North American Wood First

• Description
• Eligibility
• Application process

Description

Established in 2007, North American Wood First is aimed at increasing the use of wood in non-residential construction (schools, health care facilities, retail establishments, etc.) throughout Canada and targeted areas of the United States. Wood First was renewed until 2011 under Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2009, and was granted another year of funding in the June 2011 budget.

The initiative funds projects that are designed to educate architects, engineers, specifiers and builders on the advantages of, and opportunities for, using wood in non-residential applications. Examples of funded activities include:

• technical support and training provided by technical advisors
• market opportunity studies, public opinion studies, stakeholder knowledge surveys, benchhmarking surveys
• promotional missions, trade shows, seminars, product directories, promotional brochures, technical literature, outreach programs
• technology transfer and training, including quality assurance and demonstration projects
• research assessing whether Canadian wood products and technologies meet product standards and building code regulations