Enhancing Indigenous Food Systems

• Applicant Information Form
• Application Worksheet

Who is eligible?

• First Nation, Métis, and Inuit groups
• Businesses and organizations
• Communities
• Government
• Primary producers and other Indigenous-led groups undertaking agricultural initiatives

Who is not eligible

• Government employees who are the majority shareholder (50 per cent or higher) in a business or organization
• Applicants who have previously been approved for funding under the Enhancing Indigenous Food Systems funding stream

Eligible expenses

• Knowledge transfer expenses related to the development, design and distribution of communication and extension materials
• Incremental salaries, wages and benefits for specialists to assist communities with food system initiatives, research, land mapping or other approved activities
• Materials and supplies, professional fees, and subcontracted services
• Facility and equipment rental fees associated with the project
• Travel expenses may be considered eligible at the discretion of the Program Administrator, based on the needs of the project; overhead up to 10% of total approved eligible expenses

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Any expense paid before the start date or after the completion date listed in the funding agreement, and any item purchased before April 1, 2026
• Any expense, including a tax, which is eligible for a rebate, credit, or refund such as GST; in-kind contributions; normal operating expenses; expenses associated with lobbying
• Capital equipment and software; vehicles and typical farm equipment and related accessories and attachments
• Multi-use items that are not essential to the project or not exclusively used for the project; consumables; spare parts not used as part of the project; normal, current, or ongoing maintenance expenses; extended warranties
• Purchase of land, buildings and facilities; additions or upgrades to new or existing buildings and facilities; office renovations; expenses related to establishing a commercial operation; leased, rented, or subscription equipment or software without immediate ownership transfer; financing charges, loan interest payments, bank fees and charges; compensation to any government employee for organizing or delivering parts of the project; any project-related activity that generates revenue during implementation; expenses incurred for other projects; invoices not issued in the applicant’s name or payment not made by the approved applicant; any expenses not required for the execution of the project; any other expense deemed ineligible by the program administrator

• Project description
• Project deliverables and outcomes
• Capital and financial capacity
• Management capacity
• Alignment with Indigenous objectivities and priorities, including impact on youth, women and elders, and engagement with the associated Indigenous community, including leaders and other community members

• Contact the department at agriculture@gov.mb.ca to discuss whether your project fits within the program eligibility and criteria, or wait to be contacted directly by the department.
• If your project is deemed a fit, the department will invite you to submit a full proposal.
• The department will provide the Applicant Information Form and Application Worksheet for projects deemed a fit.
• Submit the completed forms to the program administrator at agriculture@gov.mb.ca no later than 11:59 PM on December 2, 2025.
• The applicant must acknowledge and agree to the terms and conditions in the Applicant Information Form, Application Worksheet, Program Guide, and Program Terms and Conditions.
• Only the applicant may sign the forms; for corporations, partnerships and other business organizations, a designated person with legal authorization must sign, and proof of authorization may be required.

• Funding for projects is subject to the appropriation of funds by the Government of Canada and the Manitoba government.
• Funding amounts received from all sources must be declared on the application; failure to disclose all financial sources for a project may nullify the application.
• Where a project is approved, no eligible expenses will be reimbursed unless a funding agreement is signed.
• If work is started on a project before formal written approval of program funding is received, the applicant does so at their own risk.
• All expenses must be supported by an invoice and a valid proof of payment, hand-written cash receipts are not acceptable, and all invoices must be dated on or after April 1, 2026. Projects completed within one fiscal year require a final report and financial claim upon project completion, while projects completed over multiple fiscal years require a report and financial claim in each fiscal year.