funding for Water Conservation
The Water Conservation Municipal Project - Capital (FCM-WCMP-Capital) aims to help Canadian cities and communities promote water conservation. The FCM-WCMP-Capital does this through funding capital projects for retrofit initiatives that reduce the potable water use of a municipal building by 40%.
Funding Overview
This funding is for retrofit initiatives only. Your initiative must reduce potable water use by at least 40% in a municipal building. The purchase, installation, replacement or repair of water mains as a stand-alone initiative will not be funded. They will only be funded if those activities are part of a broader, more innovative initiative.
Regular loans and grants: Receive a low-interest loan of up to $5 million and a grant worth up to 15% of the loan to cover up to 80% of your eligible costs.
High-ranking project loans and grants: These qualify for a low-interest loan of up to $10 million and a grant worth up to 15% of the loan to cover up to 80% of your eligible costs.
Eligibility Requirements
- Canadian municipal governments (e.g., towns, cities, regions, districts, and local boards)
- Municipal partners, which include:
- private sector entities
- Indigenous communities
- municipally owned corporations
- regional, provincial or territorial organizations delivering municipal services
- non-governmental organizations
- municipal partners, which include:
- not-for-profit organizations
- research institutes (e.g., universities)
Eligible Activities
FCM funds capital projects that demonstrate most of the following characteristics:
Transformative potential: The project incorporates solutions (e.g., knowledge, practices, technologies) that are well beyond business-as-usual. The project:
- is likely to result in significant performance improvements (e.g., improved levels of service, cost savings, energy efficiency, increased resiliency, environmental protection, improved human health)
- is audacious in that it requires a municipality to take on uncertainty over known best practices to achieve greater environmental benefits
- is designed to build the capacity of key stakeholders (e.g., municipal staff, elected officials, local trades)
- has the potential to generate new knowledge for the sector
- has a high likelihood of being replicated if successful
Significant impacts: The project has the potential to generate significant measurable environmental results as well as economic and social benefits.
Strong implementation framework: The project plan is robust and includes appropriate stakeholder engagement, planning, risk management, resourcing and monitoring.
Eligible Costs
- Consulting costs to write the GMF application incurred up to 90 days prior to application receipt date
- Administrative costs that are directly linked to and have been incurred for the project, such as:
- communication costs (e.g. long-distance calls or faxes)
- permits or certifications required for the project
- printing or photocopying by outside suppliers
- acquisition of documents used exclusively for the project
- document translation
- Advertising costs essential to communicating the project to the public, as well as project evaluation, such as:
- fees for advertising development
- fees for media distribution
- website development
- public surveys
- The cost of a financial audit for the capital project if required by FCM.
- Capital costs as defined and determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), including:
- costs for acquiring, developing, constructing, modernizing or leasing systems (equipment, hardware, software, etc.).
- Costs of construction, renovation or modernization of facilities and structures such as materials and installation costs.
- Rental of tools and equipment.
- Costs related to meetings and public gatherings that communicate the project to the public and that collect feedback, such as:
- facility rental
- audiovisual equipment rental
- Fees for professional or technical consultants and contractors.
Deadline
Applications can be sent in year-round.
