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Project proposal guidance 2022-2026

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Introduction

Funding is available for multi- year projects that can be completed between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2026 and that meet the requirements of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)’s Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (CNFASAR). To apply for this funding, a proposal template must be completed and submitted in accordance with the guidance provided in this document.

For more information on the program please visit the CNFASAR website.

To submit your proposal to DFO:

Note: The proposal application deadline has been extended to October 21st, 2021.

Your project proposal must be emailed to a regional coordinator by October 21st at 23:59 Pacific Standard Time to be considered. For assistance please contact the regional coordinator in the region in which your proposed project will take place.

Note:

Only proposals that meet the program’s requirements will be considered for funding. Submission of a proposal does not guarantee funding.

If your proposal is approved, you will be notified and DFO’s regional office will contact you to discuss the establishment of a contribution agreement between your organization and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. You may be required to provide additional information on your project at that time.

Regional Coordinators:

A) General information on CNFASAR

The Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (CNFASAR), funded through Budget 2018 and more recently expanded through Budget 2021, aims to support the recovery and protection of aquatic species at risk by enabling multi-species, place-based and threat-based approaches to recovery and protection. Budget 2018 provided $55 million over five years which has already been allocated to 56 multi-species projects across Canada. Under Budget 2021, an additional $23 million in over four years, (starting April 1, 2022 until March 31, 2026), is now available. This additional funding will support projects that help recover aquatic species at risk, and is targeted towards two priority threats, nine priority places and three priority species.

1. Objective of the program

The objective of the CNFASAR is to slow the decline of aquatic species at risk and enable a leap forward in their recovery through the injection of targeted funding that supports recovery and protection activities that address priority species, priority threats, or priority places.

To accomplish this, the CNFASAR will seek to:

2. A focus on priority species, places and threats

CNFASAR supports applicants in the design and delivery of stewardship projects that support the recovery and protection of aquatic species at risk. CNFASAR has a unique focus on priority species, places and threats to protect and recover of aquatic species at risk.

DFO has identified two priority threats, three priority species and nine priority places as the focus for projects funded by CNFASAR.

Two marine priority threats along our three coasts:

Under the theme of marine priority threats, proposed projects must contribute to the mitigation of one of the following two priority threats as it relates to and affects multiple (at least 2) aquatic species at risk:

  1. Fishing interactions (includes entanglement and bycatch of aquatic species at risk)
  2. Physical and acoustic disturbance (includes vessel collisions and marine noise)

Three priority species:

Under this theme, proposed projects must focus on at least one of the following:

  1. North Atlantic Right Whale
  2. Atlantic Salmon designatable units (DUs)/populations listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) or assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessed as at-risk
  3. SARA-listed or COSEWIC assessed as at-risk DUs/populations of Pacific Salmon species.

Projects that also benefit additional aquatic SARA-listed species are preferred.

Nine priority places:

Under this theme, proposed projects must take place in the priority place and focus on the recovery and protection of at least two aquatic species at risk: one SARA-listed DU/population, and at least one other SARA-listed or COSEWIC assessed as at-risk population/DU.

  1. Fraser and Columbia Watersheds Priority Place (British Columbia)
  2. Rocky Mountains’ Eastern Slopes Priority Place (Alberta)
  3. Southern Prairies Priority Place (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba)
  4. Arctic Priority Place (Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Arctic Ocean)
  5. Lower Great Lakes Watershed Priority Place (Ontario)
  6. St. Lawrence Lowlands Priority Place (Quebec)
  7. Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Rivers Priority Place (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island)
  8. Bay of Fundy and Southern Uplands Watersheds Priority Place (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick)
  9. Southern Newfoundland Priority Place (Newfoundland and Labrador)

With a focus on these priorities, CNFASAR projects should:

In addition, Indigenous Knowledge and support for Indigenous capacity building is a priority for CNFASAR.

Where possible, projects that clearly demonstrate Indigenous partnerships or leadership in their planning, including support for Indigenous Knowledge and Indigenous capacity building related to the priority threats, species or places, are preferred.

How were the priorities selected?

Priority threats and places were selected based on the following criteria:

3. Eligible activities

The Fund supports a range of activities to support the recovery of aquatic species at risk affected by the priority marine threats or in the priority places, including:

4. Eligible costs

Eligible contribution costs include reasonable and properly itemized costs, directly related to the eligible projects/activities, for:

5. Stacking and federal limit

Terminology

Stacking: The maximum level of total government assistance (federal, provincial, territorial and municipal) cannot exceed 100% of the total eligible costs of the project. It takes into account both government cash (e.g., funding provided) and in-kind (e.g., a federal scientist contributing to the project).

Federal Limit: The federal limit consists of the maximum contribution that can be provided by federal departments and agencies toward a project. These limits will determine the level of federal funding a project will receive. As such, you must disclose all sources of potential funding and support as part of your proposal (Section 14 of the proposal template).

The federal limit for non-Indigenous-led projects is 50%, which means that for every dollar the federal government contributes towards a project, matching funds must come from non-federal sources (e.g. other levels of non-federal government, industry, and/or other partners). Similar to the stacking limit, the federal limit includes both cash and in-kind support.

For example, a project with a total eligible expenditures of $100,000 can receive $50,000 from the Government of Canada (i.e., from DFO or another federal department, or some combination), this would include any cash or in-kind contribution. The remaining $50,000 would have to be provided by the recipient (i.e., in cash or in-kind) or in combination of funds raised from another level of non-federal government, or partner.

For Indigenous- led projects and recipients, the federal government can provide a maximum contribution of 80% of the total eligible expenditures of a project. Just as for non-Indigenous- led projects, the remaining funds must come from non-federal sources.

For example, a project with a total eligible expenditures of $100,000 can receive $80,000 from the Government of Canada (i.e., from DFO or another federal department, or some combination), this would include any cash or in-kind contribution. The remaining $20,000 would have to be provided by the recipient (i.e., in cash or in-kind) or in combination of funds raised from another level of non-federal government, or partner.

B) Proposal evaluation

The Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (CNFASAR) is intended for projects that address priority threats to aquatic species at risk within the marine environment, support the recovery or protection of three priority aquatic species at risk or support the recovery or protection of aquatic species at risk in one of the nine priority places across Canada.

Following the proposal submission deadline (October 21st, 2021 at 11:59 Pacific Standard Time), DFO’s regional personnel will evaluate your project based on the information you provide in the proposal.

To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate how their projects:

Note that a preference will be given to projects that:

C) Instructions to complete the application form

Please follow the instructions below to ensure that your proposal has all the requisite information. All sections of the proposal must be completed in full for the project to be considered for funding.

1. Project title

The project title will be used in all communications related to the project (suggested format: Identification of the threat or area to be addressed followed by a brief description of the project).

Maximum 100 characters.

2. CNFASAR funding request

Please enter the amount requested to CNFASAR for each fiscal year of your project. The amounts indicated in the table must reflect the total funding requested in the tables in Section 11 for each fiscal year. Note that the Government of Canada’s fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31 and this will be used to determine a project’s fiscal year.

3. Contact information and organization

3.1. Applicant information

In Table 3.1, please use your organization’s legal name (i.e., no acronyms or nick names) as this is the name that will be used in the contribution agreement should your project be successful. If the incorrect name is provided this may cause difficulties in processing any payment. Further, please provide contact information for your organization (including your mailing address) and select the organization type that best describe your group from the drop-down menu. Please make sure you also identify and provide contact information for the individual who will be the main contact point for the CNFASAR project.

3.2. Applicant organization description

Please select the scale at which your organization operates based on the following definitions:

Please also provide a brief description of your organization, including its mandate(s) and objective(s).

Maximum 300 words.

4. Project team experience

Please provide details on the qualifications and experience of your team relevant to the project proposal. This can include partners and other experts involved in the design and implementation of your initiative. The position title of each project team member who has a management, coordination or other significant role in the CNFSAR project must be listed (do not provide the name of the individual in the position). Make sure to detail the specific roles and responsibilities of each position, as well as a brief summary of the qualifications and experience of the individual in the position, as related to the CNFASAR project. This will be used to demonstrate you group’s experience and capacity to deliver on your initiative. Please do not submit résumés.

Maximum 1000 words.

