Funding Programs / CanExport
Global Affairs Canada

CanExport Community Investments

Federal support for communities attracting, retaining, and expanding foreign direct investment.

Who is eligible
Communities and their economic development organizations
What it funds
Foreign direct investment attraction activities
Our distinction
First Indigenous community award in Canada
Intake
Annual program calls
About the Program

Investment attraction is not just for cities

CanExport Community Investments funds the strategies, materials, and outreach that bring outside capital to a community. Until our client's award, no Indigenous community in Canada had accessed it. The pathway is now proven.

Where CanExport fits

  • FDI strategies and investment-ready materials
  • Investor outreach and relationship development
  • Participation in investment attraction activities
  • A proven pathway for Indigenous communities

A first we are proud of. We secured the first CanExport Community Investments grant ever awarded to an Indigenous community in Canada, opening a federal investment attraction pathway no Nation had accessed before.

How We Help

Attracting the investment

FDI strategy

An investment-attraction strategy the program is built to fund.

Investment-ready materials

The documents and outreach assets that bring outside capital to the table.

Investor outreach

Engagement on terms that keep ownership and control with the community.

Common Questions

CanExport questions we hear most

Why had no Indigenous community received this grant before?

The program was built with municipalities in mind, and the fit for Nations was not obvious. Our application made the case, and the precedent now exists for others.

What does investment attraction look like for a First Nation?

Investment-ready project documents, equity structures that preserve community control, and outreach to investors aligned with the Nation's terms.

What is the difference between CanExport SME and CanExport Community Investments?

CanExport SME helps individual businesses pursue export opportunities, while CanExport Community Investments helps communities, including First Nations, attract foreign direct investment. We secured the first Community Investments grant awarded to an Indigenous community in Canada.

Related Programs

Could outside investment accelerate your project?

Tell us what you want to build and we will map the funding path, CanExport included or not.

Ask About Funding