Residential Resilience Financing: Capital Programs
Scaling community resilience through home energy and adaptation funding
HOME ENERGY AND RESILIENCE UPGRADES
Read the guide for more information on creating a successful application.
Read the application guideFunding Snapshot
Loans of up to $10 million and grants up to a maximum ratio of 3:1 (loan to grant) covering up to 80% of eligible costs. Higher loan amounts are considered on a case-by-case basis. Grants cannot exceed total operating costs
Municipal governments and eligible partners operating in jurisdictions with Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)-enabled legislation that allows financing of chosen resilience measures.
Eligible applicants include:
- Canadian municipal governments (e.g., towns, cities, regions, districts and local boards).
- Organizations applying in partnership with a municipal government.
- Non-municipal lead applicants are considered on a case-by-case basis and should contact a GMF representative before applying
- Those who intend to embed resiliency improvements into an existing PACE financing program for home energy-efficiency upgrades. Existing programs do not need to have been funded through GMF’s Community Efficiency Financing (CEF) initiative.
Note: To qualify, applicants must have a completed program design study or equivalent.
Implementation and capital deployment for local residential resilience financing programs based on the PACE model.
Emergency response and disaster recovery projects are ineligible.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until further notice.
Why apply for capital program funding?
RRF Capital Program funding helps municipalities transition from planning to large-scale execution, enabling homeowners to invest in vital climate adaptation upgrades.
Capital Program funding helps you:
- Deploy financing at scale for residential retrofits that protect homes from extreme weather, flooding and wildfires.
- Maintain long-term financial stability and operational continuity as your program grows.
- Expand your existing home energy efficiency program to comprehensively address climate resilience.
- Help residents improve home resilience when recovering from extreme weather damage through strategic collaboration with the insurance sector.
What we fund
Residential Resilience Financing is part of the Green Municipal Fund’s broader Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation initiative. Capital Program funding enables local governments to deploy financing for homeowners to install retrofits that protect properties against climate hazards such as flooding, wildfires, extreme weather, drought and other climate risks.
- Municipalities and their partners can use this funding to:
Issue loans and grants for permanent home resilience retrofits, such as flood protection, wildfire hardening and extreme heat defences, integrated into existing energy efficiency PACE programs. - Cover eligible operating costs, including staff remuneration, marketing, program administration and third-party delivery services.
- Provide direct rebates and incentives for pre- and post-home resilience assessments and approved upgrades
- Implement build-back-better financing mechanisms in post-loss scenarios in collaboration with insurance providers.
- Allocate up to 30 percent of total eligible costs per residential retrofit to enabling work and health and safety measures supporting resiliency upgrades.
For a full list of program design considerations, including eligible measures, please refer to the application guide.
What your project needs to achieve
To qualify for funding, your capital program must:
- Build on an existing residential energy efficiency PACE financing program.
- Utilize a completed program design study that outlines target audiences, hazard prioritizations, financing terms and risk mitigation plans.
- Deploy capital efficiently to finance homeowner retrofits that address priority climate hazards.
- Maintain long-term financial stability and operational continuity to scale over time.
At a glance: Capital Programs vs Program Design Studies
| Details | Residential Resilience Financing: Capital Programs | Residential Resilience Financing: Program Design Studies |
| Purpose | Deploys capital to execute and scale local residential resilience financing programs | Explores and designs the expansion of municipal financing programs to include climate adaptation |
| Funding type | Loans of up to $10 million plus grants up to a 3:1 loan-to-grant ratio, covering up to 80 percent of eligible costs | Grants of up to $150,000, covering up to 80 percent of eligible costs |
| Key outcomes | Active capital deployment, loan issuance and completed residential resilience retrofits | Robust program design study establishing technical feasibility, financial models and stakeholder buy-in |
| Learn more | Residential Resilience Financing: Capital Programs | Residential Resilience Financing: Program Design Studies |
Eligibility requirements
- Eligible costs
Please see the application guide.
How your application is evaluated
Applications are assessed for completeness and how well they meet GMF’s core evaluation criteria. The evaluation is split into two primary categories: Impact and Implementation.
| Evaluation category | Key focus areas | Goals |
| Impact |
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| Implementation |
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Required documents
To apply for GMF funding, you must submit:
- Completed pre-application form and full application form
- Evidence of having completed detailed program design work, such as a program design study
- Project workbook
- Project team organizational chart and scope of responsibilities and qualifications, such as resumes
- Evidence of municipal support: a resolution from council or a letter of support signed by the mayor on behalf of council, or by the chief administrative officer or city manager, describing the municipality’s commitment to this application
- A letter from each confirmed funding source specifying the amount of cash contributed and/or the value of any staff time or in-kind contributions dedicated to the study or program
- A letter confirming consultation with your provincial or territorial government
- Proof that you have legal authority to pursue a PACE financing program for resilience-focused home upgrades
Readiness check
Question 1
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Question 5
The next step is to download the application guide and confirm your eligibility with a GMF representative.
They will provide next steps and support you in starting your application.
Download the application guide
Contact a GMF representative to schedule an appointment:
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Application process
Below is an overview of the application process to reach a funding decision.
Step 1: Readiness check
Before applying, please answer the questions in the Readiness Check to find out if you are eligible for funding. Please see the Eligibility requirements section for more details.
Step 2: Contact a GMF representative
Contact a GMF representative to discuss your capital program and obtain the necessary pre-application form through FCM’s funding portal.
Step 3: Submit a pre-application
All applicants must complete a pre-application form. GMF staff will review your submission and conduct due diligence at this stage. Prospective projects are reviewed based on how well they align with the offer’s requirements and other criteria GMF considers relevant.
Step 4: Submit a full application
If deemed eligible following the pre-application, you’ll be invited to submit a full application package through FCM’s funding portal. The full application consists of:
- A completed application form
- A completed project workbook (Excel file)
- Other supporting documents required by GMF (see Appendix A: Required supporting documents)
Moving to this stage does not guarantee eligibility, approval, funding or a funding agreement.
Step 5: GMF project officer review
A GMF project officer will review your application for accuracy and completeness. They may work with you to resolve questions, request more information or provide comments, but GMF is not required to do so at any stage.
Step 6: Peer review and internal review
An external peer review panel will evaluate your application. There will also be an internal analysis to provide a funding recommendation to GMF Council and FCM’s Board of Directors.
Step 7: Funding decision
FCM’s Board of Directors oversees funding recommendations made by GMF Council. The estimated time from application submission to a funding decision is four to six months and depends on the promptness and completeness of applicants’ responses to any questions or concerns raised during Steps 5 and 6.
Application outcomes, including a decision not to approve an application, may vary based on factors such as available funding, the amount of funding already received by an applicant, applicant category, alignment with the program’s intent and the use of available funding.
How to apply
- Complete the Readiness Check.
- Download and review the application guide.
- Contact a GMF representative to discuss your project at gmfinfo@fcm.ca or 1-877-417-0550.
- Download and complete the pre-application form through FCM’s funding portal.
- If invited, submit the application form and the other required documentation outlined in the application guide.
Need help to see if this is the right funding for you?
Contact our Outreach team who can answer any questions you have relating to this funding opportunity.
Learn more about the Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation initiative.
Discover the ways GMF is supporting local governments and communities to become more resilient to climate change impacts.
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