Supporting Indigenous Nations, communities, businesses, and organizations to increase Indigenous participation in agriculture, seafood, food processing and related community economic development initiatives.

The Indigenous Food Systems and Agriculture Skills and Training Program (ISAT) is a multi-year program under the Agriculture and Food Workforce Development Initiative (AWDI). AWDI is funded by the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Agreement. The initiative is a $15M fund designed to support BC’s agriculture industry to provide a stable and increasing food supply through targeted efforts to recruit and retain a sufficient workforce to meet the labour needs of the industry. AWDI is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAF).

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Area of Interest:

Program Overview

The ISAT program supports Indigenous Nations, communities, businesses, and organizations in increasing Indigenous participation in agriculture, seafood, food processing and related community economic development initiatives.

The program does so by addressing labour capacity and workforce challenges within the food, seafood and agriculture sectors. ISAT funds activities involved in training and skills development, peer-to-peer learning, and revitalization of cultural and economic food harvesting and production practices.

The 2023/24 program provides up to $80,000 of funding per project. Program funding is available to successful applicants for projects beginning on or after January 1, 2024. Projects can be up to 24 months in duration and must complete no later than January 1, 2026.

Program Goal

The goal of the Indigenous Food Systems and Agriculture Skills and Training Program is to support Indigenous People’s food systems and agriculture-related endeavors through increased capacity.

Program Objectives

  • Increased capacity for Indigenous participation, leadership, and Indigenous-led training and extension services in the agriculture and food sector and community economic development initiatives.
  • Improved awareness, applicability, access to and outcomes of applied skills development and training programs and/or curriculum for the food and agriculture sector.

Approach

Applications for funding will open on September 12, 2023. All applications will be received online through IAF’s Client Portal and applicants will be able to apply for non-repayable funding of $25,000-$80,000 towards eligible projects and activities.

Funding for future intakes and program years will be announced following a strategic review and gap analysis and is subject to change.

Eligibility

ISAT supports Indigenous Nations, communities, businesses, and organizations in increasing Indigenous participation in agriculture, seafood, food processing and related community economic development initiatives.

Eligible Applicants

To be considered eligible for this program, an applicant must be in the Province of British Columbia, and must be:

  • an Indigenous government, community, or Indigenous led organization (including a band or tribal council, government of a self-governing First Nation or Métis Nation Chartered Community, Society or Association, economic development corporation, not-for-profit other Indigenous organization¹, or association); or
  • an Indigenous business² or entrepreneur³ engaged in food production and/or processing with a minimum of 2 years in operation (including a for-profit or social enterprise, cooperative or institution, or other Indigenous business, partnership or joint venture).

¹ An Indigenous led not-for-profit is defined as a not-for-profit organization where Indigenous persons have at least 51% decision-making power.

² An Indigenous business is defined as a business where an Indigenous person(s) has/have at least 51% ownership and control of the business.

³ Indigenous entrepreneurs are defined as independent business owners, including sole proprietors and limited companies and partnerships owned by, or where the majority of shares are held by, an individual or family members, resident in the Province of British Columbia.

Guiding Principles for Projects

Proposed projects should align with the following principles:

  • Build labour market capacity and identify innovative approaches.
  • Engage employers, communities, service providers and clients in driving new/improved employment practices.
  • Have potential for broader application, such as informing/influencing future program/policy development or for projects in other areas/regions to learn from (demonstration purposes).
  • Include a sound research model and project evaluation.
  • Not establish a need for ongoing government funding after project completion.

Maximum Funding Amounts

The 2023/24 intake for ISAT will accept applications for funding from $25,000-$80,000. Funding is non-repayable and there is no minimum cost-share requirement for this program.

Eligible Activities/Expenses

This program funds activities involved in training and skills development, peer-to-peer learning, and knowledge-sharing to support the revitalization of cultural and economic food harvesting and production practices.

Eligible project activities and expenditures include:

  • Skills and training programs to increase Indigenous participation in agriculture, seafood, food processing and related community economic development initiatives.
  • Identify need for and/or develop Indigenous-specific and led training, skills development and/or peer-to-peer learning programs and/or curriculum.
  • Projects that support the revitalization of cultural and economic food harvesting and production processing practices through training, knowledge transfer and/or peer-to-peer learning.
  • Revitalizing traditional production methods and knowledge, such as:
    • Food harvesting,
    • Food preservation, and.
    • The production of culturally appropriate foods

Ineligible Activities/Expenses

The following activities and expenses are not eligible for funding:

  • Costs incurred prior to January 1, 2024 (no retroactive costs will be considered).
  • Applicants who do not meet the eligibility requirements of the program.
  • Any costs not specifically required for the execution of the project.

