Northern Industries Innovation Fund (NIIF)
The Northern Industries Innovation Fund (NIIF) program provides incremental funding to support innovation projects that increase the competitiveness of local businesses in traditional industries across Northern B.C. The program is also intended to support economic diversification and/or viability of businesses to mitigate the economic impact of the pine beetle epidemic.
Offered by Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT)
Amount
Up to $50,000
Up to $50,000 in rebate funding to a maximum of 50% of the total project budget; the applicant must contribute a minimum 10% of the project budget
Quick eligibility check
Who can apply
All applicants must be located/headquartered within the Northern Development Initiative Trust region.
- Privately owned
- Incorporated
- Less than 500 employees
- Revenues less than $100 million
- Registered non-profit organizations engaged in industrial activities
- Post-secondary institutions working with a private sector partner or an applied research project with private sector implications
- Community contribution companies
Priority is given to companies operating in the regions most impacted by the pine beetle epidemic.
*We will also consider applications from community-based innovations hubs where the project deliverables are directly transferable to industry development.
Eligible Industries ● Agriculture ● Aquaculture ● Energy ● Forestry ● High tech
- Industrial supply chain
● Manufacturing ● Mining
- Oil and gas
● Transportation
Eligible Projects
- Innovation or improvements in harvesting and gathering, extraction or manufacturing
techniques
- Advancements in site remediation, technology and processes
● Productivity improvements
- Innovative utilization of marginal natural resources (forests, non-timber forest products,
agriculture, aquaculture)
- Value add sector products
● Implementation of new technologies
- New product/service manufacturing/development
About the funding
Up to $50,000 in rebate funding to a maximum of 50% of the total project budget.
The applicant must contribute a minimum 10% of the project budget.
- Applicants must apply, receive notification of approval, and sign an agreement prior to beginning
the project
Show all funding details
- Projects must be completed as approved to receive funding and any change in the project scope
must be communicated to Northern Development. Incomplete or partially completed projects may not be eligible for funding
Eligible Costs
● Capital expenditures
- Direct third-party project labour costs, including travel
- Innovative equipment for research trials monitored by National Research Council, FP Innovations
or other agencies
- Incremental third-party project management
- Wages for direct project labour
- Detailed timesheets must be kept for all employees working on the project and must include:
▪ Employee’s name ▪ Date(s) worked ▪ Description of work ▪ Hourly rate
- Daily hours – must break out the number hours worked on the project versus hours not worked
on the project
- Overtime hours will only be eligible at the straight time rate
- ie. 4 hours of overtime can be claimed as 4 hours at the regular hourly rate
- Paystubs and timesheets will be requested at Northern Development’s discretion
- *We highly encourage the use of the Staff Labour Expenses Template to track each employee’s time
spent on the project.
- CPP, EI, Pension (employer portion eligible to a maximum of 9.85%) related to direct project labour
- *We highly encourage the use of the Staff Labour Expenses Template to track these expenses.
● Contractor fees
● PST
- Monetized donations (donated materials, equipment, or services from third parties) may be
considered
- When noting monetized donations in the budget and under other funding sources in the
application form, applicants must attach confirmation of the committed donation(s)
- Monetized donations must be documented once project commences and receipts must
be obtained
Similar programs
| Program | Type | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund: Innovation and Partnerships | Grant | Generally between $50,000 and $3,000,000 and up to 75% of eligible costs per project | Open |
| Regional Quantum Initiative in British Columbia | Loan, Grant | $500,000 to $5 million per recipient | Open |
| AgriScience Program – Projects | Grant, In-Kind Support | Up to $5 million per project and $10 million per applicant over the program's duration (2023 to 2028) | Open |
| Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program | Grant, Loan | AAFC contribution normally not exceeding $1 million per project, generally not more than $5 million over 5 years for each applicant | Open |
