Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT)

Receive up to $10,000,000 in Forestry Grants.

The Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) aims to create a more competitive, resilient, and environmentally sustainable forestry sector with a focus on innovative, low-carbon projects that result in new or diversified revenue streams.

The IFIT program ongoing solicitation process has two funding streams:

  • Stream 1: Capital Investment Projects: transformative projects by forest sector firms to diversify product streams, promote responsible resource use, and improve environmental performance.
  • Stream 2: Studies: studies by forest sector firms or industry accelerators that aim to advance key topics for innovation with widespread sharing of results.
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Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT)

Amount of Funding

Successful applicants may receive the following in grant money:

  • Capital Investment Projects:
    • 50% of total eligible costs up to $10 million
  • Studies Projects:
    • 50% to a max. of $1 million
Amount of Funding from the Canadian Government

Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT)

Eligible Applicants

To be  eligible for the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program, Canadian businesses must:

  • Legal entities validly incorporated or registered in Canada including:
    • For-profit and not-for-profit organizations such as companies, industry associations, and research associations
    • Indigenous organizations and groups
  • Provincial, territorial, regional, and municipal governments and their departments and agencies where applicable
Eligible Applicants for Canadian Government Funding

Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT)

Eligible Activities

  • Captial Investment Projects must:
    • Be primarily based on wood fiber OR integrated within new or existing industrial processes in the forest sector;
    • Represent an innovative advancement of a technology or process improvement to ensure the competitiveness of operations in Canada’s forest sector; and
    • Demonstrate a first-in-kind innovation or an early adoption of technology that requires further de-risking in a range of conditions before widespread implementation.
  • Studies Projects must:
    • Advance a concept, technology, process, or product primarily based on wood fiber OR integrated within new or existing industrial processes in the forest sector;
    • Investigate the feasibility and/or advance a concept within the targeted innovation categories described in the following section; and
    • Disseminate project learnings beyond the applicant’s corporate structure.

Targeted Innovation Categories: Projects must focus on one of the following targeted innovation categories:

  • Advanced Biomaterials and Biochemicals
  • Pulp and Paper Diversification
  • Next Generation Building Products
  • Advanced Biofuels
  • Process Efficiency and Decarbonization
  • Improved Fiber Utilization
Eligible Expenses for Canadian Government Funding

Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT)

Program Deadline

  • Capital Investment Projects:
    • First Expression of Interest (EOI) Deadline: September 30, 2023
    • Funding Decision by February 29, 2024
    • Ongoing until June 30, 2024
  • Studies Projects:
    • Ongoing intake
    • Project expenditures must be completed by March 31, 2026
    • Applicants can receive funding for up to three studies over the current funding window (April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2026)
Program Deadline for Canadian Government Funding
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