Each month, we provide an update on funding programs administered by UBCM along with and information on other programs, events, and resources of interest to local governments and First Nations.
Local Government Program Services
Applications are currently being accepted for the following funding programs. A complete and chronological listing (by intake deadline) of currently offered Local Government Program Services grants is also available on the UBCM website.
Indigenous Cultural Safety and Cultural Humility Training – This funding stream supports the enhancement of cultural safety and cultural humility in the delivery of local emergency management programs and services. Activities include cultural safety and humility training, adapting emergency management tools to be inclusive of Indigenous peoples, and activities related to partnering with, or providing assistance to, Indigenous communities during emergency mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. The intake deadline is November 1, 2024.
Community Emergency Preparedness Fund: Webinar – A CEPF webinar on November 20, 2024 (1:30 – 3:00 PM) will review the upcoming 2025 intakes: ESS, EOC, and Public Notification and Evacuation Route Planning.
Regional Community to Community program – The Regional C2C program supports the advancement of First Nation and local government reconciliation and relationship building. The program supports forums with funding of up to $10,000, and an additional $10,000 is available for the development of agreements (e.g., protocols, MOUs, service agreements, joint plans and/or strategies, etc.). The total eligible grant amount is $20,000. The final intake deadline of this year is December 6, 2024.
Urban Communities Partnering for Reconciliation – The UCPR program supports events and activities that support dialogue; reconciliation efforts; resolve issues of common responsibility, interest or concern, and/or to advance tangible outcomes. Funding is available to eligible Indigenous organizations and local governments who want to create opportunities for in-person dialogue and relationship building which can help advance collaborative reconciliation plans, protocols, agreements or future projects. The 2024/25 intake will accept applications between September 1, 2024 – August 31, 2025, or until funding is exhausted.
Active Transportation Planning program – The ATP program supports local governments to incorporate or enhance active transportation components of formal planning documents (Official Community Plan, Sustainability Plan, Neighbourhood Plan, or Transportation Plan), including research, engagement, and policy development. Local governments with a population up to 25,000 that meet the grant criteria are eligible for up to $30,000 toward their active transportation planning costs. The 2024/25 intake will accept applications between October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025, or until funding is exhausted.
2025 FireSmart Community Funding and Supports – The FireSmart Community Funding and Supports program provides funding to local governments and First Nations in BC to increase community resiliency by undertaking community-based FireSmart planning and activities that reduce the community’s risk from wildfire. The 2025 program materials are available now, with applications being accepted from October 1, 2024 to September 31, 2025
Next Generation 911 – Application-Based Intake - The Next Generation 911 program supports the implementation of NG911, and provides funding to eligible recipients to support the transition and operational readiness of existing 911 services to NG911, in compliance with the CRTC Mandate. The second phase of funding is the 2025 application-based intake. Program material is available now. Applications will be accepted from November 1, 2024 – February 14, 2025.
FireSmart Pilot Program for Regional District Cooperative Community Wildfire Response Organizations – The FireSmart Pilot Program for Regional District Cooperative Community Wildfire Response Organizations provides funding to regional districts in BC to increase community resiliency and to help build a cooperative pathway for wildfire response by undertaking training and purchasing Personal Protective Equipment for local community members in areas that do not fall within a structural fire protection jurisdiction area. The program will have an open intake. Funding permitting, eligible applicants can submit applications between October 1, 2024 and May 30, 2025.
Emergency Support Services Equipment and Training – This funding stream supports ESS through volunteer recruitment, retention and training, including in-house training, and the purchase of ESS equipment. The 2025 program material is now available on our website with an intake deadline of January 31, 2025.
Emergency Operations Centres Equipment and Training – This funding stream supports the building of local capacity through the purchase of equipment required to maintain or improve an EOC and to enhance EOC capacity through training and exercises. The 2025 program material is now available on our website with an intake deadline of February 28, 2025.
Public Notification and Evacuation Route Planning – This funding stream aids the development of Evacuation Route Plans and/or Public Notification Plans that provide information for First Nations, local governments, and community members in the event of an emergency. The 2025 program material is now available on our website with an intake deadline of April 25, 2025.