5. Project overview

5.1 Project summary

Provide an overview of the project. The text must be clear enough (i.e., not overly technical) to provide a comprehensive summation of your project.

Maximum 750 words.

The project summary should clearly address each of the following items:

5.2. Links to the CNFASAR priorities

In each drop down menu of Table 5.2., please list the priority threats(s), priority place(s) and priority specie(s) that will be addressed. Add rows as needed in the table copying and pasting the drop down menu from the row above.

5.3. Project description

5.3.1. Anticipated benefits to Aquatic Species at Risk

Please list all aquatic SARA-listed and COSEWIC assessed as at-risk species that will benefit from the proposed project, including the priority species in table 5.2. For all SARA-listed species, insert where available in the middle column, any recovery actions that your project will support. These recovery actions can be found in recovery documents (recovery strategies, management plans, and actions plans) on the Species at Risk Public Registry.

In the right most column, please describe any other benefits to species-at-risk that your project may provide.

5.3.2. Methodology

Please provide an overview of the methodology that will be used to implement the project. In this section, please describe the activities that you plan to undertake, how you plan to undertake them, and how they will be monitored and reported. Your description must be clear and align with your project’s work plan.

Maximum 750 words.

6. Project location

Please select the specific province or territory where your project occurs from the drop-down menu in Table 6. You can use multiple rows for projects covering more than one site, and copy/paste the drop-down menu when more rows are required. Also indicate the name of the waterbody/bodies and geographic location where the project activities would take place. Latitude and longitude (using decimal degree format) information for the project locations are mandatory (e.g., latitude 43.09057, longitude -80.16062). As projects sites are usually located in a rural areas, please indicate in the table the nearest town or city.

7. Collaboration among multiple stakeholders and partners

Indicate whether you have confirmed or identified anticipated partners for your project and provide a short description of the contributions they will make.

Table for Collaboration among multiple stakeholders and partners
Partner contact name Partner organization Partner organization type Description of support offered (i.e. oversight, planning, implementation, training, etc.) Contribution (in- kind/$)
John Doe ABC Company For-profit organization with less than 500 employees (e.g. small business, company, corporation, or industry association)

Provide technical support to calibrate bioacoustics recording equipment.

Provide statistical analysis of recorded data.

100,000.00
    Choose an item.    
Add rows as required   Choose an item.    

8. Permits and permissions

It is your responsibility to determine if permits, authorizations and “permissions” are required for all steps of your project. This will include verifying with various levels of government whether you require permits or authorizations prior to undertaking the project in said province, territory or municipality. The CNFASAR Regional Coordinator may be able to assist you in determining the necessary permits or authorizations.

For any proposed activity that requires a permit or authorization, please identify the activity, and list the corresponding permit or authorization type, expected date of issue, and issuing authority (e.g., federal DFO Fisheries Act, SARA, provincial, municipal) in the table provided.

Maximum 500 words.

In regards to activities that take place on private property, you may require the owner’s “permission” to gain access to the area as well as to undertake any activities. In this circumstance please provide the owner/group/company’s name and an indication of the status of the required permission. Should your proposal be successful, you will need to secure the required permits and permissions in a timely fashion.

9. Performance measures

The performance measures section of the proposal is used to demonstrate the expected outcomes of the project.

For each fiscal year, please input the numeric values as indicated into the appropriate tables (9.1. to 9.4.). Please note that the number of partners should correspond to the number of partners identified in the table completed in section 14 for each specific fiscal year.

Note:

Neither DFO nor your organization can be counted as partners. All organizations or professionals who support the project, either in-kind or cash, are considered to be partners. Generally, project volunteers (e.g., students) are not considered as partners.

For the other rows in the table, data must also be linked to the fiscal year. For example, if fish habitat restoration occurs in 2021-22 and 2022-23, the portion of areas of aquatic habitat restored must be specific to each year (i.e., how much has been restored during that year), and indicated in the relevant table.

10. Nature Legacy for Canada

Through the broader Canada Nature Legacy initiative, the CNFASAR provides support to Canadians who wish to implement actions for the conservation and recovery of aquatic species at risk with the goal of lasting, and sustainable outcomes. In this section, please describe how your project will support the recovery actions for species at risk beyond the 4 years of the CNFASAR.

