Project Presentation Guide
The Project Presentation Guide is for non-profit non-government organizations and Indigenous communities that wish to obtain funding under the Community Interaction Program, as the program provides funding for community-led projects aimed at conserving and improving the St. Lawrence ecosystem. This guide provides information and advice to be taken into account when submitting your funding application to the Community Interaction Program (CIP).
What you will find in this guide
1. Helpful Tips
Projects Officers
Before you start writing your project, we recommend that you contact a project officer to determine whether your project idea is eligible.
Program project officers can provide comments on a preliminary proposal for your project in order to help direct you in completing the form and refer you to resource persons if necessary. However, they must receive these applications at least one month before the deadline.
Public Involvement
One major program outcome is that the public is involved in implementing environmental projects. Although the project must encourage involvement by as many people and partners as possible, community support, the need identified by the community and the resulting benefits for the community are also used to determine the community’s contribution to the project.
Regional Integrated Management Plan
Your project can support the implementation of projects arising from a Regional Integrated Management Plan (RIMP) or any other management plan. These plans are developed in cooperation with players from Regional Round Tables (RRTs) that are gradually being implemented throughout the St. Lawrence area as part of the Integrated Management of the St. Lawrence (IMSL).
Technical details and planning
- Once you submit a project, you will receive a response about 16 weeks after the project submission date. Your schedule must, therefore, take this into account.
- Your project submission MUST include the Application Form , Budget plan and the Work Plan Calendar along with all the information required to perform a sound assessment (documents may be attached).
- Please read the notes in the sections of the Funding Application Form; they include tips for preparing your project submission. If you have any questions while preparing your application, please contact a project officer.
- Remember that your project assessment will be based on the information contained in the documents you send us. This information must, therefore, be clear, accurate, detailed and comprehensive.
- Where necessary, approvals and permits required under applicable laws and regulations must be sought as soon as possible to avoid delays in project implementation.
Your funding application must be sent to the following address
Interactions_Communautaires_Quebec_Community_Interaction@ec.gc.ca
For more information on the program or to obtain project submission documents, please contact a project officer.
2. Is Your Organization Eligible for the Community Interaction Program?
The Community Interaction Program is open to all non-profit non-government organizations that have been legally constituted for at least one year and that have an established place of business in Quebec. Organizations must demonstrate that they have a charter under Quebec’s Companies Act (Part III) or its equivalent.
Indigenous communities are eligible.
Individuals, departments, government agencies, municipalities, educational institutions and private companies are not eligible.
3. Is Your Project Eligible for the Community Interaction Program?
To determine whether your project is eligible, refer to the tables in Section 4. However, it is advisable to contact a project officer who will help you determine whether your project and its activities are eligible.
Purpose of your project
The CIP supports community projects that seek to achieve the following objectives:
- Enhance the St. Lawrence ecosystem;
- Support community projects looking to conserve biodiversity and sustainable use and to improve water quality;
- Support projects stemming from the Regional Integrated Management Plan (RIMP).
Your project’s implementation area
The CIP supports projects implemented in the St. Lawrence area. “St. Lawrence” means the water, bed, shores, coastline, wetlands, barachois, islands, archipelagos and fluvial lakes.
South Shore: the area between Cornwall and Gaspé, including the Québec portion of Chaleur Bay, the Magdalen Islands
North Shore: the area between Carillon and Blanc-Sablon, including Anticosti Island and the Saguenay.
This area also encompasses the main tributaries and sections of secondary tributaries that are essential to the life cycle of species dependent on the St. Lawrence. Intervention in the secondary tributaries must have a direct connection with the species in question or with nonpoint-source agricultural pollution.
For projects that seek to eliminate diffuse agricultural pollution, the CIP area also covers some other portions of land that have a major impact on the St. Lawrence ecosystem. Your proposal must clearly demonstrate the link between these portions of land and the significance of the impact on the St. Lawrence ecosystem.
Ineligible projects
The following types of projects are not eligible for the CIP:
- Projects under government jurisdiction as well as interventions required by laws and regulations.
- Projects under municipal jurisdiction.
- Land or infrastructure maintenance.
- Contaminated site remediation projects.
- Projects and interventions within the mandate of organizations funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada or the Quebec Ministère de l’Environnement et la Lutte contre les changements climatiques to support the aforementioned mandate.
- Lobbying activities.
- Recurring projects.
- Activities that are already underway or have been completed.
- Annual activities, regular events, competitions and fundraising events.
- Operating expenditures not related to the projects.
- Creation of organizations.
- Land purchases.
This list is not exhaustive and is subject to change. Please contact a project officer to determine whether your project and its activities are eligible.
