Participant Funding Program

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency administers a Participant Funding Program which supports individuals and non-profit organizations and Aboriginal groups interested in participating in federal environmental assessments.

Your participation in comprehensive studies, assessments by review panels or by joint review panels helps to ensure that your views are considered. Limited funding can cover eligible expenses, such as travel costs and fees for experts.

Apply for funding if you:

• have a direct, local interest in the project, such as living or owning property in the project area;
• have community knowledge or Aboriginal traditional knowledge relevant to the environmental assessment; or
• have expert information relevant to the anticipated environmental effects of the project.

The Participant Funding Program guide has been updated to provide greater consistency and clarity during the review of applications and the processes for allocation of funds. The Participant Funding Program is comprised of two funding envelopes:

• The Regular Funding Envelope provides financial assistance to members of the public, not-for-profit organizations, and Aboriginal groups to participate in the public consultation opportunities provided during review panel and joint review panel processes, and comprehensive studies.
• The Aboriginal Funding Envelope provides funding specifically to Aboriginal groups to assist them to prepare for and participate in Aboriginal consultation activities as well as public consultation opportunities associated with:
  • review panel and joint review panel processes; and
  • comprehensive studies of major resource projects.

Successful applicants may only receive funds from one envelope.

Consult the Participant Funding Program Guide for more details on who is eligible, what expenses may be funded and how the program works. The Guide also provides instructions on how to complete and submit an application form if you are applying for the Regular Funding Envelope. Successful applicants will be required to sign a contribution agreement.

The Frequently Asked Questions and the Fact Sheet about the program may provide you with more answers.

Find out about current participant funding opportunities by visiting the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry or the Agency's Media Room. You can also read the Regular Funding Envelope reports or the Aboriginal Funding Envelope reports from Participant Funding Review Committees.

The Basics of Environmental Assessment will give you a quick overview of what environmental assessment is, why it is important and other ways you can get involved.

Disclaimer: Some electronic documents are currently available only in Adobe's Portable Document Format. To request an alternate format, please contact:

Participant Funding Program
Tel.: 1-866-582-1884
PFP.PAFP@ceaa-acee.gc.ca