Applications

Important Dates

The deadlines for applications for the 2023-24 fiscal year are as follows:

  • Application Window: September 12, 2023 – October 12, 2023
  • Application Deadline: October 12, 2023, at 16:30 PST
  • Project Start Date: January 1, 2024

Program Timeline

Application Process

Applications will be accepted through the IAF Client Portal from September 12, 2023 to October 12, 2023. The application process will generally consist of:

  • Create a personal profile (name and email)
  • Organization information, including:
    • Name
    • contact details
    • type of organization
    • BC ID / CRA numbers
    • primary contact
    • and more

NOTE: It can take up to two business days for IAF Staff to verify your Organization Registration.

Applying to ISAT Program for Project Funding:

  • Project start & end dates
  • Select project activities from the eligible activities list
  • Provide description of key activities, who will undertake work and timeline
  • Alignment with program priorities
  • Performance measurement information
  • Funding request / project budget

IAF staff are available to answer questions regarding eligible activities, costs and/or the application process. IAF may also contact applicants for additional information or clarification to assess or strengthen their application.

Applicants can contact isat(at)iafbc.ca with any questions about the program or to receive support in developing their application.

Applicants are encouraged to include only activities they are confident will be completed on time and within budget limits.

Need help with IAF’s Client Portal?

We’ve created a number of tutorials and FAQs about the IAF Client Portal to help you navigate this resource successfully.

Review and Adjudication

After the application window has closed, IAF will review all applications and make recommendations for funding decisions.

Notifications & Obligations

Funding Notifications & Contracts

If the project is approved, IAF will inform the applicant of the details of the decision and any associated terms and conditions. The applicant then enters into an agreement with IAF which outlines the obligations of each party.

Funding is application and project-specific and must be used for the approved project and related expenses. Funds are non-transferable.

Project activities requiring financial resources cannot commence until the contribution agreement has been signed by both the applicant and IAF.

Reporting Requirements

Program participants are required to submit progress and financial reporting to IAF. Progress and financial reporting will be made available to the Province. Reporting and supporting materials will be uploaded through IAF’s Client Portal.

Reporting will be based on the following performance measures (where applicable):

  • # of programs/training events completed
  • # of participants
  • # of Indigenous trainers, experts, knowledge holders engaged in training
  • # of peer-to-peer knowledge transfer events
  • # and type of knowledge transfer tools/materials developed and shared
  • Reach of knowledge transfer events/tools/materials
  • Feedback surveys and/or qualitative information on project impacts

Funding Acknowledgement

This program is funded by the Government of BC, therefore; acknowledgment of funding is required when publicly communicating about a project and/or funding. To ensure appropriate acknowledgments, all communications and marketing materials, including public announcements or social media posts, must be pre-approved by the IAF Communications Team. Materials must be submitted via the IAF Client Portal.

Changes to Contracted Projects

If you are not able to complete your project or require a change, please inform the IAF Team as soon as possible using the IAF Client Portal.

Evaluation Criteria

Criteria Considerations for Evaluation
Program Alignment
  • Does the project align with the program goal and objectives?
Applicant Eligibility
  • Is the applicant eligible to apply for funding?
Project Eligibility
  • Are all project activities and expenses eligible for funding?
Project Alignment
  • Does the project align with the guiding principles for this program?
Project Benefits
  • What is the expected scope and reach of the project benefits?
Sustainability of Benefits
  • Are project benefits sustainable and will they extend beyond project funding?
Key Performance Indicators
  • How will the project capture and report on performance measures?
Project Plan
  • Are the project objectives realistic within the project’s timeline and budget?
Applicant Resources/Capacity
  • Does the applicant have sufficient human resources (internal, partners, consultant) to undertake the project?

Ready to Apply?

Applications are now closed. Thank you to everyone who applied. All applicants will be notified of their application status by email through the IAF Client Portal.

Resources

FAQ

Have a Question?

Our team is here to support you during the application window beginning Sept 12, 2023!

ISAT Program Guide

Download a PDF version of the Program Guide.

Note: All details are presented on this webpage

Funding Acknowledgement Requirements

Download the Funding Acknowledgement Requirements for ISAT.

Have a Current Project?

Please visit the program’s Project Resource Hub for more information.

Province of BC Logo

This program is funded by the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia.