Accelerating Circularity in Construction Materials

Grants, peer learning and expert guidance to help you implement construction, renovation and demolition waste diversion solutions.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Read the application guide for more information on creating a successful application

View application guide

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Funding Snapshot

Maximum Award:

$100,000

Grant up to 50%* of eligible costs

*Exceptions: Up to 80% of eligible costs for rural, Northern and eligible Indigenous communities; and up to 100% for Northern and eligible Indigenous first-time applicants

Open To:

The following organizations are eligible for GMF funding:

Canadian municipal governments
Municipally owned corporations
Indigenous communities if:
- partnering with a municipal government;
- have a shared service agreement with a municipal government related to municipal infrastructure, climate change or adaptation

Expected Output:

Studies that aim to strengthen source separation practices for construction, renovation and demolition (CRD) waste and advance circularity through increased recovery, sorting, storing, reusing and recycling. Studies may also address CRD waste prevention, reduction, repair, refurbishment, repurpose and remanufacturing as applicable.

Eligible studies must assess the viability of CRD waste circular solutions, such as:

waste prevention
waste recovery, sorting, storing, extending product life cycle-materials and recycling
strengthening source separation and selective deconstruction approaches
infrastructure and site location and governance, equipment, transporting logistics, regulations and permitting, available CRD waste quantities, potential markets, environmental impacts and communications
partnerships (with other municipalities, private sector) and inter-departmental collaborations within your municipality
policies (bylaws, RFPs, procurements, incentives, waste management plans and circular economy roadmap)
operationalization methodology

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT:

All grant recipient municipal staff will participate in a two-year cohort designed to help improve project outcomes, scale funding initiatives, build skills and knowledge and promote project outcomes. Cohort members will receive free additional support from GMF dedicated to help them implement their project and go even further in creating the groundwork for a circular construction materials ecosystem in their municipality or region.

As part of the cohort, you will:

access free coaching, training and collaboration services to build your skills in the circular economy construction sector
work with other municipalities both within the cohort and beyond to exchange best practices, resources and lessons learned as you move collectively towards solving similar challenges
increase your capacity to work with key implementation partners (e.g., private sector actors, regional construction associations, non-profits) to help achieve long-term project results
collectively explore opportunities for scaling project outcomes by sharing results nationally and connecting in the national and international circular economy ecosystems

Application Deadline:

The pre-application deadline is June 26, 2026.

Eligible Costs:

See list of eligible costs.

Your study should examine the current construction, renovation and demolition (CRD) waste landscape and assess the feasibility of solutions to divert CRD materials from disposal. This includes strengthening source-separation practices and advancing circularity through improved recovery, sorting, storage, reuse and recycling. Where relevant, the study may also address upstream strategies such as CRD waste prevention, reduction, repair, refurbishment, repurposing and remanufacturing.

Here are suggested project milestones:

project initiation and set-up
procurement
research and baseline assessment
stakeholder engagement
opportunities and scenario analysis
recommendations and roadmap development
reporting and approval

* The following applicants may qualify for a grant of up to 80 percent of eligible project costs:

municipalities (or their partners) with a population of 10,000 or under;
regional governments or groups of municipalities where the average population of the member municipalities is 10,000 or under;
eligible Indigenous communities; and,
northern communities

Northern and eligible Indigenous communities that are applying to GMF for the first time may qualify for a grant of up to 100 percent of eligible costs.

The North is defined as the three territories and the northern extent of seven provinces. This includes portions of the following provinces defined by Statistics Canada codes: Newfoundland and Labrador (10), Québec (24), Ontario (35), Manitoba (46), Saskatchewan (47), Alberta (48) and British Columbia (59).

What we fund

We fund projects that aim to enable the conditions to enhance construction waste diversion by strengthening source separation practices and advancing circularity through increased recovery, sorting, storing, reusing and recycling. Studies may also address CRD waste prevention, reduction, repair, refurbishment, repurpose and remanufacturing as applicable.

Studies must assess local needs and the feasibility of solutions to divert construction, renovation and demolition waste by examining topics such as:

available material quantities by CRD source and category, including material flow analysis
existing and required infrastructure, equipment, transportation logistics, regulations and permitting
site location considerations, community impact and governance options
potential partners, including other municipalities, private-sector actors and relevant municipal departments
required local and regional policies and engagement mechanisms (e.g., bylaws, RFPs, procurement approaches, incentives, roadmaps, waste management plans, deconstruction audits)
potential markets and end uses for recovered materials
environmental impacts (e.g., greenhouse gas reduction, diversion rates)
communication and capacity-building needs (e.g., awareness-raising, information sharing, training)

Studies may also include an assessment of infrastructure options that would be required to support an increase in CRD waste recovery, sorting, storing, reusing and recycling such as:

circular drop-off centres
reuse, repair, value-added production and storage centres
resale centres
logistics hubs for transportation and container storage
CRD transfer stations or temporary depot sites
CRD material recovery facilities
CRD recycling facilities serving specific or multiple CRD material categories

Applications must demonstrate that the proposed project reflects a municipal commitment or forms part of an existing or planned municipal strategy. For example, the project is identified in a municipal waste management plan, a circular economy roadmap and/or an approved or proposed council resolution (to be considered by council prior to the project start date).

Priority will be given to initiatives that:

include the development of construction waste policies and an operationalization strategy
address diverse construction waste sources (e.g., new construction, renovation, selective deconstruction, curb collection/bulky waste, waste drop-off centres, disaster-related debris)
address as many diversion strategies as possible (e.g., waste prevention, recovery, sorting, sorting, keeping products and materials in use, recycling)
prioritize source-separation approaches

All approved recipients will have a chance to refine their baseline data and set more accurate targets through a peer-learning support program, where they will also receive guidance on monitoring and reporting project outcomes.

What your project needs to achieve

Only projects that meet the criteria on this page are eligible. Please note that we consider several factors in making a funding decision. We strive to fund the most innovative and impactful initiatives as well as support communities of all sizes, so not all eligible projects will be approved for funding.

Applicants must commit to actively participating in the peer learning support program to be considered for funding.

Preference will be given to initiatives that:

include the development of construction waste policies and an operationalization strategy
address diverse construction waste sources (e.g., new construction, renovation, selective deconstruction, curb collection/bulky waste, waste drop-off centres, disaster-related debris)
address as many diversion strategies as possible (e.g., waste prevention, recovery, sorting, sorting, keeping products and materials in use, recycling)
prioritize source-separation approaches
assess existing and required infrastructure, equipment and transportation logistics
are led by a multidisciplinary team, representing key roles (e.g., representatives from all key departments involved in implementation, such as waste management, environment, land use planning, technical or engineering services, economic development, legal, public works, fire services, finance, construction inspection or management, communications and community engagement)
are conducted in collaboration with key implementation partners (e.g., private sector organizations, other municipalities or regional governments, non-profit organizations, consultants, external agencies, chambers of commerce and academic institutions)
develop municipal skills and favor a municipal culture of construction waste recovery and diversion
demonstrate the potential to generate significant socio-economic benefits such as:
- creating jobs in material recovery, recycling, refurbishment, and specialized construction services
- providing workforce integration and training opportunities for people facing barriers to employment
- increasing supply chain resilience by mitigating risks from fluctuating prices or shortages of virgin materials.
- providing access to low-cost construction materials (e.g., through material exchange centres)
- encouraging entrepreneurship (e.g., small businesses or co-ops focused on material refurbishment or upcycling).

Equity considerations

GMF recognizes that many urgent social issues are interrelated, and that climate action and sustainability initiatives need to be designed to ensure fair distribution of benefits and burdens, across all segments of a community and across generations. Projects will be assessed on their potential to result in improved socio-economic outcomes and a more equitable distribution of benefits and burdens among the community, for present and future generations. While projects can be eligible without incorporating these considerations, preference is given to projects that:

integrate principles of Reconciliation, anti-racism, equity and inclusion
apply inclusive community engagement practices
implement social procurement practices, for example buying from local vendors, small businesses, diverse businesses or social enterprises.
generate other socio-economic benefits, such as improved accessibility, improved outdoor spaces and opportunities for inclusive employment and apprenticeship

As you develop your project, consider the following questions:

How can you design an engagement approach that would enable you to consider the diverse needs, experiences, and voices of all stakeholders and rights holders in this project?
Which equity-deserving groups might benefit the most, and/or be burdened, directly or indirectly, by this project? How are these groups positively or negatively impacted?
Are there opportunities to address or mitigate negative impacts?
Are there opportunities to rectify existing or potential biases, discrimination, or exclusionary practices in your project planning, design, funding, and implementation?
How can you maximize the socio-economic benefits that your project generates?
How can you leverage your procurement practices to generate more positive social, economic and environmental outcomes within your community and region?

Required documents

When the application intake period opens this summer, you must submit the following to apply for this GMF funding:

a pre-application form
an application form
a project workbook
all required supporting documents specified in the application guide.
Reach out to a GMF representative to discuss your project at gmfinfo@fcm.ca or 1-877-417-0550.

Application process

Phase 1: Pre-application submission

You must submit a pre-application form through FCM’s funding portal. To do this, create a client profile and follow the steps in FCM’s funding portal to submit your pre-application form.

Phase 2: Eligibility determination

A GMF outreach officer or advisor will review your pre-application form. They will determine whether your organization and initiative are eligible to proceed to the next stage of the application process. You will receive a response within 21 business days of the date we receive your pre-application form.

Phase 3: Full application submission

If your organization and initiative are determined to be eligible to proceed to the next stage, your GMF outreach officer or advisor will inform you that the full application form is available through FCM’s funding portal. They will also provide you with an Excel project workbook template to complete and submit with the full application form.

It is important to note that even if a project is deemed eligible to move forward with a full application, it does not guarantee full application eligibility or that the project will be approved for funding.

As you complete the application form, contact your GMF outreach officer or advisor if you have any questions. Once you’ve filled out the application form and project workbook and attached the required supporting documents, submit it to GMF through the FCM funding portal.

Phase 4: GMF project officer review

Once the full application form is submitted a GMF project officer will be assigned to your file and will review your application for accuracy and completeness and will work with you to resolve any remaining questions.

Phase 5: Peer review and internal review

An external expert peer review panel evaluates all capital and study applications. There will also be an internal analysis to provide a funding recommendation to GMF’s managing director, the GMF Council and FCM’s Board of Directors.

Phase 6: FCM funding decision

For plans, pilots and studies, funding decisions are determined by GMF’s managing director. The average time for a funding decision is three to five months after your full application form submission.

How to apply

Download and review the offer application guide
Reach out to a GMF representative to discuss your project at gmfinfo@fcm.ca or 1-877-417-0550.
Review the list of prerequisites and supporting documents in the application guide.
Review the eligible and ineligible costs
Visit the FCM funding portal. Follow the portal instructions to prepare and submit your application.

Quebec municipalities

FCM has an agreement with Quebec's ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation (MAMH) Opens in a new tab. that allows the ministry to review applications to GMF before they are submitted to FCM. Quebec municipalities applying for funding from GMF must follow the process below to submit their application to MAMH.

Once you have completed all the steps in the ‘How to apply’ section above, submit your application by following the steps below. Note that the content of the links is available in French only.

Save your application form using the appropriate file name.
- Save the application form to your local device with the following filename: FMV_ "your municipality's name"_ "date" (YYMMDD). For example: FMV_TownofABC_180228.pdf
Log in to the Portail gouvernemental des affaires municipales et régionales Opens in a new tab.. using your username and password.
- To submit your form click on “File Transfer”.
- In the “Recipient” drop-down list, select the applicable program.
- Upload your files and select “Transfer” once your request is complete.
Receive confirmation from MAMH.
- MAMH assesses the applications to ensure that the projects submitted do not conflict with Quebec's government policies and directives. Once the assessment has been completed, MAMH informs the applicant of their decision and sends compliant applications to GMF for review.
- MAMH requires up to 15 working days to review the application and forward it to GMF.
Receive approval from GMF.
- GMF will inform the applicant once they receive the application from MAMH and review the submission. If the application is approved for funding, an agreement between FCM and the applicant is prepared.