4. Community Interaction Program Project Categories
Eligible CIP projects must fall into one of these categories:
- Awareness-raising
- Study
- Study-action
- Restoration and/or protection
Category 1 – Awareness-raising
Awareness-raising activities, which address a specific environmental problem, target a particular group and lead to concrete actionsin the short term. Behavioral changes must be monitored or new knowledge must be acquired under the project.
| Eligible | Ineligible |
|---|---|
Public awareness activities, including:
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Category 2 – Study
Study projects relating to a specific environmental issue focused on developing an action plan to be implementedin the field.
| Eligible | Ineligible |
|---|---|
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Category 3 – Study-action
Study projects relating to a specific environmental issue focused on developing an action plan to be implemented in the field, followed by implementation of the appropriate actions.
| Eligible | Ineligible |
|---|---|
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Category 4 – Restoration and/or protection
Restoration
Restoration projects that address a specific environmental issue directly relating to the St. Lawrence.
| Eligible | Ineligible |
|---|---|
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Protection of biodiversity
Protection projects that address a specific environmental issue directly relating to the St. Lawrence.
| Eligible | Ineligible |
|---|---|
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Please note that these lists are not exhaustive
5. Information on Funding for Your Project
Maximum CIP funding
The program can fund up to 70% of the total value of eligible project expenses.
| Category | Maximum CIP Funding |
|---|---|
| Awareness-raising | $100,000 |
| Study projects | $25,000 |
| Study-action projects | $200,000* |
| Restoration and/or protection of biodiversity | $200,000 |
* The portion of CIP funding granted for the implementation of actions should represent at least three-quarters of the requested contribution.
The total project value is the sum of all project costs, whether in cash or in kind. It takes into account only expenses eligible under the CIP as defined below.
Eligible expenses
Eligible expenses incurred in the performance of your project must be estimated at fair value and may include costs for:
- Human resources: salaries and benefits;
- Management and professional services, such as communications, graphic design and translation into the official languages;
- Travel;
- Equipment and supplies;
- Printing, production, and distribution;
- Equipment purchase or rental;
- Vehicle rental and use;
- Contractors required to perform project activities;
- Reasonable share of overhead and/or administrative costs that should not be included in other types of expenses;
- GST amounts not reimbursable by the Canada Revenue Agency and QST amounts not reimbursable by the Quebec government.
Please note that this list is not exhaustive and that you can contact a project officer to determine whether an expense not listed above is eligible. If a review of your project reveals expenses not eligible under the CIP, they will be subtracted and the final value of your project will be reduced accordingly, which may affect the maximum CIP funding that you receive. Use the “Total Project Costs” table in the Budget Plan form to list and detail them.
Matching Funds
Matching funds (i.e, the amounts that your partners invest in the project) can be provided in cash or in kind. However, for projects whose total value exceeds $35,000, matching cash funding must be at least 10% of the total funding provided by the Quebec Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MELCC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).
Total MELCC and ECCC funding is the sum of all in-kind and/or cash project funding from these departments, including the funding that you request from the CIP.
Partnerships
Please also note that creating partnerships with the community is one of the project assessment criteria and must be identified when submitting the proposal. Complementary funding may come from community organizations, other federal or provincial departments, municipal government, a non-government organization, a business enterprise and voluntary contributions (services, labor, materials, equipment loans, donations, etc.).
While partners may sponsor and support an eligible organization handling the project management and implementation, they cannot be the project leads.
Your proposal must include the names, contact information and contributions of all partners involved in the project through the provision of financial, material or human resources. Letters of support must confirm these partnerships and specify the dollar value of the partnership and a description of the purpose of the partnership. You should request these letters as soon as possible so that you can attach them to your application.
Use the “Total Project Funding – Project Partners” table in the Budget Plan form to list them in detail.
An agreement must be signed with the proponent regarding any project selected for CIP funding, but it cannot be finalized until the proponent has submitted confirmations for all matching funding provided by project partners in the form of cash or in-kind contributions (goods or services).
You may enter into partnerships with federal or provincial departments other than ECCC or MELCC. These partnerships will therefore not be part of CIP funding. They must be included in the matching funds worth at least 30% of what your project must include and the CIP will not fund.
If these partnerships involve cash funding and the total value of your project is over $35,000, you may consider them for at least 10% of the matching cash funds that you are required to raise.
For further information, please contact a project officer.
6. Duration of Your Project
There is no minimum duration for projects, but your project cannot last longer than 12 consecutive months between the project start and completion dates.
7. Submitting Your Project
To be complete, your project proposal must contain all items requested in the CIP funding application form.
We encourage you to provide concise, accurate details of your project. You should take the recommended number of words into consideration. The quality of your project will be assessed based on assessment criteria, which include:
- a description of the problem;
- the rationale for the project;
- the environmental scope;
- community and partner involvement;
- the target group;
- communications;
- a realistic budget estimate;
- the schedule;
- the work methodologies.
If you need clarification, please contact a project officer.
Your Project Activities
All project activities must be explained clearly enough to enable us to assess your organization’s capacity to undertake this project, your methodology and the implementation schedule. The information must be included in the form in the sections entitled “Human resources and staff experience,” “Your project’s work plan” and “Your project’s communications plan.”
The methodology for activity means the information needed to answer who and what will be involved in this activity and where, when and how it will be performed.
