To qualify for the Set Aside in either tender, proponents must demonstrate a commitment to First Nations partners to at least 5% equity participation and/or revenue sharing in the project.
Participation in the Set Aside is optional, and projects that do not elect to participate or do not meet the qualification requirements remain eligible for assessment under the standard tender process.
All bids are assessed against the same eligibility and merit criteria regardless of whether they participate in the Set Aside.
The pilot will be reviewed following the conclusion of Tenders 9 and 10, with improvements potentially considered for future tender rounds.
The federal government described the initiative as a response to the scale and pace of renewable energy and storage development occurring on First Nations Country, and the need for communities to share in the economic benefits of that development rather than simply hosting infrastructure on their land.
