Education Partnerships Program: Structural Readiness: National Program Guidelines 2025 to 2026

5.1 Education organization planning tool

The Education Organization Planning Tool (EOPT) is available to Structural Readiness applicants as an option and is not mandatory. It provides a step-by-step guide for organizations to assess their regional First Nations organizations' capacity to deliver education support and services for band-operated schools.

Funding through EPP is available to administer the EOPT to help regional First Nations organizations reflect on current priorities, map assets, assess needs and build an organizational capacity development plan.

5.2 Eligible activities

The purpose of the Structural Readiness component is to build and strengthen capacity. Repeat applicants must demonstrate how the current proposal and eligible activities will enhance or be a continuance of previous years' activities.

5.3 Criteria

Structural Readiness component funding only supports eligible activities and expenditures and proposals must clearly address 1 or more of the following:

• activities that strengthen the governance and organizational capacity of First Nations organizations for the delivery of education-related services to First Nations schools
• activities that support the establishment of a First Nation school or system model that First Nations communities will partially or fully delegate responsibility to, for all aspects of elementary and secondary education
• activities that support the establishment of partnership arrangements or other formal partnership models that identify the shared priorities, commitments and roles and responsibilities. The partnership must consist of a combination of the applicant and 1 or more of the following potential partners:
  • First Nations including First Nations education organizations
  • tribal councils
  • school board-like entities
  • provincial or territorial ministry of education
  • provincial or territorial school boards
  • Indigenous Services Canada

For partnership establishment activities, applicants must:

• clearly identify the partners and each partner's financial or in-kind contribution, for example, the applicant's costs can be funded in-whole or in-part through the program
• identify the shared priorities to be reflected in a joint action-plan or any other mechanism to facilitate the partnership

Once a partnership arrangement has been formalized and signed, the applicant can apply to the Partnerships component of the program.

Service agreements for the purchase of services, regardless of the duration of the service agreement, as well as tuition agreements, do not constitute a partnership for the purposes of this program.

If you are submitting a proposal for Structural Readiness activities, you can attach copies of your capacity development plan or the ISC EOPT.

6.1 Eligible expenditures

Subject to section 6.2, eligible expenditures include:

• short-term, non-permanent funding for salaries and benefits
• travel expenditures including accommodation costs, private vehicle, mileage allowances and daily meal allowances in accordance with the rates set out in the National Joint Council Travel Directive, excluding incidental allowances
• meeting costs including facility rentals, meeting rooms, audio-visual equipment rentals and hospitality
• professional services, consulting fees or Elder engagement, daily rates and duration of contract must be clearly stated
• honoraria for Elders, Knowledge Keepers, cultural and ceremonial drummers and dancers
• IT start-up services. Proposals must be accompanied by a price quotation. IT start-up services may include:
  • the purchase of hardware or software for the organization only and not for in-classroom or individual student needs
  • IT fees, for example, maintenance or licenses that are critical for the organization's operations and funding is not available elsewhere
• legal advice, excluding litigation costs
• professional development and training for the First Nations organization's staff, not including in-classroom staff
• purchase of learning and instructional materials to be utilized by the First Nations organization
• costs associated with establishing a First Nations school board that will assume responsibility over on-reserve elementary and secondary education, including operating schools and managing tuition agreements
• language activities related to student learning, such as:
  • language and curriculum materials
  • curriculum personnel
  • cultural and heritage activity workers and Elders
  • land-based education programming equipment

6.2 Ineligible expenditures

Ineligible expenditures include, but may not be limited to:

• provincial and territorial tuition and the development of tuition agreements or activities related to core programming
• activities related to the exploration, negotiation and implementation of self-government agreements
• infrastructure, construction, operation or maintenance of federal and First Nations school facilities
• any activity expenditure that would result in duplicate funding such as receiving funding from more than 1 source for the same cost of an activity, including fees and services covered through tuition agreements and the interim regional funding formulas
• acquisition or maintenance of equipment or supplies in provincial or territorial schools
• travel outside of Canada
• provision of professional development and related travel expenditures including accommodation costs, private vehicle mileage allowances and daily meal allowances for provincial or territorial staff
• activities associated with health and health-related issues, first-aid training, mental health coordinators, psychologists, suicide prevention, mental wellness retreats
• door prizes, swag bags, gifts

To find out more about ISC's funding programs, visit:

• Funding programs

6.3 Maximum administration costs

Eligible administration costs include only the actual costs associated directly with administering the proposal and may be calculated based on the total funding requested for activities to a maximum of 15% of the requested funding.

Eligible administration costs include, but are not limited to:

• office space and utilities
• administrative overhead, such as:
  • stationary and office materials
  • cell phones and office telephones
  • individual IT equipment
• the collection, maintenance and reporting of data and information in accordance with program and financial reporting requirements
• costs associated with ensuring that personal information is appropriately managed and safeguarded during its collection, retention, use, disclosure and disposal

When a funding recipient further transfers funds that were received under this component, to a third party, the 15% allowed for administration costs must be divided between the parties, as agreed to by the parties.

