Study: Wastewater systems
Improve your local wastewater treatment system. Assess potential solutions with a study grant.
WATER
Funding Snapshot
Grant: Up to 50% of eligible costs to a maximum of $175,000
We fund feasibility studies to develop innovative wastewater treatment initiatives. This funding helps Canadian cities and communities of all sizes protect local bodies of water through improved wastewater treatment.
Your study may compare several options or assess one option’s ability to treat wastewater using an innovative solution or approach.
New or retrofit projects are eligible if they meet provincial regulatory requirements. Your initiative may serve a region, municipality, province or territory.
Your feasibility study should assess the feasibility (e.g., technical, financial) of an initiative as well as its potential environmental, economic and social impacts.
Examples of what you might study:
- Constructing a wastewater treatment facility using a new design approach
- Retrofitting an existing facility to upgrade its treatment processes
- Equipping an existing facility with alternative, innovative systems (e.g., advanced membrane systems, electrochemical systems)
- Nutrient removal and resource recovery
- Removal of endocrine disruptors and other substances of emerging concern (e.g., antibiotics, pharmaceuticals)
Target
Use an innovative wastewater treatment solution that meets regulatory requirements.
What we’re looking to fund
FCM funds studies that demonstrate most of the following characteristics:
- Transformative potential: The study assesses the feasibility of implementing solutions (e.g., knowledge, practices, technologies) that are beyond business-as-usual. The study:
- is likely to result in a pilot or project that demonstrates 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 a high likelihood of being replicated if successful
- Significant impacts: The study assesses solutions that have 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 and resourcing.
How to apply
- Download and review the application guide.
- Review the list of prerequisites and required supporting documents.
- Review eligible and ineligible costs.
- Ensure you have a detailed project budget in place.
- Confirm that you’re securing other funding sources for your project:
- Sample Letter Confirming Consultation with Provincial/Territorial Government (a prerequisite for all applicants, except municipal governments in Quebec).
- Sample Letter from Confirmed Funding Sources (required for each contributing organization, including the lead municipality).
- Visit the FCM funding portal to create your profile and request a PIN to access the system. Already have an FCM funding portal profile? Skip to Step 7.
- Complete the pre-application form available on the platform.
Quebec municipalities
FCM has an agreement with Quebec's ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation (MAMH) 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, 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 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 press “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.
Sign up for alerts whenever a new funding opportunity is added.
Get alerted anytime a new funding opportunity is added to see if you could be eligible for more funding on your projects.
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.
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