Community Interaction Program
Community Interaction Program (CIP)
The CIP is a financial assistance program promoting community projects aimed at conserving and improving the St. Lawrence ecosystem.
Part of the St. Lawrence Action Plan 2011-2026, the program is implemented by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Quebec's Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MELCC).
See the Community Interaction Program brochure!
Photo : © Jean-Christophe Girard Lemay
Program 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).
Deadlines for submitting projects
Annually, deadlines for submitting funding applications are set at March 1 and October 15. See our Submitting an application section for information about the next call for proposals.
Target clientele
Any not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that has been legally constituted for at least one year and that has a branch in Quebec and any Indigenous communities located in Quebec.
Eligible projects
| Eligible Types of Projects | Program Contribution |
|---|---|
| Public awareness projects arising from a specific environmental issue that target a particular group in the community and lead to concrete short-term actions. As part of this project, there must be a follow-up on the changes in behaviour or the acquisition of new knowledge. | Maximum 70%* of the total value of eligible expenses** up to $100,000.
|
Study projects pertaining to a specific environmental issue with the aim of identifying concrete actions to be taken in the field. | Maximum 70%* of the total value of eligible expenses** up to $25,000. |
| Study/action projects pertaining to a specific environmental issue with the aim of identifying concrete actions to be taken in the field, followed by the implementation of appropriate actions. | Maximum 70%* of eligible expenses** up to $200,000. |
| Biodiversity protection projects that promote the sustainable use of the St. Lawrence. | |
| Restoration projects arising from a specific environmental issue directly related to the St. Lawrence. |
*Matching funds can be in cash or in kind. However, for projects with a total value above $35,000, matching funds in cash must be at least 10% of the total contribution allocated by ECCC and the MELCC
**To determine eligible expenses, please see the Project Presentation Guide.
For more information, visit the Examples of Projects section.
Target area
The target area is defined by the St. Lawrence River, meaning its water, bed, shores, coastline, wetlands, barachois, islands, archipelagos and fluvial lakes.
More specifically, this covers the area between Cornwall and Gaspé on the South shore, including the Québec portion of Chaleur Bay, the Magdalen Islands, and the area between Carillon and Blanc Sablon on the North shore, including Anticosti Island and the Saguenay River.
This area also encompasses the main tributaries and sections of secondary tributaries that are essential to the lifecycle of species dependent on the St. Lawrence. Intervention in the secondary tributaries must have a direct connection with the species in question or with agricultural nonpoint source pollution.