Other Funding
Grants and Funding from the Government of Canada
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada: Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program – The Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) Program is a national merit-based program with the objective of improving the availability and condition of community buildings in Canadian communities experiencing higher needs and who are currently underserved.
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada: Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund – Aims to accelerate the construction and upgrading of drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid-waste infrastructure, directly supporting the creation of new homes and increasing densification. Direct Delivery Stream will allocate up to $1 billion over eight years directly to eligible recipients, such as municipalities and Indigenous communities. Not yet accepting applications but opening soon. Applicant Guide, webinars and other details are posted in the interim.
Natural Resources Canada: Clean Fuels Awareness – Funding for Indigenous-led awareness and education projects for cleaner transportation and clean fuels. Clean fuels can include clean hydrogen and renewable natural gas, biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol, renewable diesel, and synthetic fuels and sustainable aviation fuels.
NIDMAR: Disability Management Assessment and Subsidy – A Government of Canada grant that provides free workplace disability management assessments, and up to $7,500 through an improvement subsidy to enhance processes to significantly reduce costs and liabilities resulting from employee illness and injury; retain and engage skilled employees experiencing illness, injury, and longer-term disabilities; subsidize workplace improvements; and/or meet provincial requirements for Accessibility Plans.
Natural Resources Canada: Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities – This funding program supports project proposals that contribute to Indigenous-led climate action through biomass heating, district heating, combined heat and power systems, and research, development and demonstration projects. The program is working to reduce the use of fossil fuels for heating and electricity by increasing the use of local renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. Intakes are open until the funding is fully committed or the program closes in 2027.
Government of Canada: Local Festivals, Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Program – This funding stream provides funding to local groups (including local non-profit groups, band councils, tribal councils, or Indigenous governments) for recurring festivals that present the work of local artists, artisans, or heritage performers. This includes the celebration of LGBTQ2+ communities and Indigenous cultural celebrations. Applicants may request up to 100% of eligible expenses up to a maximum of $200,000. Applications are accepted throughout the year, depending on the anticipated festival date.
Grants and Funding from the BC Government
Work BC: BC Employer Training Grant – The BC Employer Training Grant is a cost-sharing grant program that provides employers throughout BC with skills training funding for their workforces, including prospective new hires. Employers can apply as often as they need and receive 80% of the cost of training up to $10,000 per employee, with a maximum annual amount per employer of $300,000.
BC Government: Infrastructure Planning Grant – Municipalities and regional districts can apply for grants up to $10,000 that support projects related to the development of sustainable community infrastructure through the Infrastructure Planning Grant Program. The program is open for applications year-round with regular processing deadlines.
For Indigenous Recipients:
New Relationship Trust: Declaration Act Engagement Fund – The Declaration Act Engagement Fund (DAEF) provides multi-year non-repayable funding contributions to First Nations to support their capacity to engage with the Province on the implementation of the Declaration Act Action Plan and alignment of Provincial laws with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The total funding cap over four years per Nation is $1,040,000. One application per Nation. The DAEF will accept new applications between May and December each year. Applicants will only have to apply once to the program.
Government of Canada: Indigenous Leadership Fund – The Indigenous Leadership Fund is a program under the Low Carbon Economy Fund. It provides up to $180 million by 2029 to support climate action by Indigenous peoples. The program funds Indigenous-owned and led renewable energy, energy efficiency, and low-carbon heating projects. The call for proposals for the First Nations funding stream is open until March 31, 2027. There is no deadline to apply. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis until available funding is allocated.
Government of Canada: Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund – Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada will fund the locating, documenting, maintaining, and commemorating of burial sites associated with former residential schools, and responding to family wishes to commemorate or memorialize their losses and the children's final resting places.
BC Government: BC Residential School Response Fund – Provincial funding is available for First Nations-led strategies to identify, investigate, protect, and commemorate the sites of former residential schools and hospitals in BC and for the mental health, wellness, and cultural supports required to do this work. Up to $475,000 is available for each site.
BC Hydro: Programs for Indigenous Communities – The Indigenous Communities Conservation Program (ICCP) provides funding and support for energy efficiency upgrades in Indigenous communities. All Indigenous communities within BC Hydro’s service area are eligible to participate in the program. Funding is currently ongoing.