This description may include specific recovery actions as well as supporting activities such as how your project supports partnerships, relationship building, and governance structures that enable continued collaboration, and information and knowledge sharing in the future.

Maximum 750 words.

You are also encouraged to engage with federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal departments and ministries as well as local watershed authorities to pursue synergies with existing and complementary programming in advance of the implementation of your project.

11. Work plan

The work plan shows the key stages within a project for each fiscal year. All activities funded wholly or partly by the CNFASAR must be included in the work plan.

In tables 11.1. to 11.4., please identify the following for each activity:

12. CNFASAR expenditures

This section provides details on CNFASAR funded expenditures for every fiscal year of the project. The expense categories use the program’s activity eligibility as headings and the level of detail required for each category will depend on the value of a specific expense. The table below provides an example of the amount of detail required for each budget line item. Please note that for the proposal, the expense description requires only a certain degree of detail, understanding at this juncture this information is only preliminary. Should your project be selected, further detail under the expense description may be required to develop the contribution agreement following discussions with the CNFASAR regional officers, if insufficient details are provided in your proposal.

Example table:

Caption text
Expense category Expense description $ Requested to CNFASAR
Salaries and wages and employer mandatory benefits

Project Lead
1 person @ 20 weeks x 40 h/week @ $35/h = $28,000

Environmental Officer
1 person @ 25 weeks x 35 h/week @ $19.55/h = $17,106 (CNFASAR will be funding a portion = $7,500)

$35,500
Professional and technical services

Environmental Consultant (bilingual)
1 person @ 300 h x $24/h = $7,200

Webmaster
1 person @ 8.4 h x $50/h = $420

$7,620
Materials and supplies

5000 Trees @ $5 each = $25,000

Shrubs: $3,105 + delivery charges $250 = $3,355

Planting equipment (Gas and oil for trimmer, shovels, gloves, tape, etc) = $1,250

Geomatic tools (ArcGIS), cadastral and wildlife data) = $15,000

Total: $44,605

$44,605
Purchase or rental of machinery or equipment

Water pump: $5,000

Purchase of a truck = $45,000 (versus rental for 48 months at $1,250 per month: $60,000)

$50,000
Travel, including accommodation, meals and allowances based on the NJC Directive on Travel Meeting with landowners and primary stakeholders : 4 584 km x 0,50$/km = $2,292 $2,292
Administrative overhead up to 10% of eligible costs of the project Rent, office supplies, phone line, internet, electricity, etc., = $12,000 $12,000
  Total $152,017

13. Broader initiatives or programs

Please answer the first question by ticking “yes” or “no”. If your project is currently fully or partially funded by the Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP), Coastal Restoration Fund, Aboriginal Funds for Species at Risk, or other DFO or federal funding program, use the first text box to explain how your project will differ from the full or partial funding that it has already received.

If you answered “No” to the first question, please answer the next question below. If your project does expand upon work that is or was funded by DFO or other federal funds, use the text box below this question to expand on how your project will build on the activities or measures the have received full or partial funding from DFO or other federal funding programs.

14. Project support

The Sources of Support table is used to identify all sources of support (cash and in-kind support) from a project’s partners in each fiscal year. The table is also used to help identify whether a project has met the program’s stacking and federal limits, which is based on the total support provide over all years of the project (i.e., it is not determined on a year to year basis).

Please fill in all columns in the table. In the first column, you need to enter the full names of the organizations providing support to the project (please avoid acronyms that haven’t been defined upon first use). In the same column, provide a general description of the activities to be supported by each organization and detail the costs of that support (e.g., Department of Environment: construction material ($5,000) and diagnostic studies ($10,000)). Note that only funding that directly supports CNFASAR activities should be included in the table. Examples of such activities are listed in Section A of this document.

Please fill in the amounts received from each source in columns two to five, depending if support is coming from a federal or a non-federal source and if it is cash or in-kind. Note that it is possible for an organization to provide both in-kind and cash support (in this case, support would be indicated on the same row).

In the last column of the table, please confirm if funding support is confirmed at the date of the application. Should your project be approved, please note that a letter confirming cash or in-kind support from partners may be requested.

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