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Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) for Species at Risk

The Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk (HSP) was established in 2000. It provides funding for projects submitted by Canadians that contribute directly to the recovery objectives and population goals of species at risk listed on schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act and that prevent other species from becoming a conservation concern.

Offered by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)

Amount

HSP funding is variable; project funding typically ranges from $25,000 to $100,000 per year (suggested minimum request of $25,000), with each request for one to five years; non-Indigenous applicants need a minimum 1:1 non-federal match and Indigenous applicants a minimum 0.20:1 match

Quick eligibility check

Years in business
No minimum stated
Employees
No limit stated
Revenue
No limit stated
Legal structure
Incorporated, sole proprietor, partnership, non-profit, Indigenous-owned entity, other
Location
Anywhere in Canada

Who can apply

The following are eligible for funding under the HSP:

  1. Canadian non-governmental organizations
  2. Canadian community groups
  3. Canadian Indigenous organizations and communities
  4. Canadian individuals
  5. Canadian private corporations and businesses
  6. Canadian educational institutions
  7. Canadian provincial, territorial and municipal governments
  8. Canadian provincial Crown corporations

If your proposed project is planned to take place on Indigenous reserve lands or other lands set aside for Indigenous Peoples, either entirely or partially, and you are not Indigenous or have no rights to the lands (for example, through a permit, lease, or as a Certificate of Possession holder), you must provide signed letter(s) of support from the affected Indigenous community.

Geographic location

Project activities must take place in Canada, on:

  1. private land
  2. provincial Crown land
  3. lands under the administration and control of the Commissioner of Yukon, the Northwest Territories, or Nunavut
  4. Indigenous land
  • reserves and lands set aside for the use and benefit of Indigenous Peoples under the Indian Act or under section 91 (24) of the Constitution Act, 1867
  • other lands directly controlled by Indigenous Peoples (for example, land claim/treaty settlement lands and MĂ©tis Settlement lands)
  • lands where traditional food, social, and ceremonial activities (harvesting or other) are carried out by Indigenous Peoples

Eligible species

ECCC funds HSP projects on terrestrial speciesFootnote 1 at risk. The following species are eligible for funding under ECCC’s HSP:

  1. Species listed on schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) (except those listed as extirpated).
  2. Species that have been designated by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as endangered, threatened, or special concern but that are not listed on schedule 1 of SARA.

To be eligible, proposed projects must demonstrate how they contribute directly to the recovery objectives and population goals of target species. For the most up-to-date list of species on schedule 1 of SARA, as well as their recovery strategies, action plans or management plans, or to search for COSEWIC-assessed species and to obtain their status reports, please consult the Species at risk public registry.

Not eligible:

Federal departments, federal agencies and federal Crown corporations are not eligible to receive HSP funds

The creation of promotional merchandise (such as hats or mugs) is not eligible for HSP funding

Scientific research activities, captive breeding, captive rearing, extirpated species reintroductions, the development of recovery strategies or action plans (including the identification of critical habitat, as required under SARA) are not eligible for HSP funding

Habitat securement is not an eligible activity for HSP funding for for-profit recipients

About the funding

HSP funding is variable and dependent on project activities. To promote collaboration and multi-year projects, we suggest a minimum funding request of $25,000. Project funding typically ranges from $25,000 to $100,000 per year.

At least 80% of the program funds must be allocated to projects targeting species listed on schedule 1 of SARA. The remaining funds may be used for projects targeting eligible species not listed on schedule 1.

Important:

  1. You can request funding for a new project or for additional funds to an ongoing project that will continue in 2026-2027. Each request can be for one to five years. HSP projects cannot exceed 10 years in total.
Show all funding details
  1. Non-Indigenous applicants will be required to obtain a minimum of 1:1 matching contributions from non-federal sources ($1 match for every $1 HSP funding).
  2. Indigenous applicants will be required to obtain a minimum of 0.20:1 matching contribution from non-federal sources ($0.20 match for every $1 HSP funding).
  3. Contributions can be financial or in-kind (equipment loans, donations of building materials, and volunteer labour).

The Habitat Stewardship Program funds the following activities. More details can be found in the applicant guide.

  1. Habitat protection and securement
  2. Habitat improvement
  3. Species and habitat threat abatement
  4. Conservation planning
  5. Surveys, inventories and monitoring
  6. Outreach and education
  7. Project evaluation
  8. Activities must be closely linked to prescribed recovery actions in recovery strategies, action plans or management plans when available for SARA-listed species or in wildlife/conservation plans for COSEWIC-designated species at risk not listed on Schedule 1 of SARA.
  9. Activities not covered in the above list may be considered, subject to further review.

Eligible expenses may include reasonable and properly itemized costs for:

  1. Salaries and wages
  2. Management and professional service expenditures (such as communications, Official Languages translation, accounting)
  3. Contractors
  4. Travel
  5. Material and supplies expenditures
  6. Purchase of capital assets
  7. Equipment rentals
  8. Costs associated with eligible land securement initiatives and projects such as land costs, legal charges, appraisals, surveys, baseline documentation, land transfer tax
  9. Overhead
  10. Printing, production, and distribution expenditures
  11. Vehicle rental and operation expenditures
  12. Hospitality expenditures
  13. Costs associated with an Indigenous participation or ceremony
  14. Monetary honoraria offered to Indigenous Elders and/or Knowledge Keepers related to specific participation activities
  15. Other expenditures
  16. Expenditures for preparing an independent financial accounting
  17. Further disbursement of ECCC funding to final recipients
  18. Lease of office space
  19. The purchase of eligible carbon offset credits for events, conferences, and travel

Only the expenses deemed to be reasonable for completing the project shall be considered eligible.

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