Additional Documents
The information and knowledge that you use to provide a rationale for addressing the environmental problem targeted by your project, as well as the project as a whole, must be summarized and used to support the rationales required in the various sections, of the Funding Application Form.
- The area targeted by your project can be illustrated with maps or photographs. If the project activities are performed on land that does not belong to you, we advise you to take steps as soon as possible to clarify ownership of the land and obtain the required approvals. It is very important for you to demonstrate that the owner has provided consent. If the land has special legal status, you must also provide this information. Documents and information must be listed in the “Other relevant information” section and the documents must be attached to the application.
- Scientific knowledge supporting the description of the area and the environmental issues must be summarized in the “Rationale for your project” section. If it cannot be summarized adequately within the space provided, it can be attached to the application.
- The RIMP or any management plan on which your project is based is not to be transcribed in the form. The rationale for the project must enable us to position it in this plan. If you think that it is important to provide the RIMP to enable us to understand your project, you may attach it (or just the relevant section) to the application and mention it under the “Other relevant information” section.
- The environmental impacts of your project must be anticipated and described. You must describe the impacts that the activities you wish to undertake will have on the various (plant, animal or social) aspects of the environment. You must indicate what you will do to resolve them (mitigation measures) before undertaking the project. This information must be provided in the “Environmental requirements” section. If you have already taken steps to obtain the necessary approvals under applicable environmental laws and regulations or have already obtained the approvals, please provide this information in the “Other relevant information” section. The documents in question can be attached to the application.
- The plans and specifications that you have already obtained will be used to document the technical aspects of certain activities. You will need to summarize them in the “Your project’s work plan” section. Relevant plans in support of your project can be attached to your proposal.
Please contact a project officer if you need clarification.
Performance indicators
The list of performance indicators that you should use to measure your project outcomes is shown below
| Indicator | Description | Unit of Measurement |
|---|---|---|
| Linear extent of bank or shoreline that has been characterized, restored, stabilized, renaturalized or cleaned | Number of kilometers of land that require intervention for characterization, restoration, stabilization, naturalization or clean up in direct relation to the St. Lawrence. | Kilometer (km) |
| Area of habitat that has been restored, protected or cleaned up | Number of hectares of habitat that have been restored or protected by initiatives implemented under the project (e.g., debris removal, planting and erosion control). Includes aquatic and terrestrial habitats in direct relation to the St. Lawrence. | Hectare (ha) 1 hectare = 10 000 m2 |
| Native plants that were planted (trees, shrubs, and grasses) | Total number of plants planted under the project. | Total number |
| Survival of planted vegetation | Percentage of planted vegetation that survived the first winter after planting. Counting the survivors is a project activity performed in the spring following the year in which they were planted. | Percentage of survivors (%) |
| Structures installed and used by wildlife | Total number of structures installed for aquatic or terrestrial wildlife directly related to the St. Lawrence. | Total number |
| Waste disposal | Total weight of waste to be removed because it harms the quality of water, habitats, plants and wildlife directly related to the St. Lawrence. | Kilograms (kg) |
| Activity participants | Total number of people who participated in each activity performed under the project. | Total number |
| Number of people exposed to the information | Total number of people who received information as part of project activities. | Total number |
| People reached who indicated they would modify their behavior as a result of project activities | Assessed using surveys. | Total number |
| Partnerships created | Total number of partnerships created as part of project activities. | Total number |
| Communication events organized | Total number of communication activities performed (written and spoken) as part of project activities. | Total number |
| Volunteerism generated for the environment | Total number of volunteers involved in implementing project activities. | Total number |
| Job creation | Number of paid jobs directly generated by project implementation. Jobs include full-time and part-time positions, temporary jobs and contract jobs. | Number and duration |
Please contact a project officer if you think your project should require indicators other than those mentioned above.
For each indicator selected, you will need to estimate the results that your project will achieve. It is important to specify these values because they are an important part of the project and project review. The expected outcomes must be achievable and realistic. If measurements involve calculations and the use of references, please be sure to specify the formulas and references that you will use to quantify your outcomes.
Sustainability of Environmental Benefits
The results you will have achieved at the end of your project will be quantified using the performance indicators discussed above. Since your project is designed to address an environmental issue, it is advisable that you ask yourself how your results will be environmentally sustainable.
Sustainability tools should, therefore, be put in place to ensure the sustainability of the environmental gains. Among other things, this could involve the implementation of monitoring by volunteers, associations, your organization or a project partner to ensure the maintenance of the planted vegetation and installed structures. It could also involve obtaining a written commitment from landowners regarding the conservation of a section of their land or obtaining legal conservation status for the land unit where the project is located.
8. Sending Your Application
Email:
Interactions_Communautaires_Quebec_Community_Interaction@ec.gc.ca
*You should receive an acknowledgement of receipt after the submission of your funding application by email. Please note that your email message must not exceed 10 MB due to inbox limits. Any message exceeding this size will not be delivered. As a result, if your email contains multiple files and exceeds the limit, be sure to compress the files, provide a link to a transfer site, or send multiple emails, using the same email subject line.