Wah-ila-toos: Funding opportunities
On April 25, 2022, the Ministers of Natural Ressources Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, and Indigenous Services Canada announced a federal investment of $300 million to further support clean energy projects in Indigenous, rural, and remote communities as part of Canada’s Strengthened Climate Plan. The additional $300 million is available through 2027 for your clean energy projects, subject to available funds. These projects can help advance Indigenous-led climate action, support local economic development and create skilled jobs while reducing pollution and improving air quality.
On this page:
Our programs and initiatives
Please note: Due to high demand, the Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities program under Wah-ila-toos is no longer accepting applications for:
- Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities Capacity Building projects
- Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities – Deployment of renewable energy projects
Note that capacity building and deployment projects in the North are eligible under Northern REACHE.
Eligible projects submitted to these funding streams before September 15, 2023, have been added to a waitlist and will be considered for funding should funds be made available in the future. Our Pathfinding support may also assist with finding alternative funding options.
Wah-ila-toos is still accepting applications under:
- Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities – Biomass heating, district heating, and combined heat and power systems
- Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities – Research, Development, and Demonstration projects
- Northern Responsible Energy Approach for Community Heat and Energy program (Northern REACHE).
If you are unsure which stream your application fits within, please submit a contact form and we will be in touch to discuss. Please continue to visit this website for further updates.
We have streamlined the application process for our initiative by using one application form for all of our programs. You can submit one application to access NRCan’s Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities program (CERRC) and/or CIRNAC’s Northern Responsible Energy Approach for Community Heat and Energy program (REACHE) through the Clean Energy Initiatives for Indigenous, rural and communities contact form.
Clean Energy in Rural and Remote Communities (CERRC)
Funding for renewable energy and capacity building projects and related energy efficiency measures in Indigenous, rural and remote communities across Canada.
Northern Responsible Energy Approach for Community Heat and Electricity program (Northern REACHE)
Funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects and capacity building and planning for heating and electricity in Northern communities.
Indigenous Off-Diesel Initiative (IODI)
A clean energy training program that supports Indigenous-led climate solutions in remote Indigenous communities that currently use diesel or fossil fuels for heat and power.
Types of projects we fund
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
- Solar
- Wind
- Hydropower
- Energy storage
- Energy Efficiency (e.g. building retrofits, energy audits – undertaken as part of a renewable energy project or smaller-scale projects in the North)
- Innovative technologies (e.g. grid modernization, ocean energy, hydrogen)
Capacity building
- Training, skills and curriculum development
- Energy coordinators
- Energy literacy
- Energy planning
- Workshops, events and engagement
- Research and feasibility studies
Heat
- Biomass heating, district heating, and combined heat and power systems
- Biomass supply chains
- Geothermal
- Solar thermal
Eligibility and assessment criteria
Eligible applicants
- First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities, Indigenous governments, tribal councils, development corporations and other Indigenous organizations;
- Legally registered or incorporated Canadian for-profit and not-for-profit organizations; and,
- Provincial, territorial, regional or municipal governments and related organizations.
We prioritize Indigenous-owned or led projects, or projects with community partnerships, providing support for all project stages and a variety of technology types.
For a complete list of assessment criteria, please refer to the Wah-ila-toos applicant guide.
Apply for funding
Contact us to share more about your community’s vision, idea or project. Our program team is looking forward to hearing from you.
You can submit a contact form through the link below or request an application by email. You will hear back from us within 5 business days. If you are a representative of a First Nation, you can also contact your ISC regional office.
We review applications on an ongoing basis.
There is no deadline to apply, subject to available funds.
Additional funding
If you are looking for additional funding, please check out this list of federal Indigenous Climate Funding programs. If you have questions about funding options, our team is happy to speak with you directly. Email us at nrcan.remoteenergy-energieadistance.rncan@canada.ca.
Contact us
For additional information or if you have any questions, please email us at nrcan.remoteenergy-energieadistance.rncan@canada.ca.
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