The total administration costs retained by all parties must not exceed 15% of the sub-total amount requested before administration costs.

7.1 Submission of proposals

In 2024 to 2025, a new online proposal data collection instrument (DCI) was introduced. Applicants will need an Education Information System (EIS) account to access the online DCI through the ISC services portal.

All proposals must be submitted to ISC using the official 2025 to 2026 DCI PDF or online version. Both DCI documents specify the mandatory information. Refer to the DCI's View instructions button for assistance.

Applicants who have access to the ISC services portal can access the online proposal DCI form by opening a session on the ISC services portal and completing the proposal online. Applicants who do not have access to the portal should contact their ISC regional office.

Applicants who are applying to the Structural Readiness component can only submit a single-year proposal.

Where a First Nations organization has been regionally designated to administer the Structural Readiness component, the organization will specify where proposals are to be submitted, at minimum, via email or letter to all communities within their region. Please contact the First Nations designated organization in your region for any questions. If Structural Readiness proposals are not being submitted to a First Nation regional organization, they are to be submitted to ISC.

7.2 Assessment criteria

Proposals will be assessed based on applicant eligibility, as well as the eligible activities and merit criteria as outlined in section 5.

The mandatory DCI fields must be completed with clear information, including financial details. Missing information, or the lack of clarity, will directly impact the assessment of the proposal and additional information or revisions may be requested. Failure to provide additional information within requested timelines may result in the proposal being denied entirely.

The proposal merit criteria, as further outlined in the DCI, is as follows:

• capacity: applicants are required to describe their related experience, expertise or capacity to undertake the proposed activities
• commitment and support: applicants must confirm that the proposal has the support of communities, schools and partners, for example, emails or letters of support
• implementation plan: the extent to which the proposed activities support the objective of the requested funding
• activity costs: the amount of requested funding should clearly align with the nature of the activity

7.3 Program administration options

Three program administration options are available to each region. Where applicable, the First Nations' designated organization will inform ISC of the region's preferred option. Where ISC is not notified of a mandated designated organization, option 3 will be the default.

7.4 Review and approval process

Depending on the program administration option chosen, proposals will be reviewed by:

• the First Nations' designated organization
  or
• a First Nation regional education steering committee
  or
• Indigenous Services Canada

Applicants will receive written confirmation of the funding decisions.

9.1 Funding recipients

A funding recipient is a successful applicant who has signed a funding agreement with ISC.

9.2 Duration of funding

2025 to 2026 approved funding will be provided through a 1-year contribution agreement.

A given year's level of approved funding does not guarantee funding or the same level of funding in following years.

9.3 Funding approaches

Transfer payments to Structural Readiness funding recipients will be made using fixed contribution.

Indigenous Services Canada regional officers can provide information on the eligibility requirements of this funding approach and on the requirements related to the management of the funds.

The funding approach used to transfer funds to a recipient is identified in the recipient's signed funding agreement.

The following specific program directions for the management of transfer payments complement the directions provided in the recipient's signed funding agreement and are to be read in conjunction with the funding agreement.

9.4 No duplication of funding

The Structural Readiness funding component is designed to be flexible in order to address shared partnership priorities. This component is not designed to supplement or duplicate funding for activities funded by other programs, including ISC's Elementary and Secondary Education Program.

10.1 Reporting requirements

The reporting requirements such as program reports, financial reports and their respective due dates are listed in the recipient's funding agreement and details on these requirements are available in the Reporting Guide.

Recipients must report on all funds received and expended, including the use of unexpended funding they were able to retain to use in the following fiscal year. Consult the funding approaches section of these guidelines for details on the use of unexpended funds.

Recipients who have access to the ISC services portal can access the reporting forms by opening a session on the portal. Recipients who do not have access to the portal should contact their regional office.

Recipients of Structural Readiness component funding in 2025 to 2026 are responsible for completing a final report, using the pre-populated report data collection instrument (DCI) and submitting it to the ISC regional office, or, uploading it to the ISC services portal by June 30, 2026.

If the funded work has not concluded, final reporting should also include a plan detailing the amount of deferred revenue, as well as information on next steps and timelines. Recipients are required to report 2025 to 2026 deferred funding in the Results achieved section of their final report, for each activity as applicable. Deferred funding can only be carried forward for 1 year and must be used in that fiscal year.

Under the terms and conditions of a Contribution Funding Agreement, recipients of funding are required to submit final reports each fiscal year. For the 2025 to 2026 Call for proposals process, proposals will not be given consideration where there are outstanding EPP reporting obligations from fiscal year 2023 to 2024 and earlier.

10.2 Monitoring and oversight

To ensure that the program or strategy outcomes and objectives are being met and opportunities for continuous improvement with a goal to improve results for Indigenous peoples are being identified, activities including audits, evaluations, and targeted program or strategic reviews may be conducted in collaboration with the recipient, for example, desk and on-site reviews.