Toronto – The Government of Canada is working with Indigenous communities on reducing pollution from the transportation sector, which is critical to Canada achieving its climate targets. The Government of Canada is investing in charging infrastructure and community-led initiatives to support communities to deliver clean air and economic opportunities for residents.
Julie Dabrusin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, on behalf of Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, opened two calls for proposals for Indigenous-led projects, one under the Zero-Emission Vehicle Awareness Initiative (ZEVAI) and the other under the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP). These funding streams are part of NRCan’s work to build meaningful partnerships and ensure Indigenous Peoples benefit from funding opportunities that can help create good jobs, make EV charging more accessible, spread awareness about EVs and clean fuels, and contribute to our shared fight against climate change.
Zero-Emission Vehicle and Clean Fuel Awareness
The first call for proposals is a pilot that is funding Indigenous-led awareness and education projects to help increase knowledge and confidence in EVs, low-emission vehicles and clean fuels.
By improving awareness and confidence among individuals, communities and businesses, Indigenous-led projects will support more widespread adoption of ZEVs and low-emission vehicles as well as clean fuels, such as biofuels or clean hydrogen, further driving the decarbonization of transportation and other energy sectors for Indigenous Peoples.
Successful applicants from Indigenous-led or -owned organizations could each receive contributions of up to 75 percent of the total eligible project costs, with a maximum funding contribution of up to $150,000 per year for a project.
Applications for this pilot call for proposals will be accepted on a continuous intake basis until March 31, 2024, or until all funding has been committed. Funded projects can include activities over multiple years, until March 31, 2026. There is no minimum project duration.
Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program
The second funding opportunity will focus on Indigenous-led projects under the Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) to support the deployment of EV chargers in public places, on-street, multi-unit residential buildings, workplaces and vehicle fleets.
The ZEVIP continuous intake process offers access to contributions for Indigenous organizations and includes flexibilities for applicants to submit and start their projects.
Successful applicants could receive up to 75 percent of their total project costs up to a maximum per technology and a maximum of $2 million per project.
This continuous intake process is open from April 20, 2023, until March 31, 2026, or until all funds are fully committed.
Since 2016, Canada has invested over $1 billion to make EVs more affordable and chargers more accessible for Canadians. These investments are supporting the establishment of a coast-to-coast network of chargers in local areas where Canadians live, work and play, while federal rebates of up to $5,000 are helping more Canadians make the switch to an EV.
Through these initiatives, the federal government is helping Indigenous organizations save money at the pump, reduce pollution and decarbonize the transportation sector of today as they prepare for the adoption of ZEVs for the future.
“We’re making electric vehicles more affordable and charging more accessible in communities across the country — including with Indigenous partners. Investing in more EV chargers, clean fuels, and awareness initiatives will put more people in the driver’s seat on the road to a net-zero future and help achieve our climate goals while supporting communities in building a more prosperous and sustainable future for generations to come.” – Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources