How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 20% of admissible expenses.

What is the deadline to apply?

The deadline to apply is not specified.

Who are the financial supporters of the Caribou Conservation Stewardship Program 2025-26?

Caribou Conservation Stewardship Program 2025-26 is funded by Government of Ontario

What are Caribou Conservation Stewardship Program 2025-26's eligibility criterias?

The applicant must be a legal entity (e.g., corporation, consulting company, or business). The applicant must be in good standing with tax, labour, and environmental laws. Provincial and federal government departments, unincorporated groups, and conservation authorities are not eligible.

Caribou Conservation Stewardship Program 2025-26

Last Update: June 23, 2025

ON, Canada

Supports Boreal Caribou conservation through habitat restoration and research

Caribou Conservation Stewardship Program 2025-26 at a glance

Eligible Funding

Up to 20% of project cost

Timeline

Continuous Intakes

Financing Type

Grant and Funding

Eligible Industries

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
Professional, scientific and technical services
Educational services
Other services (except public administration)
Public administration

Grant Providers

Government of Ontario

Status

Open

Overview of the Caribou Conservation Stewardship Program 2025-26 program

The Caribou Conservation Stewardship Program provides funding for projects that support the maintenance and recovery of Boreal Caribou populations in Ontario, offering financial support for eligible activities such as habitat restoration, monitoring, threat mitigation, and research. The maximum funding amount per project is not specified in the available guidelines.

Financing terms and conditions

Requested funds for administration expenses, support services, and indirect costs of research combined cannot exceed 20% of total funds requested, or $20,000 per year, whichever is less.
Up to $5,000 may be requested for audit costs if total approved transfer payments are $750,000 or more.
Funding may only be applied to the non-refundable portion of HST.

Eligible projects & activities

Habitat management, restoration, and protection for Boreal Caribou.
Conducting species surveys, inventories, or monitoring related to Boreal Caribou populations.
Mitigating direct threats to Boreal Caribou and their habitat.
Research projects supporting Boreal Caribou conservation and recovery.
Incorporating and sharing local and Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge in caribou conservation initiatives.

Eligibility criteria of the Caribou Conservation Stewardship Program 2025-26 program

The applicant must be a legal entity, such as an academic institution, corporation, Indigenous community or organization, individual, municipal or local government, or non-government organization.
The applicant must be in good standing with tax, labour, and environmental laws.
The project must contribute to the maintenance, recovery, or adaptive management of self-sustaining local populations of Boreal Caribou in Ontario.
The project must include activities related to habitat management/restoration, species surveys, threat mitigation, research, or integration of local and Indigenous traditional knowledge.

Who is eligible?

Academic institutions
Corporations (businesses, consulting companies, and industry organizations)
Indigenous communities and organizations
Individuals
Municipal and local governments
Non-government organizations

Who is not eligible

Provincial government ministries
Federal government departments and agencies
Unincorporated informal groups or clubs (non-legal entities)
Conservation authorities and their foundations

Eligible expenses

Wages and mandatory benefits for staff directly involved in project implementation.
Materials and supplies required for the project.
Third-party services, such as contractors for specialized tasks (e.g., habitat restoration, communications materials).
Fees for external consultants providing advice or expertise.
Transportation expenses for project-related meetings or events (aligned with government travel directives).
Accommodation expenses associated with project-related travel.
Food and beverage costs for project staff or contractors during meetings or events (subject to government travel directives; alcohol not covered).
Hospitality expenses for food or beverages during public project meetings/events (with cost limits).
Equipment purchase or rental, if use is necessary and rental costs do not exceed purchase price.
Administration expenses directly attributable to the project (e.g., postage, office supplies, financial service fees).
Indirect costs of research attributable to the project.
Support services such as HR, finance, IT, or communications staff time spent on project administration.
Honoraria payments to Indigenous Elders or knowledge holders participating in the project (subject to defined rates).
Audit costs, if required for large-value projects.
Non-refundable portion of HST.

Eligible geographic areas

Ontario

Eligibility criteria of the Caribou Conservation Stewardship Program 2025-26 program

Direct alignment with the program objectives to advance the maintenance, recovery, or adaptive management of self-sustaining local populations of Boreal Caribou.
Value of the project to species protection and recovery, including direct benefits to Boreal Caribou and/or their habitat, addressing demonstrated needs, threats, or knowledge gaps, and supporting or complementing larger recovery initiatives.
Quality of project design and work plan, including clarity, practicality, scientific soundness, and feasibility, with appropriate performance measures and public availability of results.
Expertise, strength of partnerships, and value for money, including engagement of partners, proven capacity to deliver, detailed and appropriate budget, and levels of matching support.
Overall application quality, including clear, complete, and well-written proposals that demonstrate how activities build on past work and avoid duplication of effort.

How to apply to the Caribou Conservation Stewardship Program 2025-26 program

Read program guidelines

Review the 2025-2026 Caribou Conservation Stewardship Program Guidelines
Understand eligibility requirements and funding priorities

Create an account on Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON)
Allow up to five business days for access

Download and prepare application forms

Download the application form and all required supporting documents from TPON
Gather documents such as detailed budget, performance measures, and threats and knowledge gaps table

Complete application documents

Complete the application form thoroughly, providing all necessary information
Ensure that performance measures, budgets, and supplementary tables are filled in
Prepare one application per project if submitting multiple applications

Submit application online

Submit your application and all required supporting documentation electronically through TPON
Ensure submission by 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Wait for evaluation results

Wait for confirmation of receipt and review of your application by the Ministry
Notification of results is expected in September 2025

Sign funding agreement

If approved, sign a transfer payment agreement with the Province
Prepare to submit certificates of insurance and other required documents

Additional information

Successful applicants will be required to acknowledge financial assistance from the Government of Ontario.
Applicants are responsible for acquiring all necessary permits and authorizations before starting project activities.
Personal information in application forms is collected under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and may be used for program administration purposes.
The Ministry reserves the right to audit funded projects and may require access to project sites and records for verification purposes.