Frequently Asked Questions

The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) is a Crown corporation mandated to invest in infrastructure which benefits Canadians.

Canada faces a significant infrastructure gap – some organizations have estimated it at over $150B. To reduce this gap, Canada must evolve how infrastructure in financed. Blended financing models, like those provided by infrastructure banks and other alternative financing arrangements, can reduce the burden on taxpayers and limited government budgets, expand private sector investment and increase innovation.

We want to accelerate the delivery of more, high-quality infrastructure for Canadians.

As an impact investor, we focus on new infrastructure to deliver results such as economic growth, climate change action and connected communities.

Our priority investment areas include green infrastructure, clean power, public transit, trade and transportation and broadband infrastructure. We have a target to invest at least $1 billion in revenue-generating Indigenous infrastructure projects across our five priority sectors. More recently, we began providing Indigenous communities with equity to participate in projects in which the CIB is making an investment.

We also act as a centre of expertise about infrastructure investment.

We collaborate with federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments, Indigenous partners, the private sector and institutional investors. See the full list of our partners.

We work with partners from across Canada to determine the most efficient way to deliver infrastructure.

When assessing potential investments located in rural and northern communities, we carefully assess the specific challenges of developing infrastructure in these regions. We also consider how investments can contribute to the Government of Canada’s commitment to achieve reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

The CIB’s portfolio of investments in infrastructure that drives meaningful outcomes for Canadians is changing daily. There are currently more than 75 active investments. See the full list here.

Our investments benefit Canadians by helping to get more infrastructure. We are an additional tool in the infrastructure toolkit.

Our investment partnerships with the public and private sectors advance projects which might not otherwise be built. This allows government to focus its limited capital on other public sector investment priorities.

We also provide specialized commercial advisory expertise to public-sector owners and sponsors and private-sector investors which can advance the development of projects.

CIB makes repayable investments in impactful projects that are revenue generating, in the public interest and delivered in partnership with the public and private sectors. CIB also aims to accelerate infrastructure development while fostering economic benefits for Indigenous communities through low-cost, long-term loans and investment opportunities for Indigenous communities, including the Indigenous Equity Initiative (IEI) and the Indigenous Community Infrastructure Initiative (ICII).

To be considered for CIB support, projects must:

• Be new, or have substantially new components, i.e. mostly greenfield
• Be in the public interest
• Fall within at least one of our five priority sectors: green infrastructure, clean power, public transit, trade and transportation and broadband
• Have the reasonable potential to generate revenue
• Be able to attract private sector investment and demonstrate commercial viability (with appropriate support and due diligence)
• Utilize proven technology at a technology readiness level of 8 or above
• Be located in Canada or partially in Canada

We welcome qualified project or investment proposals directly at investments@cib-bic.ca. For projects in Indigenous communities, our dedicated Indigenous Infrastructure team can be reached at indigenous@cib-bic.ca. Emails should include the following details: the project's sector, anticipated capital cost, investment amount you are seeking, private and public proponents, as well as a concise summary of the project, including its specific location and any involvement from the public sector.

Submissions will be reviewed by to our Investments and Project Development teams, who will contact proponents to discuss their submissions.

All potential investment partnerships must align with the CIB’s government mandated priorities: public transit, green infrastructure, clean power, trade and transportation and broadband.

Potential projects must satisfy all commercial due diligence including financing, structuring and risk transfer analysis. Our team examines critical information such as the business case, risk allocation, and attractiveness to private and institutional investors, market testing results and optimization of costs including competitive tension, and deliverability including procurement strategy.

All investments must be approved by the by the Investment Committee of the Board of Directors.

Learn more about our investment process.

We are an infrastructure investor, not a procurement agent.

The CIB does not provide grants. Our direct investment and partnership are flexible, adaptable and targeted so that our investments help to get new infrastructure built. Unlike a grant, we get paid back and go on to reinvest in other public priorities.

We have a professional, independent Board of Directors which oversees management and approves investments. The Board has a range of professional skills, infrastructure expertise and investment experience.

We report to Parliament through the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. The Government of Canada sets our overall policy direction and high-level investment priorities by approving our annual corporate plan.

We are accountable to The Government of Canada and Canadians through the Canada Infrastructure Bank Act and the Financial Administration Act.

We develop an annual corporate plan, with operating and capital budgets, for approval by the Government of Canada. Summaries of the corporate plan and our annual reports are tabled in Parliament. We also host an annual public meeting to be transparent, accountable and accessible. All of this information is posted on this website.

In addition, the Auditor General of Canada and an independent private-sector auditor are joint auditors.

The Canada Infrastructure Bank Act, the legislation that established the CIB, was part of Bill C-44, Budget Implementation Act, 2017, which received Royal Assent on June 22, 2017. The full text of The Canada Infrastructure Bank Act is available on the Government of Canada’s  Justice Laws Website.

The CIB is a growing organization. For our latest opportunities, visit our Careers page.

At the CIB, our work is shaped by our values: to make it better, for Canada; break new ground; be the best of public and private, and to celebrate our differences. We do this in a way that's distinctly Canadian – kind, inclusive, and respectful. Hear our CEO, Ehren Cory, talk more about life at the CIB.

One of our key employee pillars is to provide a place to learn and grow. CIB employees can participate in a suite of in-house training programs, to learn about the infrastructure and finance industries, as well as learning opportunities geared to their specific roles.

The CIB’s head office is in downtown Toronto. We also have offices in Calgary and Montreal.

Head office mailing address:

150 King Street West
P.O. Box 15
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5H 1J9

Reach us by phone or email.