The Infrastructure Operating Fund (IOF) is designed to contribute to the operating and maintenance costs of CFI-funded infrastructure.

When submitting any proposal for CFI infrastructure, institutions must demonstrate that they have adequate funds to ensure the infrastructure will be operational and sustainable for at least five years. The IOF helps cover a portion of these costs to maximize the efficient use of CFI-funded infrastructure (see Section 4.6 of the Policy and Program Guide).

An institution’s IOF allocation is based on the finalized CFI contribution for eligible projects. All CFI projects approved after July 1, 2001, are eligible to receive IOF, with the exception of projects funded under the Canada Research Chairs Infrastructure Fund and the international funds. All eligible projects generate an IOF allocation of 30 percent of the total finalized CFI contribution. Institutions can review their allocation details under “Institutions: Financial Access” on the CFI website (www.innovation.ca/en/cfi-online).

Each institution is responsible for deciding how their funds will be divided among projects eligible to receive IOF. Institutions can distribute their IOF allocation based on actual operating and maintenance needs, as opposed to allocating the exact amount to the project that generated it. This offers institutions maximum flexibility to support projects with different needs and scope, while ensuring accountability.