Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program (GICB)

The GICB Program provides up to $25,000,000 in funding for building new or retrofitting existing community buildings

Sean Fraser, the federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, has announced a new intake for applications through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program starting on August 1, 2024. This will be the third intake under the program,  which will see the federal government invest in retrofits, repairs, and upgrades to existing community buildings making them greener and more accessible. The program will also support new construction and will prioritize supporting underserved communities. Eligible applicants can apply for projects to be funded with total eligible costs ranging from $100,000 up to $25 million. The intake is expected to remain open until October 16th, 2024.

Project Eligibility

The GICB Program funds two types of projects:

• Retrofits, repairs and upgrades to existing community buildings. Retrofits are changes to an existing building/asset that seek to renovate, upgrade, or repair aspects of the building/asset in a manner that improves environmental outcomes. Retrofits must be to a facility that is fully accessible to the public and that will provide non-commercial services to the community.
• The construction of new community buildings. New builds must be of a building/asset that is open and fully accessible to the public and that will provide non-commercial services to the community.

To be eligible for funding, retrofitted and new buildings must be in areas with underserved populations experiencing higher needs and be the site of Programming and/or activities that demonstrably serve these populations.

Who Can Apply

An eligible applicant for the GICB program is:

• A municipal or regional government established by or under provincial or territorial statute
• A provincial or territorial government
• A public sector body that is established by or under provincial or territorial statute or by regulation or is wholly-owned by a province, territory, municipal or regional government, including, but not limited to:
• Federally or provincially incorporated not-for-profit organizations and registered charities
• Indigenous recipients
  
  

Funding Details 

The GICB Program has two main funding streams: a continuous, non-competitive intake for small and medium retrofits, and a scheduled, competitive intake process for large retrofits and new builds.

Continuous intake stream for small and medium retrofit projects across Canada.

• Small retrofit projects are those that range in size from $100,000 to $249,999 in total eligible costs.
• Medium retrofit projects are those that range in size from $250,000 to $2,999,999 in total eligible costs.

Scheduled competitive intake for large retrofits and new buildings across Canada.

• Large retrofit projects are those that range in size from $3,000,000 to $25,000,000* in total eligible costs.
• New build projects are those that range in size from $3,000,000 to $25,000,000* in total eligible costs.

* Projects in excess of $25,000,000 may be considered on a case-by case basis.

The GICB Program will provide funding up to the following limits, of total eligible project costs:

Project cost share, by project type and size:

Eligible Project Costs

• Eligible expenditures for both grant funding and contribution funding under the GICB Program are as follows: 
  • costs that are incurred between April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2026
  • costs to build, renovate, expand or improve fixed capital assets and community buildings
  • fees paid to professionals, technical personnel, consultants and contractors specifically engaged for the purpose of the renovation, expansion or improvement work or new builds of eligible infrastructure, including planning and energy audit costs
  • costs of environmental assessments, monitoring and follow up activities as required by the Impact Assessment Act or equivalent legislation
  • costs associated with a public announcement and official ceremony or of required temporary or permanent signage that includes the cost of creation and posting of signage
  • costs for the purpose of Indigenous consultation/engagement activities
  • other costs that are considered to be direct and necessary for the successful implementation of the project and that are approved in advance by the Government of Canada
  • salaries, wages and other incremental costs (i.e. materials or equipment) of the recipient provided that:
  • the recipient confirms and substantiates that it is not economically feasible to tender a contract
  • the costs are incurred and directly in respect to the work that would have been subject of the contract, and
  • costs are approved in advance and are included (in a contribution agreement).

  Applicable to Indigenous and not-for-profit recipients only:

  • legal fees (excluding those related to litigation) up to the amount specifically identified within contribution agreement.
    
    

Funding Deadline

The final date to submit applications for either stream is October 16th, 2024.