Forest Innovation Program (FIP)

Forest Innovation Program (FIP) — Renewal

Supports Canadian forestry innovators through FIP by funding early growth collaborations that move forest technologies forward.

The Forest Innovation Program (FIP), administered by Natural Resources Canada, funds early-stage innovation to accelerate growth of Canada's forest bioeconomy through targeted research investments and collaborative development activities. FIP was renewed in 2026 as part of a federal package exceeding CAD 2.35 billion in measures introduced since August 2025 to protect and transform Canada's forest sector — a package that also renewed related programmes including IFIT (Investments in Forest Industry Transformation), GCWood (Green Construction through Wood), and GloFor (Global Forest Innovations). FIP specifically targets four priority areas: development of new technologies and practices improving sustainability and economic productivity in the forest sector; development of domestic codes and standards to accelerate adoption of new bioproducts; market diversification for Canadian forest products; and scholarships promoting forest sector careers among youth, women, Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, and immigrants.

FIP is an early-stage innovation programme, not a capital deployment fund — projects should focus on research, technology development, standards creation, and market development rather than facility construction or commercial-scale demonstration. Eligible applicants include for-profit organisations, not-for-profit organisations, universities, research organisations, and individuals with activities in Canada's forest sector. The programme is denominated in Canadian dollars; specific award amounts and deadlines for the 2026 renewal cycle are not published in the source materials and must be confirmed directly with NRCan before applying.

FIP suits forest sector companies, research institutions, and standards bodies working on bioproducts, wood construction, or sustainable forestry technologies at early stages of development. The programme's explicit diversity mandate for its scholarship component creates an entry point for organisations targeting underrepresented groups in the sector. Applicants should consult the NRCan Forest Innovation Program webpage for current call details and confirm eligibility parameters with programme officers.