Indigenous Monitoring and Stewardship Fund

Only Manitoba-based Indigenous Nations and communities with a direct connection to waters and shorelines affected by hydroelectric development on the Churchill, Burntwood, Nelson, Saskatchewan, Laurie or Winnipeg River systems can apply for funding from the IMSF.

Your project must include one or more:

• community-led stewardship initiatives that support Indigenous Knowledge or community-led environmental monitoring
• camps or gatherings that support the sharing of Indigenous Knowledge
• capacity-building, outreach, and community-based training and/or sharing of Indigenous Knowledge or environmental monitoring expertise
• community displays, community art or video projects that relate to historical, environmental, and Indigenous Knowledge teachings
• species and habitat identification, monitoring, and protection
• community oral history projects

Projects that are ineligible:

• projects that replace, duplicate, or are already funded through activities of Manitoba Hydro, the Coordinated Aquatic Monitoring Program, or any other established program
• energy resource or development projects
• scholarship programs intended to fund individual degree or accreditation programs (outside of short-term and community-based monitoring training initiatives)
• projects located on Lake Winnipeg
• projects that include large capital purchases (exceptions are possible on a case-by-case basis – the purchases must be supported by a detailed business case)
• fish stocking programs
• heritage resource monitoring programs
• projects that subsidize individual or commercial resource harvesting activities or harvesters
• projects designed to support negotiation litigation or public advocacy that opposes Manitoba Hydro or government
• multi-year projects

Nations or communities actively pursuing legal action against Manitoba Hydro in relation to the adverse effect of its operations are not eligible for IMSF funding.

We evaluate all applications. Depending on the number of applicants and subject to all other criteria being equal, we may prioritize funding applicants who have not received funding in the previous program year.

Project proposal

Your proposal must include:

• main objectives of your project
• project location(s)
• methods you will use to achieve your objectives
• outcomes, including how your project contributes to building understandings of the waters and shorelines affected by hydroelectric development
• roles and responsibilities of team members (indicate whether internal or external to your community or Nation)
• alignment with your broader community or Nation priorities
• how the results of your project will be shared with your broader community or Nation
• how your project will maximize involvement from and benefit your community or Nation and if youth or Elders' participation will be integrated into your project
• relevant background information, including how your project is connected to waters and shorelines affected by hydroelectric development in Manitoba

Additional files

Additional files may also be attached (but are not required). These include:

• any relevant maps to help show the location of your project
• photos
• business case, where required to support capital purchases

Schedule

You must include a step-by-step schedule that is feasible within the project timeframe and also includes submission of an interim report by September 15, 2027, and a final report by March 31, 2028.

Budget

You must include a detailed project budget that demonstrates expenditures for each step of the project. Budgets must also follow these guidelines:

• no more than 10% of funding may be allocated to general administration costs
• funding for external technical advisors or consultants should be clearly identified and represent no more than 45% of the total project budget
• hourly rates for technical advisors or external consultants must not exceed $250 per hour
• no costs may be allocated to proposal development
• no costs may be included that are already incurred or not directly related to the project
• eligible projects may receive up to a maximum of $125,000

Ineligible costs

Some costs that are part of your project may not be eligible for funding.

Ineligible costs:

• the cost of developing a project proposal
• costs that have already been incurred
• costs that are not directly related to the project

Review our application checklist (PDF, 139 KB) before you submit your application.

Apply

All applications must be submitted on or before July 15, 2026.

If your project is selected for funding, we will work with you on a funding agreement. This agreement will outline your funding, explain your project activities, and detail reporting requirements. While reporting requirements are part of the funding agreement, Indigenous Knowledge and any other information produced by your project will remain with your project team.

It will be your responsibility to secure all approvals, regulatory and other, required to implement the funded project. We will also ask that you notify any communities or organizations who may have an interest in your project area about the funded work.

When the funding agreement is finalized and executed, we will provide 60 % of the approved funding. You must submit an interim report on or before September 15, 2027 to receive an additional 20% of the funding. The final 20% of funding will be provided following submission of a final project report.

If a funding agreement is executed by a First Nation, a band council resolution is required. If a funding agreement is executed by a community council, Manitoba Municipal and Northern Relations approval may also be required.

If you are selected for funding, you will be invited to our workshop to share the outcomes of your project after you have implemented your workplan.