Purpose and Goals

The economic development fund supports eligible sustainable businesses and community-based employment opportunities in the project area, consistent with goals of conservation. Its goals for Participating First Nations include:

• Increasing capacity to realize diverse and sustainable economic development opportunities, including increased access to skills development and training;
• Enhancing the economic infrastructure of the North and Central BC Coast to support First Nations businesses within the Project Area;
• Growing the economic share of commercial activities, such as shellfish aquaculture, tourism, and cultural products;
• Increasing the number of businesses owned by First Nations communities or individuals living in the Project Area;
• Leveraging increased investment in sustainable business partnerships; and
• Improving employment levels and decreasing unemployment rates.

Before You Apply

Prior to developing an application, please ensure the project and your organization are eligible for funding. If you have any questions regarding eligibility, please do not hesitate to contact Patricia Sayer at patricia@coastfunds.ca or 604-684-0223 ext 9.

Submitting a Complete Funding Application

In order for a project to be considered for review, a fully completed funding application must be received that includes the following attachments:

• Funding application form
• Comprehensive and viable business plan
• Current financial statements
• Pro forma financial projections
• Council and/or Board resolution of support

> Download an Application Form to get started

Adobe Acrobat Reader version 7 or higher is required to use Coast Funds forms. Adobe Acrobat is free software. If using macOS, you will need to specifically open the form in Adobe Acrobat Reader – do not use Apple Preview or you may corrupt your application.

We also provide the following basic business plan template as a general guide for the content that should be discussed in every business plan that is submitted to Coast Funds.  Applicants are encouraged to contact us prior to developing a business plan, as we can offer advice on areas to focus to ensure the highest probability of success when the application is reviewed for decision by Coast Funds’ Board of Directors.

> Download the Business Plan template

Application Deadlines

There are four rounds of funding each year. Please see Apply for all application deadline dates this year. Complete funding applications, with all supporting documents, must be received on or prior to these deadlines to be considered in that round.

Funding Decisions

Once an application is complete, it will be reviewed by Coast Funds’ Project Review Committee and/or the full Board for decision. Committee and/or Board approval is required for all applications.

Project Reporting for Approved Projects

Once approved, Coast Funds works with recipients to monitor progress and issue payments following approval of progress reports.  Reports should be provided in Coast Funds’ specified Adobe Acrobat PDF format – see a sample final report template available for download at the bottom of this section. The sample report PDF is for reference only; we will provide you with reports that are pre-populated with your approved work plan to make reporting as seamless as possible for you.

For all approved projects, recipients are required to provide a final report following completion of the project that provides:

• Community well-being outcomes achieved by the project;
• Confirmation that approved work plan activities were completed;
• Financial information (produced from an accounting system) that accounts for all funding contributions and expenditures for the project;
• Digital photos of the project’s construction, new employees, the completed infrastructure or equipment, and others to support storytelling about the project.

> View a template for Coast Funds’ Final Report (sample only)

If you are seeking to file a final report for a funded project,
please contact us and we will prepare your report for you.

Contact Us

For all applicants seeking advice on submitting a funding application, and for recipients with an active, funded project who are seeking to submit a progress or final report, please contact:

Patricia Sayer
patricia@coastfunds.ca
604-684- 0223 ext 9