Implementation projects: Adaptation in Action

What we fund

We fund projects that enhance long-term climate resilience in communities in an equitable and inclusive manner. This funding is intended for communities who are already aware of their climate risks and know which projects will help them make the greatest strides in improving their climate resilience. 

Projects can involve measures such as improving infrastructure to withstand extreme weather, installing new measures to reduce impacts on the community, modifying the landscape to reduce wildfire risks, or bolstering municipal services to better support vulnerable community members.  They are intended to be smaller in nature, with maximum eligible expenses of $1 million and, upon completion, must have implemented on-the-ground solutions to respond to climate risk.

LLCA funding empowers local governments to implement equity-informed climate adaptation projects, with an emphasis on projects that provide low-carbon and nature-positive community benefits. 

What your project needs to achieve 

To qualify for funding, proposed activities must support eligible applicants to implement measures that reduce impacts from climate-related events and hazards. They should be:

• A new or subsequent phase of a climate adaptation project (retroactive funding is not available)
• Capable of completion within three years from the date of grant approval
• Eligible for required approvals, authorizations and permits (where applicable)
• Developed and constructed to ensure that hazard sensitivity is not increased, is not transferred to any parties or to the environment (e.g., transfer of flood risk downstream, destruction of habitat, introduction of pollutants to the environment), and is not maladapted (increasing sensitivity to other hazards)  
• Aligned with a priority climate hazard identified in your community’s climate risk assessment or aligned with an action item in your community’s climate adaptation plan (a regional risk assessment that includes your community’s climate hazard priority is also acceptable).
• A feasibility study or equivalent assessment (e.g. Indigenous Knowledge/Two-Eyed Seeing approach) that outlines objectives, costs, technical feasibility and expected outcomes
• For projects installing new infrastructure: Able to demonstrate resilience to flooding, particularly if infrastructure is in or near a 100-year floodplain. Designs must include mitigation measures to avoid flood-related damage.

Additional project considerations

Projects that demonstrate greater impact and alignment with LLCA priorities may be eligible for a higher funding share. In particular, projects that:

• Are led by or in partnership with Indigenous Communities. Applicants must provide a formal agreement or resolution confirming Indigenous community leadership or partnership.  
• Include a collaboration between municipalities. Applicants must include a letter of support committing an in-kind or financial contribution.
• Directly benefit equity-deserving or marginalized communities. Applicants must clearly identify how these groups will experience distinct or greater benefits than the general public.,
• Integrate natural infrastructure (eg. wetlands, shoreline restoration) where feasible. Applicants must have an options analysis in their feasibility study or be able to describe how nature-based solutions have been assessed and incorporated.  

Eligibility requirements 

Eligible projects

Eligible climate adaptation implementation projects could include:  

• Installing, retrofitting or upgrading public cooling/warming infrastructure (including natural infrastructure) to reduce community vulnerability to extreme temperatures (e.g., designated cooling/warming centres, cooling corridors, naturalized areas)
• Incremental costs associated with improving the design of a capital project to incorporate climate-resilient elements
• Enhancing municipal service levels to respond to climate risks
• Installing back-up power on critical infrastructure/facilities
• Relocating municipal infrastructure
• Installing, retrofitting or upgrading public structures or critical infrastructure for municipal service provision to reduce the risks associated with climate hazards
• FireSmart-aligned vegetative management or vegetation-based wildfire risk mitigation activities
• Installing, retrofitting or upgrading structural flood protection or stormwater collection works (e.g., sponge parks, flood conveyance works, pump stations, flood walls, flood boxes, debris catchment structures, jetties, detention ponds)
• Dam, dike or channel decommissioning and floodplain restoration
• Wetland restoration or construction
• Rehabilitating important aquifer recharge areas
• Installing, retrofitting or upgrading green infrastructure (e.g., rain gardens, bioswales, green roofs and/or permeable pavement)
• Shoreline rehabilitation, including restoring natural shoreline protection through natural infrastructure, beach nourishment and/or bank stabilization
• Slope stabilization projects that reduce the risk of debris flow, particularly in fire-impacted areas
• Operational Testing: Incremental operations of existing assets to reduce hazard exposure during severe events (e.g., running heating/cooling centres) over a period of up to 18 months

Eligible costs

Eligible costs are direct costs that are approved for funding, properly and reasonably incurred, and paid by the applicant to carry out eligible activities. Eligible costs can only be incurred from the date the full application is submitted until the date final reporting is submitted. 

Eligible activities

Risk-reduction activities under the Adaptation in Action initiative include constructing, modifying, or enhancing municipal or Indigenous infrastructure, services or lands to support municipal service delivery in a manner that reduces the risks of climate-related hazards. 

This funding is not intended to support greenfield development in known hazard areas. Projects should focus on reducing the risks of climate-related hazards in relation to existing community composition, land use and infrastructure. 

This funding is not intended for climate disaster or emergency response. Projects should proactively address the impacts of climate change. 

For projects proposing eligible activities that involve tree planting: Tree planting costs up to $50,000 are eligible for funding. If your project includes tree planting costs exceeding $50,000 you may submit a joint application to request tree planting funding from the Growing Canada's Community Canopies initiative.  

In addition to the criteria identified in the Eligible Projects section, applicants to Adaptation in Action must be able to articulate how their project:

• Aligns with the applicable results areas:
  • Climate Resilient Infrastructure and Community Spaces;
  • Nature-Based Solutions; and/or
  • Community Well-being.
• Implications for equity-deserving and marginalized communities;
• Includes, or has included, engagement activities, including with equity-deserving communities
• Has included nature-positive and low-carbon design elements, if any. 

Required documents

To apply for GMF funding, you must submit:

• a pre-application form
• an application form
• a project workbook
• all required supporting documents specified in the application guide, including a community climate hazard risk assessment or climate adaptation plan

A GMF project officer will be your point of contact throughout the process. They will review your file and provide feedback. You may be asked to revisit some steps to help you submit a complete and high-quality application.