Capacity Development Provider Applications
Work With Us to Advance First Nations Homeownership
The First Nations Market Housing Fund partners with more than 260 First Nations communities across Canada, with one focus: increasing opportunities for on-reserve homeownership. To deliver our Capacity Development (CD) Program, we engage consultants, firms, and educational institutions from across Canada.
All firms and individual proprietorships must complete our assessment process before being engaged by the Fund — ensuring every provider we recommend to First Nations has the experience and skills to deliver quality work.
About the Capacity Development Program
Funded by the Fund’s investment income, the CD Program supports initiatives aimed at developing, increasing, and sustaining loan-based housing in First Nations communities. Needs are tailored to each First Nation, and providers work closely with Fund staff on planning and implementation.
CD funding allows First Nations to expand existing homeownership programs and develop new ones, manage housing as a business, improve responses to community demand, and train staff and leadership.
Supported Activities & Services
Examples include (but are not limited to):
▸ Housing
Homeownership and housing policies & legal agreements; policy legal reviews; housing governance & authority structure; housing strategy; housing standards; condition assessments/appraisals for market housing; inventory management; operations assessment reviews; community planning & strategies; arrears management; housing committee training & Terms of Reference; staff/leadership training, development & certification.
▸ Lands
Land use plans; lot surveys for homeownership; laws, by-laws, codes, policies, and acts (e.g., MRP); land tenure and allocation; environmental plans and policies; land registry systems.
▸ Community Education & Engagement
Financial literacy and personal finance; mortgages and working with financial institutions; homeownership; buying & selling; renovating a home; home maintenance & repair; wills & estates; member surveys (homeownership interest/demand).
Don’t see your service area? The list is not exhaustive — if your work supports on-reserve homeownership, we encourage you to apply.
Assessment Criteria & Requirements
All potential Capacity Development Providers (CDPs) are assessed fairly and consistently against criteria designed to ensure First Nations receive quality work.
We look for:
▸ A focus on First Nations — direct experience with First Nations communities; knowledge of First Nations environments, policies, governance structures, and protocols; flexibility in serving each unique community
▸ Skills & qualifications — a proven skill set supporting homeownership; applicable professional designation, certification, or accreditation; project management and budgeting skills
▸ Experience — at least 3 years in the services offered; demonstrated quality work with strong First Nations references; clear presentations and well-written materials for Chief and Council, staff, community, and the Fund
Your submission must include:
▸ ESG Commitment — Alignment with the Fund’s Environment, Social, and Governance Policy, which we interpret interchangeably with sustainability — a practice Indigenous Peoples have instilled and celebrated since time immemorial.
▸ Proposed Services — Company summary (legal name, nature of business, year established, geographic service area) and the specific services offered, including how they will support or increase opportunities for on-reserve homeownership.
▸ Team Members — Name, title, and rate for each member; the supported activities each is qualified to deliver; detailed CVs/bios covering experience, education, accreditations, affiliations, and training.
▸ References — Three references, preferably from First Nation governments, with name, title, community/organization, contact details, and a brief description of the work performed.
▸ Rates & Expenses — Proposed per diem/hourly rates for all team members. Note: no reimbursement for proposal development, past work, or services already contracted with a First Nation; retainers, equipment, and office space are not provided.
▸ Insurance — Certificates from a Canada-licensed insurer at least 5 days before contracting: Commercial General Liability of $2,000,000 per occurrence and Professional Liability/Errors & Omissions of not less than $1,000,000, each with 30 days’ notice of cancellation to the CEO via admin@fnmhf.ca.
How We Work Together
The Fund is normally the contracting party, as the Fund pays for the consultant’s services. The provider and the First Nation work together on the initiative.
- Identification — A First Nation submits a capacity development priority to the Fund. We present options from our approved provider list — including existing products or providers who can undertake the work. The First Nation decides which provider is the best fit. If a First Nation requests a provider not on our list, we’ll work with that provider to start the assessment process.
- Service Proposal — We introduce the provider and the First Nation’s key contact. The provider develops a service proposal acceptable to the First Nation, which the Fund reviews to confirm the workplan, deliverables, and budget are clear and support homeownership.
- Agreements & Contracts — The Fund and the First Nation sign an agreement (schedule) confirming commitments and deliverables; the Fund and the provider sign a standard Fund contract based on that schedule.
Submit Your Proposal
Email your submission to admin@fnmhf.ca, to the attention of the Senior Operations Analyst.
Before submitting, confirm your proposal includes: company description, services offered and their link to on-reserve homeownership, team member details and CVs, three references, proposed rates, and your commitment to the Fund’s insurance and ESG requirements (see Section 3 of the PDF).
* Download and review the full Assessment Process for CD Providers (PDF).