ICI Society: AddressBC First Nations Grant Program – Funding available to ICI Society First Nations Members who are looking to develop a GIS dataset of civic addresses or to improve their existing civic address dataset. Grant amounts will be awarded based on the project’s scope, impact, and alignment with the program’s objectives with applications being accepted on an ongoing basis.
Other:
Vision Zero BC: Road Safety Grant Program – The BC Vision Zero in Road Safety Grant Program provides microgrants to BC communities to improve local road infrastructure and support innovative initiatives that protect people who walk, cycle or roll. Funding is open to local governments, Indigenous communities and NGOs. Applicants can apply to one of two funding streams: Stream 1 – General projects and Stream 2 – Indigenous-led projects. The deadline to apply is November 29, 2024.
FCM: Green Municipal Fund – This program funds capital projects that allow a community to remove 60% of total suspended solids (TSS) or a significant amount of other contaminants (e.g., e.coli, salt, grease) from its stormwater runoff. Potential applicants may submit initial review forms at any time. Application forms will be provided to eligible recipients.
FCM: Community Buildings Retrofit Initiative – This initiative is intended to help fund energy efficiency upgrades for existing community facilities. The Government of Canada, through is funding this $167 million initiative to help Canadian municipalities of all sizes retrofit existing community facilities, such as arenas, pools, and libraries, to significantly reduce GHG emissions, while reviving important community assets.
Forest Enhancement Society of BC: Wildfire Risk Reduction Funding – FESCB is accepting applications to fund projects to reduce wildfire risk on provincial crown land and increase community resiliency to wildfire across BC. Eligible activities include WRR planning and treatment prescription development, WRR treatments, and the recovery and utilization of uneconomical residual fibre resulting from wildfire risk reduction treatment funding by FESBC.
Forest Enhancement Society of BC: Fibre Utilization Projects – FESBC is accepting applications to fund projects that encourage diversity and innovation by the forest sector to utilize uneconomical residual fibre located on provincial crown land. Eligible activities include delivery of uneconomic residual fibre to non-sawlog processing facilities, or the overstorey removal and/or the delivery of uneconomic fibre to a non-sawlog facility, from fire or insect damaged stands or other stands acceptable to FESCBC and Ministry of Forests.
SparcBC: Local Community Accessibility Grant Program – Under the Accessible BC Act, local governments are required to develop a feedback mechanism, Accessibility Committee and Accessibility Plan. The Province of BC has allocated $5 million in one-time funding for eligible BC municipalities and regional districts, up to $25,000, to support the implementation of projects or priorities identified in their Accessibility Plan. Applications will be received and approved on a rolling basis until March 2026 through the Social Planning and Research Council of BC. Contact: Louise O’Shea, 604-718-7748, accessibility@sparc.bc.ca.
Events & Resources
Asset Management BC: Working with Levels of Service - Technical Assistance – This online workshop series that examines what Levels of Service are, why they are important, and how to define and work with them in your community. The course is highly interactive and collaborative where participants are invited to use and share real-world examples in working through defining levels of service, identifying gaps and developing strategies to address them. The course runs from November 14 – December 19, 2024. Registration deadline is November 8, 2024.
Principles for Responsible Conduct – This online course, developed by UBCM, LGMA, and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, introduces the principles that support responsible conduct by local elected officials in BC. The interactive course is based on real-life scenarios in which learners are part of the story. The code to access the course is VV81-5TFM.
BC Rural Centre – The Centre provides a wealth of links to assets, news, videos, services, and resources of value to rural British Columbians.
CivicInfo BC – British Columbia's local government information hub offers comprehensive organizational and grant directories, events listings, tools for training, research and career development, bids & tenders, and other resources.
Indigenous Services Canada – ISC works collaboratively with partners to improve access to high quality services for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. They provide information on social programs, emergency management, health, infrastructure, governance, education, economic development, funding programs, and other resources
FireSmart – This website introduces the FireSmart program and its seven disciplines and is intended as a one-stop shop for all things FireSmart. The site includes links to training, education, an events calendar, resource library, and downloadable content. It also features a short video inviting everyone to become involved in prevention and to learn about the benefits of the program.