRT has partnered with the various B.C. Aboriginal Financial Institutions (AFI’s) to offer an equity matching initiative intended to assist B.C. indigenous entrepreneurs and First Nation Businesses with equity-matching funds to support, modernize or expand a business in B.C.

Declaration Act Engagement Grant

Declaration Act Engagement Fund (DAEF)

The Declaration Act Engagement Fund (DAEF) provides multi-year (4 year) non-repayable funding contributions to First Nations to support their capacity and participation in engaging and consulting with the Province of B.C. in the Implementation of the Declaration Act Action Plan and the work and involvement in the alignment of Provincial laws with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia.

Clean Energy Grants

Indigenous Clean Energy

The British Columbia Indigenous Clean Energy Initiative (BCICEI) provides support and capacity-building funds to Indigenous communities working on the development of clean energy projects.

Community Energy Diesel Reduction

The CEDR Program provides non-repayable funding contributions for clean energy initiatives to eligible remote communities that are off-grid residential regions that rely on diesel fuel for electricity generation. British Columbia has approximately forty-four (44) remote communities, most of which are governed by First Nations. Many of these remote communities are served by BC Hydro, while some own and operate their own diesel generators. In 2019, the remote communities consumed at least 19.1 million litres of diesel, emitting 51,784 tonnes CO2e.

Not For Profit Funding Grants

Indigenous Resiliency & Recovery Grant

The Indigenous Resilience and Recovery Grant (IRR Grant) provides funding to Indigenous non-profit organizations that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and continue to face funding and operational challenges in their post-pandemic recovery. For indigenous led non profit organizations, these challenges are even more pronounced in the context of pre-existing barriers and inequities that inhibit growth, funding certainty, and program & service delivery.

Student Funding

Scholarship and Bursaries

The bursaries and scholarships program provides financial support to First Nation students to assist them in achieving success in their post-secondary journey. (status or non-status) member of a B.C. First Nation Community and planning to attend an accredited post-secondary institution on a full-time basis anywhere in the world.

Grant Reporting

I Have A Grant – Reporting

If you have received a Grant from NRT and are seeking changes or a deadline extension, seeking advice, or want to provide an update on the status of your project, please contact the program specialist for your grant. We are flexible with all project deliverables and reporting timelines and are available to work with you to reschedule timelines as needed. 

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