New financial support
On this page
Indigenous individuals
- Support for individuals: direct support through Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan
If your CERB benefits have ended and you have not yet transitioned to the new EI programs, please contact your band administrator about other possible support including the On-reserve Income Assistance program.
Indigenous students
Support provided to post-secondary students and recent post-secondary and high school graduates unable to find work during COVID-19 (application process now closed):
Support through Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan:
An additional $75.2 million to support First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation students pursuing post-secondary education:
Indigenous organizations and communities
New services are being added to support organizations and communities during this difficult time.
To help early learning and child care facilities operate safely during the pandemic, new funding of $120.7 million:
To help First Nations adapt their on-reserve community infrastructure and implement public health and safety measures, new funding of $59 million through the Infrastructure Adaptation Fund.
To help Indigenous post-secondary institutions address increased costs and financial uncertainty resulting from the pandemic, new funding of $25.9 million:
To address immediate needs in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation communities, a new fund was created including a new needs-based application process (now open), for a fund total of $685 million:
To help address urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians, including Indigenous bodies and organizations, new funding of $1 billion:
To create safe and vibrant public spaces, improve mobility options and apply digital solutions:
To address COVID-19 health response, income support and shelters for Indigenous peoples and communities, new funding of $650 million:
Other COVID-19 related new funding:
- Immediate assistance to Territorial government, communities and Inuit partners in Nunavut
- Immediate assistance to Indigenous communities and organizations in Alberta and Saskatchewan
- Immediate assistance to First Nations in Manitoba
- Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority managing COVID-19
- Call for proposals: Urban and off-reserve Indigenous organizations and communities (closed)
Safe return to school
Indigenous Services Canada continues to work with partners to address challenges related to the re-opening of schools and how to best respond to the pressures they face. We support educational, health and other measures for children, such as procuring non-medical face masks, acrylic sheets (plexiglass) retrofits and hand sanitizing stations for schools in First Nations communities. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting a safe return to school, while recognizing First Nations will make decisions about their own schools reopening based on what they feel is safest for students and their families.
- Safe return to class funding: $112 million to support a safe return to First Nations schools on reserves
Guidelines
- COVID-19 guidance for schools Kindergarten to Grade 12
- Accessing additional public health support for First Nations and Inuit communities during COVID-19
- Protecting the health and safety of Indigenous Communities in close proximity to natural resource operations: Guidance for Indigenous communities
- COVID-19 guidance for long term care homes facilities and nursing homes in Indigenous communities
- Emergency response process during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Consult also the government guidelines webpage
Indigenous businesses
Small and medium-sized Indigenous businesses can:
- consult additional support for businesses:
- apply for Indigenous community funding:
- apply for short-term, interest-free loans and non-repayable contributions:
- apply to the stimulus fund to assist Indigenous tourism operators (call for proposals now closed)
- apply for funding that helps businesses keep employees on the payroll and more. Eligibility extended to include Indigenous government-owned corporations that are carrying on a business, as well as partnerships where the partners are Indigenous governments and eligible employers:
- Answer a few questions to get a personalized list of support: