Project application guide

The Government of Canada is committed to conserving 25% of Canada's oceans by 2025, working towards 30% by 2030. We are working closely with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous governments, and consulting with marine stakeholders, to conserve and protect our oceans for generations to come, while enabling our coastal communities to thrive.

The Oceans Management Contribution Program provides funding opportunities for eligible applicants. The program supports marine planning and conservation initiatives in the community through 2 mechanisms:

1. targeted, negotiated agreements to advance specific marine planning and conservation objectives with partners in each region
2. a national call out to invite proposals for a competitive review to advance marine conservation targets

The following details are specific to the national call out with an emphasis on outreach, monitoring and stewardship, and capacity building initiatives to achieve Canada's commitment on marine conservation targets.

On this page:

Please take your time and carefully read the following sections in this guide before completing your application for the national call out:

• Program information
  1. Purpose
  2. Application period
  3. Program objectives
  4. Eligible recipients
  5. Starting date of the proposed project
  6. Eligible project activities
  7. Expected results
  8. Eligible expenditures
  9. Project selection and funding decisions
  10. Regional vs. national call out campaigns
• How to apply
• Contact us

Program information

1. Purpose

This guide is meant to help applicants complete and submit their applications to the Oceans Management Contribution Program by December 19, 2022.

2. Application period

The call for proposals is open from November 2, 2022 and closes on December 19, 2022 at 6 pm (EST).

3. Program objectives

The Government of Canada is taking concrete action to protect, conserve and manage Canada's marine environment by investing in nature-based solutions, such as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs). In response to the growth of international scientific research about the measures needed to address biodiversity loss and global climate change, we are committed to increasing the conservation of Canada's oceans to 25% by 2025, working towards 30% by 2030.

Under Budget 2021, the Government of Canada made an historic investment to protect the health of our oceans, including close to $1 billion in funding over 5 years to reach ambitious marine conservation targets.

The strategy for implementing the marine conservation targets initiative builds on lessons learned from meeting Canada's original target of 10% protection of marine and coastal areas by 2020. Previous efforts have demonstrated that achieving marine conservation within Canada requires a multi-pronged approach that is based on best available information and provides opportunity for meaningful engagement of partners and stakeholders.

In order to achieve these new marine conservation targets, progress will be advanced in 5 key areas:

1. effective management
   manage existing MPAs and OECMs to ensure they are effective in achieving their conservation objectives
2. new site establishment
   establish new MPAs and OECMs to meet the 25% target by 2025
3. collaboration
   continue to build upon and foster meaningful partnerships with provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments and local communities, to advance effective ocean planning and conservation activities
4. marine spatial planning
   advance marine conservation within the broader context of marine spatial planning and Canada's Blue Economy Strategy, which is still in development, to help enable ambitious marine conservation objectives while also allowing for sustainable growth in our ocean sectors as part of the development of a resilient blue economy
5. international advocacy
   continue to take a leadership role along with like-minded countries to advocate for conserving 30% of the world's oceans by 2030

In order to support the achievement of Canada's Marine Conservation Targets, this funding program places priority on funding projects that fall under the following categories:

• outreach
  building awareness and connection to Canada's oceans through engagement, education and literacy on Canada's marine protected areas and other effective-area-based conservation measures.
  • e.g., Citizen stewardship and community education
• monitoring and stewardship
  partnering for MPA/OECM monitoring and stewardship including data integration and support for baseline data collection
  • e.g., collect and consolidate scientific, socio-economic and cultural information, including Indigenous and local knowledge to support analysis regarding site selection, design and designation of areas.
• capacity building
  enhancing capacity for governance and meaningful participation in marine conservation for Indigenous communities and key stakeholders
  • e.g., work with local communities to address research gaps (e.g., benthic mapping and charting, species biodiversity) to complement existing data.

