From the beginning, our applicants have had to provide proof of indigeneity. This ensures that the financing we provide goes directly to verified indigenous businesses. We have never accepted self-identification so that we could ensure the integrity of the financing and programming that we deliver meets the needs of the intended purposes to benefit and support indigenous people.
Our indigenous financial institutions support the establishment of the proposed First Nations Procurement Organization, also known as FNPO. FNPO will be 100% indigenous-led, single-window support for indigenous businesses to help them become procurement-ready to market their availability to provide goods and services to all levels of government, corporate Canada and institutions across the—