Wah-ila-toos — Clean Energy in Indigenous Communities
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- Winning means you must assign rights to the funder. 9 ask that.
- Asks 12 written answers. The median programme we have read asks 5.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Wah-ila-toos (a Nehiyaw/Michif/Inuinnaqtun/Haíɫzaqvḷa word meaning 'we are all kin') is a NRCan-led single-window initiative providing funding for renewable energy and capacity-building projects in Indigenous, rural, and remote communities across Canada. Backed by $300M announced in 2022 (available through 2027) and gifted the name Wah-ila-toos in February 2023, it consolidates access to multiple federal clean energy programs — including the Indigenous Off-Diesel Initiative (IODI, now closed to applications), the Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities (CERRC) program (now fully committed), and the Northern Responsible Energy Approach for Community Heat and Electricity (Northern REACHE) program (still accepting applications) — under one no-wrong-door entry point. A dedicated Indigenous Council of 6 distinctions-based representatives guides program design. Funding supports a continuum from feasibility studies and capacity-building through to full renewable energy project construction.
Eligibility Requirements
- Indigenous communities (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities and organizations)
- Indigenous, rural and remote communities, including Northern and Arctic regions, that use diesel or other fossil fuels for heat and/or power (remote: not connected to the North American electrical grid or piped natural gas; rural: grid-connected, no piped natural gas, fewer than 5,000 people)
- Community-owned or community-controlled entities undertaking clean energy projects
- Provincial, territorial, regional or municipal governments and related organizations can apply
- Non-profit organizations and development corporations representing Indigenous communities
- Projects must help communities that use diesel or other fossil fuels for heat and/or electricity move to clean energy
- Legally registered or incorporated Canadian for-profit and not-for-profit organizations are eligible applicants. NRCan prioritizes Indigenous-owned or led projects and projects with community partnerships; the communities served can be Indigenous or non-Indigenous.
- Only Northern REACHE is accepting applications, for projects in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik and Labrador; CERRC, which covers other regions, is fully committed
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $50M (caps vary by project type)$25,000 (feasibility studies) – up to $50M, depending on project type (capacity building capped at $5M; energy-efficiency/demand-side pilots at $1M; renewable electricity deployment and clean heat/power demonstration at $50M; heat/power R&D at $20M; bioheat at $10M)
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 100% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- CERRC is fully committed and not accepting applications. Northern REACHE (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik and Labrador) accepts applications on an ongoing basis, with no deadline.
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Accessible — straightforward requirements
Below average competition
Moderate — standard requirements
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipStart with the NRCan pathfinding service before doing any formal application work.
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
How Natural Resources Canada judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 6+ source documents, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-11.
6 of the sources
- Wah-ila-toos: Clean Energy Initiatives in Indigenous, rural and… canada.ca
- Wah-ila-toos: Funding opportunities canada.ca
- Wah-ila-toos applicant guide canada.ca
- Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities Program natural-resources.canada.ca
- Indigenous Off-Diesel Initiative canada.ca
- Northern REACHE Program rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca
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What Natural Resources Canada favours
Shovel-ready demonstration or deployment projects: engineering done, permits, funding secured◦
“Note, preference may be given for demonstration or deployment projects that are shovel-ready (engineering is complete, permits are in place and all other funding is secured).”
The form
Contact form
- 1Contact Form: Funding for Clean Energy in Indigenous, Rural and Remote Communitiesshort answer
- 2Consent to emailsselection
- 3Consent to share project ideaselection
- 4Preferred form of contactselection
- 5Regionselection
- 6Grid connectionselection
- 7Natural gas connectionselection
- 8Request a contactshort answer
- 9Interestcheckboxes
- 10Additional Informationwritten answer
If you have a project idea, feel free to provide information such as whether it is focused on community engagement and capacity, energy efficiency, bioheat or renewable energy project, including status (feasibility, design, construction, etc.), proposed technology, and system size.
- 11How did you hear about us?short answer
Project description and activities
- 12Project description - Alignment with the objectiveswritten answer
The application clearly describes how the project aligns with one or more of the objectives listed in Section 2.0 of the applicant guide.
- 13Project activities - capacity buildingwritten answer
- 14Project activities - deployment and/or research, development, demonstration projectswritten answer
Benefits, governance and team
- 15Project benefits - Project benefits and expected resultswritten answer
- 16Project governance and team - Project ownership and governancewritten answer
- 17Project governance and team - Team expertise and capacitywritten answer
Engagement and partners
- 18Project engagement - Indigenous and community engagement and involvementwritten answer
- 19Project engagement - Project partners and supporterswritten answer
Project plan, risks and budget
- 20Project workplan - Project planningwritten answer
- 21Project risks and mitigation - Risk assessmentwritten answer
- 22Project financials - Budget assessment and project financial strengthwritten answer
Signature and supporting documents
- 23Signature by an authorized officercheckbox
- 24Examples of Due Diligence Supporting Documentationlist
Natural Resources Canada states no length limits for these answers.
