Call for proposals for Nordic Indigenous organizations – Exchanges, diplomacy, and international outreach

Numerous international networks, organizations, forums, and events offer growing opportunities for exchange, outreach, and diplomacy to Indigenous peoples around the world, particularly in the context of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL 2022–2032). The Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie (MRIF) welcomes the opening up of these spaces for dialogue, and presents this call for proposals. The project receives funding support from the Société du Plan Nord (SPN) and is part of measure 3.4.1 of the Northern Action Plan 2023–2028 (PAN), titled Promote Québec’s northern expertise internationally. A component of this measure is specifically aimed at First Nations and Inuit in Québec whose communities and organizations are located north of the 49^th parallel.

The Indigenous Communities and Cultural Diplomacy component of measure 3.4.1 of the PAN has the following objectives:

• Develop and promote Québec’s northern Indigenous expertise, languages, and cultures internationally.
• Encourage the participation and collaboration of First Nations and Inuit members from Northern Québec in international networks and forums.

For projects

To be eligible, projects must:

• Involve an event or activity that will take place after funding support has been confirmed.
• Offer an international opportunity for diplomacy or exchange, particularly on northern and Arctic issues, or to promote Indigenous expertise.

Non-exhaustive list of eligible events, for example, depending on the dates:

• 19th session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Geneva (Switzerland), July 13-17, 2026
• Arctic Circle Assembly, Reykjavík (Iceland), October 8-10, 2026
• 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Yerevan (Armenia), October 19-30, 2026
• 31st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Antalya (Turkey), November 9-20, 2026
• Arctic Futures Symposium, Brussels (Belgium), December 1-2, 2026
• Arctic Frontiers, Tromsø (Norway), February 1-4, 2027

For applicants

To receive funding support, projects must be submitted by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada living in Québec.

This call for proposals is open to applicants who are not-for-profit legal entities, organizations, public corporations, Indigenous public authorities, research centres and institutes, as well as companies, including sole proprietorships operated by natural persons that meet the following criteria:

• Have their head office and principal place of business in Québec, north of the 49^th parallel. Otherwise, the project must be carried out in partnership with an organization that meets this criterion. In this case, both organizations must be co-sponsors of the project, but only the organization located north of the 49^th parallel will be able to directly receive the grant.
• Have at least one applicant who is an Indigenous organization or body of the Inuit, Cree, Innu, or Naskapi Nations).
• Work in at least one of the following areas: diplomacy, politics, Indigenous rights, education, health, welfare, communication, heritage, or arts and culture.
• Be active at the time the application is submitted.
• Have fulfilled all obligations related to previous financial assistance from a gouvernement du Québec ministry or agency within the allotted timeframes.

Individuals may not apply on their own behalf. However, self-employed sole proprietors are welcome to apply.

Successful projects will be awarded up to $9,000, depending on the business plan submitted by the applicant.

Grants will be paid out once the MRIF sends an award letter and the supporting documents for project-related expenses (such as booking information for plane tickets) has been received. Payments will be made as follows:

• The first 75% of the grant will be paid before the event or the end of the project, on receipt of the supporting documents.
• The remaining 25% of the grant will be paid on receipt of the event or project report.

The following expenses are eligible:

• Travel and accommodation expenses
• Living allowances
• Purchase or lease of equipment (up to 30% of eligible expenses)
• Event organization expenses for virtual or in-person events
• Knowledge sharing expenses (publishing articles, participating in conferences or symposia, organizing workshops or seminars, etc.)
• Translation and interpretation expenses

Ineligible expenses:

• Fees and/or wages related to project implementation
• Travel in first or business class (or equivalent) and excess baggage fees
• Funding transfers to third-party organizations or individuals
• Costs of acquiring core equipment, vehicles, land, or buildings
• Regular operating expenses
• Expenses that do not meet the objectives of the call for proposals

Submitted projects will be evaluated based on the following criteria.

• Project relevance, i.e., objectives, context, and issues (25%).
• Alignment with the objectives of the call for proposals and prevalence of community-supported Indigenous participants in the proposed delegation (15%).
• Applicants’ ability to complete the project and ensure accountability with the MRIF (15%).
• Realism of the project, schedule, and budget (20%).
• Extent, sustainability, and relevance of collaborative relationships created or consolidated with networks, Indigenous groups, or international organizations or forums (15%).
• Promotion and sharing of key achievements with the organization and the community (10%).

Applicants must have fulfilled all obligations related to previous MRIF or gouvernement du Québec calls for projects within the allotted timeframes. Otherwise, they are considered ineligible.

The project evaluation process is coordinated by the MRIF, in close collaboration with the other relevant Québec ministries. Information submitted in response to this call for proposals may, therefore, be shared with these ministries. However, the MRIF retains responsibility for the final selection of projects and for determining the amounts to be awarded.

As part of this call for proposals, all recipients of grants from the MRIF agree to submit a brief (1-page) report on the funded event or activity. This report must include:

• A reflection on the event or activity
• Information on how the funds were used
• The main highlights of the event or activity as they relate to the applicant
• A description of the planned follow-up (participation in a future session; creation or continuation of a partnership; organization of a subsequent activity; communication activities associated with the event, the activity, or a related topic, etc.)
• The main benefits for the applicant and the communities with which they are in contact

The report must be emailed within 30 business days following the event or activity to droitsdelapersonne@mri.gouv.qc.ca.

Grant applications must be submitted by email and include the following documents:

• Funding application form (PDF 1.24 Mb)
• Summary sheet (PDF 696 Kb)
• Résumé of the Québec-based coordinator
• Any other relevant documents

The call for proposals is open continuously and grants will be awarded as long as funds remain.

If you have any questions about the application or selection processes, please contact Équipe des droits de la personne et affaires autochtones:

Climate Change Resilience: Food Security in Northern Communities

Project objective

To support the participation of the chiefs of Québec’s seven Innu communities in the 24^th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in New York from April 21 to 25, 2025.

Québec partner

Innu Nation Secretariat

Participation in the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Conference

Project objective

To support the Cree Outfitting and Tourism Association’s participation in the Global Sustainable Tourism Council conference in Fiji from August 5 to 8, 2025. This event contributes to global discussions on sustainable tourism and supports international collaboration.

Québec partner

Cree Outfitting and Tourism Association