4. Eligible recipients

The following categories of recipients are eligible to apply:

• not-for-profit organizations, such as charitable and volunteer organizations, professional associations and non-governmental organizations
• Indigenous organizations, governments, individuals, boards, commissions, communities, associations and authorities, including:
  • Indigenous communities / bands / settlements
  • district councils / chiefs' councils / tribal councils
  • Indigenous associations / organizations / societies
  • Indigenous fisheries commissions / councils / authorities / boards
  • Indigenous economic institutions / organizations / corporations / co-operatives
  • partnerships or aggregations of Indigenous groups
  • bodies or entities established by rights-holding communities to represent them
  • service providers mandated to work with Indigenous organizations in fisheries, fish and fish habitat, as determined by DFO
  • individuals
• research, academic and educational institutions
• Canadian individuals
• for-profit organizations, such as small businesses with less than 500 employees, companies, corporations and industry associations
• local organizations, such as community associations and groups, seniors' and youth groups and service clubs

5. Starting date of the proposed project

DFO financial contributions may never be used by a funded organization to pay or cover costs incurred before a project has officially begun. In general, a project begins and is permitted to incur expenses once a contribution agreement has been signed by both DFO and the funded organization.

It will take some time (about 12 weeks) for DFO to both complete its review of a proposed project and to negotiate the terms of a contribution agreement with your organization. The starting date of the proposed project must take into account the timing of activities that would be done if the proposed project was approved for funding. This also means that the budget of the proposed project must only include costs that would be incurred beginning in the new fiscal year and no earlier than April 1, 2023.

6. Eligible project activities

Funding will be made available under the following categories (described under Program objectives):

• outreach
• monitoring and stewardship
• capacity building

7. Expected results

Your project must address the program's objective to:

• increase collaboration to support oceans conservation and management activities
• increase knowledge on the components, functions and state of Canada's marine environment
• increase capacity to contribute to oceans conservation and management activities

8. Eligible expenditures

The following categories of eligible expenditures are acceptable:

• salaries and wages and employer mandatory benefits
• professional technical or specialized services
• training
• training materials
• construction, infrastructure and related costs*
• purchase or rental of machinery and equipment
• maintenance and repair
• purchase, or lease of vehicles*
• rental of vehicles
• materials and supplies
• utilities
• housing
• scholarships
• software and computer equipment
• printing, publishing
• telecommunications, communications/network, data communication, image/video communications services
• postage, parcel post, courier services
• rental of facilities
• travel, including accommodation, meals and allowances, based on National Joint Council's Directive on Travel
• insurance expenses related to activities under the Agreement
• conferences, workshops and meetings
• monitoring and reporting
• hospitality and related expenses in compliance with the Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures
• any GST/HST that is not reimbursable by Canada Revenue Agency and any PST not reimbursable by the provinces
• administrative overhead up to 15% of eligible costs of the project
• honoraria for:
  • elders and/or
  • Indigenous knowledge holders in recognition of providing Indigenous knowledge or community knowledge relevant to the initiative
• ceremonial costs including services, where the funding recipient is an Indigenous group that:
  • possesses Indigenous knowledge relevant to the initiative
  • where the recipient provides services to support consultation on impacts on potential or established rights or title

9. Project selection and funding decisions

The Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Oceans Management Contribution Program assessment committee will review proposals as submitted and does not expect to contact applicants for further information. It is your responsibility to provide clear, comprehensive and accurate information.

Fisheries and Oceans will assess all applications received by the deadline. We will notify all applicants of the final decisions. Decisions are final; there is no appeal process.

Upon notification of their selection, successful applicants are expected to respond within reasonable timeframes to ensure all necessary information for finalizing their contribution agreement is complete. If the recipient adds significant delays to finalizing their agreement, DFO will have the authority to close the selection and advance with another successful application.

10. Regional vs. national call out campaigns

The national call out is a competitive process and will be supplemented by the current approach to contribution agreements, wherein regions continue to collaborate with key partners.

Additional funding is available for DFO administrative regions to continue specific collaboration with key partners to support achievement of marine conservation targets. This national call out will enable additional recipients to apply for funding, enhancing the department's ability to foster new and productive partnerships nationally in support of marine planning and conservation objectives.

How to apply

Eligible recipients interested in being considered for financial support are required to submit a proposal indicating to which funding stream (outreach, monitoring and stewardship, or capacity building) they are applying using the provided application form.

Application form

For help with this form, refer to the General instructions to the application form.

Please submit your completed application to DFO.NCRAEMPCGrantsandContributionsProgram-Programmedesubven.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca on or before the application deadline of December 19, 2022 at 6 pm (EST).

Additional funding opportunities will be posted to this website when available.

Contact us

For questions about these funding opportunities or more help with the form, contact:

General inquiries
Oceans Management Grants and Contribution Program
Marine Planning and Conservation
DFO.NCRAEMPCGrantsandContributionsProgram-Programmedesubven.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca