Canada Water Agency Launched Lake Winnipeg Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative: Nutrient Reduction funding 2025 Canada Apply Now, The Lake Winnipeg Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative (FEI) offers funding for partner-led projects that aim to enhance water quality and strengthen the ecological health of Lake Winnipeg and its surrounding basin.

The initiative focuses on two key priority areas: Nutrient Reduction and Cultivating Collaboration and Indigenous-driven Action (formerly Indigenous engagement). Projects starting in 2026/27 will follow two distinct application streams.

Nutrient Reduction Stream: Supports activities that decrease nutrient inputs to Lake Winnipeg and expand efforts to protect water quality.
Cultivating Collaboration and Indigenous-driven Action Stream: Strengthens participation, leadership, and capacity of Indigenous governments, communities, and organizations in tackling freshwater quality challenges within the Lake Winnipeg Basin.

Funding under the Nutrient Reduction Strea m will be available from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2029, focusing on practical, results-oriented actions aligned with program goals.

Projects involving direct, on-the-ground implementation to reduce or mitigate phosphorus loading may receive funding for a maximum of two years.

Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the full details and submit their applications before the specified deadline to seize this grant opportunity.

Last Date of Submission: 22^nd December 2026

Eligibility Criteria

(Canada Water Agency Launched Lake Winnipeg Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative: Nutrient Reduction funding 2025 Canada Apply Now)

Eligible projects

The Lake Winnipeg FEI’s Nutrient Reduction stream will fund projects within the Canadian portion of the Lake Winnipeg Basin that support efforts in the basin to reduce phosphorus loading to the lake and increase engagement on water quality protection.

The Lake Winnipeg FEI may fund the following types of nutrient reduction projects:

On-the-ground Action

Science and Innovation

Knowledge and Mobilization

1. On-the-ground Action Projects:

Implementation of nutrient management practices/beneficial management practices (BMPs), known to reduce phosphorus loading in key high contributing geographic areas

Priority will be given to projects:

That implement the following BMPs:

• Water retention structures (e.g., ponds, reservoirs, edge of field installations)
• Wetland restoration and/or conservation
• Implementation and management of vegetated buffers
• Wastewater and feedlot runoff capture and management
• Relocating livestock confinement areas away from surface water bodies
• Located in priority sub-watersheds as described below.

Priority Watershed Areas

(Canada Water Agency Launched Lake Winnipeg Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative: Nutrient Reduction funding 2025 Canada Apply Now)

To accelerate actions in higher phosphorous contributing areas, priority sub-watersheds (Figure 1 and Table 1) have been identified for the 2026/27 call for applications, using available science and expertise. Priority areas have been ranked from 1 to 5, with 1 being the highest priority for on-the-ground projects. While all eligible on-the-ground applications focused on reducing phosphorous will be considered for funding, projects will receive additional points in the evaluation process based on their location. Projects in Priority 1 areas will receive more points for location than those in Priority 2 areas, and so on. However, it should be noted that applications for on-the-ground projects will not be evaluated on location alone. All other components of the application, such as clarity of workplan, BMPs to be implemented, and budget, will be considered.

Table 1: Lake Winnipeg Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative’s Priority Areas for Phosphorus Reduction

2. Science and Innovation Projects:

• Advance understanding of the effectiveness of nutrient management practices and BMPs, or suites of BMPs in cold climate prairie region, including their effectiveness/longevity over time, and the influence of varying climatic and hydrological conditions within the Lake Winnipeg Basin
• Advance understanding of the cost-effectiveness, scalability, and other factors influencing the adoption of phosphorous-reducing practices
• Support development, testing, and demonstration of innovative tools, technologies, and nutrient management practices (including emerging practices) that reduce phosphorus loading in the Lake Winnipeg Basin, including systems-based and landscape-scale approaches

3. Knowledge Mobilization Projects:

• Training, outreach and/or education to support the implementation of nutrient reducing actions
• Community-based monitoring programs which supplement existing water quality monitoring data
• Enabling processes that support science-based decision making to guide efforts at various scales to protect Lake Winnipeg
• Inclusion of traditional knowledge to address water quality and nutrient loading issues within the Lake Winnipeg Basin