Judged against
- 1
Is this Indigenous-led and community-backed?
Show them Attach the Band Council Resolution or letters of support, show how community members shaped the project, and name every partner and their role.◦
In the funder’s words · 3
- Project ownership and governance
- Indigenous and community engagement and involvement
- Project partners and supporters
- 2
Will it actually cut fossil fuel use?
What to show, and the funder’s 5 criteria behind it in Premium
- 3
Can this team deliver the project?
What to show, and the funder’s 3 criteria behind it in Premium
- 4
Is the budget justified and other money real?
What to show, and the funder’s 6 criteria behind it in Premium
5 questions the reviewer answers about you, in Premium.
Where applicants fail
“Please speak with a project officer prior to completing the project application form.”
“Overhead expenditures, directly related to the conduct of the project, such as office operating expenses, are limited to fifteen percent (15%) of total eligible expenditures.”
“Costs incurred prior to project approval.”
Premium · the rest of this brief
See all 6 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.
3 more rules that can reject you · 14 more criteria · 21 more prompts
Do you pass?
6 can rule you out; 3 are preferences. Tick the ones you meet.
You
Indigenous community or organization
First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities, Indigenous governments, tribal councils, development corporations and other Indigenous organizations
Your business
Registered Canadian for-profit or not-for-profit
Legally registered or incorporated Canadian for-profit and not-for-profit organizations
Your organisation
Provincial, territorial, regional or municipal government
Provincial, territorial, regional or municipal governments and related organizations.
The project
Priority for Indigenous-owned or led projects preferred, not required
We prioritize Indigenous-owned or led projects, or projects with community partnerships, providing support for all project stages and a variety of technology types.
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
The money
Capacity building capup to $5 million
For capacity building projects, the maximum contribution for these projects cannot exceed $5 million.
Efficiency pilot capup to $1 million
Energy efficiency and demand-side management pilot projects that help reduce energy usage, such as a small-scale building retrofit in a community cannot exceed $1 million.
Deployment capup to $50 million
For deployment of renewable electricity generation and demonstration of clean energy for heat and (or) power contribution cannot exceed $50 million
R&D capup to $20 million
For research and development for heat and (or) power contribution cannot exceed $20 million
Bioheat capup to $10 million
For bioheat projects Initiatives’ contribution cannot exceed $10 million.
Your shareup to 100% of total project costs
Although the Initiative can support up to 100% of total project costs, the level of funding a project can receive will be determined during the assessment of your project.
Stackingstack government sources up to 100%
Recipients are able to combine (or “stack”) multiple government funding sources up to 100% of total project costs.
Costs before approvalcosts incurred prior to project approval
Costs incurred prior to project approval.
What it pays for · 7
- Salaries and benefits for employees on the payroll of the recipient organization, for actual time spent on the project.
- Professional, scientific, technical, and contracting services and fees.
- Capital expenditures for equipment and materials, including the purchase, installation, testing, commissioning, warranty of qualifying equipment, materials, and products, as well as diagnostic, testing tools and instruments.
- Travel expenses directly required for delivery of the project, including meals and accommodation, based on National Joint Council rates.
- Training and workshops.
- Costs associated with Indigenous ceremony
- Honoraria.
What it does not pay for · 3
- Land purchase
- Financing charges and interest on loans
- Costs incurred prior to project approval.
From application to money
- Contact program officerRequest form; reply within 5 business days
- Submit signed proposalSubmit signed proposal with statement of work
- Review and approvalCompleteness check, then project approval
- Negotiate agreementNegotiate contribution agreement with Canada
- Funding window endsMarch 31, 2027Funds allocated or March 31, 2027
- Report resultsReport energy and financial results
In the funder’s words · 6
- Contact program officer
- Email the program to request the application form and be assigned a program officer; speak with the officer before completing it, and expect a reply within 5 business days.
- Submit signed proposal
- Send one written proposal with a statement of work, covering the assessment criteria and signed by an authorized officer.
- Review and approval
- A regional program officer checks completeness, then your project is brought for approval.
- Negotiate agreement
- Approval moves you to contribution agreement negotiation with the Government of Canada.
- Funding window ends
- Funding availability will end when all funds are fully allocated, or on March 31, 2027, whichever is first.
- Report results
- Recipients report on energy generated or energy consumption reduced, plus standard activity, expenditure and financial reporting.
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to win Wah-ila-toos
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 8-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 5-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 4-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 8
Eligible Expenses 9
Ineligible Expenses 5
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
- 4 more application steps
- 6 more required documents
- 9 eligible expenses
- 5 ineligible expenses
- Intake periods
- Deadline notes
- Ineligible organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Medium RiskHow Wah-ila-toos Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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| Wah-ila-toos — Clean Energy in Indige... | up to $50M | Moderate | Milestone-Based | CERRC is fully committed... |
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| PrairiesCan (Prairies Economic Develo... | Varies | Hard | Reimbursement | Ongoing |
| Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA) | Varies (in-kind support) | Moderate | In Kind | Ongoing |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Wah-ila-toos