Call #92 focuses on strengthening the funding capacity of Indigenous Financial Institutions so they can better meet demand for business loans and help distribute stimulus funds. The Call sits within the Finance pathway, under the Stimulus Funds section. Its strategic statement is broader than the Call itself: it calls for strong mechanisms to support Indigenous economic prosperity, incentives to encourage investment in Indigenous economies, and Aboriginal Financial Institutions having enough capacity to fund all qualifying Indigenous businesses. In current Canadian practice, “Indigenous Financial Institutions” (IFIs) is now commonly used, while NIES and older federal materials use “Aboriginal Financial Institutions” (AFIs). In this report, the terms are used to refer to Indigenous-controlled, community-based financial organizations that provide developmental lending, business financing, non-repayable contributions, advisory services, and aftercare.
The strongest evidence comes from Indigenous-led national financial infrastructure and reporting through NACCA, federal program and budget evidence related to renewal of the Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program and COVID-era stimulus delivery, and Canadian applied research on remaining demand and access-to-capital barriers.
The status is Active because responsive Canadian activity is already established, funded, and nationally coordinated through NACCA and regional IFIs and Métis Capital Corporations. It is also implemented through the Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program and the Indigenous Growth Fund, reported through annual lending data, and demonstrated through IFI/AFI delivery of stimulus support during the COVID-19 period. Existing activity does not prove that all loan demand is currently being met. However, scaling, coordinating, and better measuring the existing IFI/AFI infrastructure could further advance the Call.