Projects not eligible for funding

(Canada Water Agency Launched Lake Winnipeg Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative: Nutrient Reduction funding 2025 Canada Apply Now)

• Projects that are focused solely on water quantity issues
• Projects designed only to beautify an area
• The purchase or construction of municipal infrastructure such as buildings, roads, and bridges
• The purchase of land
• Projects required by law and/or mandated by a level of government
• Capital or operating costs of municipal infrastructure projects (e.g. sewers, sewage treatment plants, storm water ponds)
• Projects implemented and completed before a contribution agreement was signed
• Projects implemented outside of Canada

Please note this is not a complete list. If you are unsure about the eligibility of your project, please contact LakeWinnipegInfo-LacWinnipeginfo@cwa-aec.gc.ca for clarification.

Eligible applicants

(Canada Water Agency Launched Lake Winnipeg Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative: Nutrient Reduction funding 2025 Canada Apply Now)

Canadian organizations are eligible to apply and include:

• Not-for-profit organizations, such as charitable and volunteer organizations, professional associations, and non-governmental organizations
• Indigenous organizations, governments, boards, commissions, communities, associations and authorities
• Research, academic, and educational institutions
• For-profit organizations such as small businesses with less than 500 employees, companies, corporations, industry associations, and agricultural organizations
• Local organizations such as community associations and groups, seniors’ and youth groups, and service clubs
• Municipal governments and local governments (including Conservation Authorities and Watershed Districts)

Eligible project costs

(Canada Water Agency Launched Lake Winnipeg Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative: Nutrient Reduction funding 2025 Canada Apply Now)

Human resource costs, including salaries and benefits

• Management and professional service costs such as accounting, monitoring, communications, official language translation, audit and legal charges
• Hospitality, travel and venues/conference expenses (in accordance with the Treasury Board Secretariat’s Directives on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures)
• hospitality expenditures can include costs related to Indigenous ceremonial offerings to be utilized or consumed during meetings or ceremonies such as traditional medicines, cultural foods, tea and sacred plants

Costs associated with an Indigenous participation or ceremony

• Monetary Honoraria offered to Indigenous Elders and/or Knowledge Keepers related to specific participation activities which may include but not be limited to translation and interpretative costs, leading a traditional opening/closing ceremony and/or prayer, the sharing of traditional knowledge and protocols, (including spiritual advice to individuals), and demonstrating traditional art and other practices

Materials and supplies costs

• Printing, production and distribution costs
• Equipment and capital assets purchase (less than $10,000) or rental
• Vehicle rental and operation costs
• Contractors required to perform activities related to the project
• Costs associated with land securement (e.g. leases, conservation easements, covenants or servitudes)
• A reasonable share (15% or less) of overhead and/or administrative costs which are directly attributable to the carrying out of the project; and
• Any GST/HST that is not reimbursable by Canada Revenue Agency and any PST not reimbursable by the provinces

The following costs are ineligible:

• Expenditures related to lobbyist fees
• Equipment and capital assets purchase or rental for for-profit recipients
• Costs associated with land securement for for-profit recipients

Please note these are not complete lists. If you are unsure about eligible costs, please contact LakeWinnipegInfo-LacWinnipeginfo@cwa-aec.gc.ca for clarification.

Funding Details

(Canada Water Agency Launched Lake Winnipeg Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative: Nutrient Reduction funding 2025 Canada Apply Now)

• For Action type projects: Funding is available between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2028 (up to 2 years)
• For all other types of projects: Funding is available between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2029 (up to 3 years)
• Projects can be single or multi-year in nature
• Lake Winnipeg FEI funding cannot be carried between fiscal years
• The Lake Winnipeg FEI typically does not fund 100% of project expenses (see the matching requirements below) and
• Projects that are not funded can be re-submitted in a future call

How to apply?

The application submission period for funding under the Lake Winnipeg Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative’s Nutrient Reduction stream is now open.

The deadline to submit an application is December 22, 2025 (14:00 CST).

Please contact us by email at LakeWinnipegInfo-LacWinnipeginfo@cwa-aec.gc.ca for more information.

Note: For more comprehensive details click the link below

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