Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples

Funding for organizations and projects that support Indigenous peoples living in urban centres.

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About the program

More than half of Indigenous peoples in Canada live in urban centres. An urban centre is defined as an urban area with a population of at least 1,000 people and a population density no less than 400 people per square kilometre.

Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples (UPIP) was created in 2017, based on feedback received during the engagement on the Archived - Urban Aboriginal Strategy that took place in 2016.

UPIP is designed to assist status and non-status First Nations, Inuit and Métis living in or transitioning to urban centres. Funding is also available for organizations that serve rural and northern areas that act as hubs for those living on reserves or in smaller northern settlements.

More than 120 organizations, projects or initiatives receive funding under UPIP.

Funding streams

UPIP has 6 funding streams:

  • organizational capacity
  • programs and services
  • housing
  • coalitions
  • research and innovation
  • infrastructure

Organizational capacity

This stream offers core funding to Indigenous organizations that deliver programs or services to urban Indigenous peoples. Core funding covers the day-to-day operating costs of an organization, for example, staffing of key positions, utilities, rent.

Programs and services

Projects that focus on these 6 key areas will be considered for funding:

  1. women, such as projects to help women transition out of shelters
  2. vulnerable populations, such as projects for persons with addictions, disabilities, seniors
  3. youth, such as projects that provide land-based activities, mentoring
  4. transition services, such as navigator services
  5. outreach programs, such as cultural awareness training for non-Indigenous organizations
  6. community wellness, such as housing plans or studies, anti-racism, pre-employment supports

Housing

This stream provides funding for Indigenous housing projects, including purchases, new construction, repairs, and renovations for urban, rural and northern Indigenous housing and service delivery organizations.

This funding initiative is part of the Government of Canada's commitment to address the social determinants of health and advance self-determination in alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and Articles 21 and 23. See Funding for urgent, unmet Indigenous housing projects in urban, rural and northern areas to be distributed through the National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Incorporated for more information.

Coalitions

This stream supports local coalitions that bring together all levels of government and other stakeholders.

Under this stream, UPIP will connect organizations and all levels of government to:

  • identify key local priorities and needs
  • ensure efficient and coordinated delivery of urban Indigenous programs

The coalitions will:

  • promote local collaboration
  • identify local needs
  • develop local plans on how best to address the priorities

Research and innovation

This stream provides funding to academics, researchers and organizations in order to:

  • better understand the urban Indigenous reality
  • gather information on best practices, methodologies and programming approaches
  • pilot innovative programs and services to address systemic challenges in new ways

Infrastructure

This stream provides funding for infrastructure projects that increase the physical capacity and improve the safety, security, and accessibility of urban and rural Indigenous service delivery organization's facilities to deliver new programming or to respond to increased demand for existing programs.

Set-aside allocations

Beyond the calls for proposals, a certain amount of funding has been allocated in advance to certain organizations under organizational capacity and programs and services. During the Urban Aboriginal Strategy Engagement 2016, Inuit and Métis organizations identified a need for distinction-based funding. As a result, the Friendship Centre movement, the Métis Nation and Inuit have set-aside allocations.

These organizations operate on a large scale and are able to reach their members across Canada.

Friendship centres may access funding from the:

Who can apply

Each stream of UPIP funding has its own eligibility requirements. Common requirements for all streams include:

In addition, all non-Indigenous organizations, including municipal governments, health and education authorities and institutions, require demonstrated support from Indigenous organizations or Indigenous community groups to be eligible for funding.

Deadlines

There are currently no open calls for proposals.

The call for proposals for 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025 Indigenous Community Infrastructure Fund, Urban Component funding is now closed. The deadline to submit a proposal was December 30, 2022 at 11:59 pm, Eastern time.

How to apply

Each stream of UPIP funding has its own application process.

Selected organizations, projects and initiatives

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