GMF funding FAQs

General 

Is GMF funding stackable with other funding sources?  

Yes, GMF allows funding to be stacked with provincial, territorial and federal funding. Cash contributions from other entities can also help to ensure your project is fully financially committed. 

Note that for feasibility study applications only, GMF grants can’t be stacked with federal funding.  

What are your interest rates for capital project loans? 

GMF offers competitive, low-interest loans in addition to grants. The grant portion helps offset, in part or in full, the interest collected on the loan (up to 15 percent of the loan amount). 

Note that specific interest rates are determined at contract signing and vary from project to project, depending on the credit risk analysis of the lead applicant and project, the amortization period and other factors.

Application

Where can I get more information on how to prepare my application for submission?

The GMF funding opportunities web page provides information on the requirements for each funding offer, access to application guides and templates, and instructions on how to apply through GMF’s funding portal. Before beginning your application submission, you are strongly encouraged to carefully read all sections of the funding description as well as the application guide for more details. 

What does it mean to be a lead applicant?  

A lead applicant is defined as the municipal or non-municipal entity that will enter into a contract with GMF to receive funding. The lead applicant will also incur all costs related to the project and be responsible for different types of reporting to GMF (e.g., project completion report).

Note that only costs that are invoiced in the name of the lead applicant are eligible for reimbursement. 

How can I apply?

Energy, transportation, waste, land use and water 

Please consult the application guide for more details. 

To apply for funding in this category, applicants will need to register an account and log in to GMF’s funding portal system. Complete and submit a pre-application form to determine project eligibility. GMF will contact all applicants and eligible projects will be invited to submit a full application along with all supporting documents. 

Community Efficiency Financing

Please read the CEF application guide for more details.

Sustainable Affordable Housing

Please read the SAH application guide for more details.

Community Buildings Retrofit

Please read the CBR application guide for more details. 

Eligibility

Who can apply for GMF funding?

Energy, transportation, waste, land use and water 

Canadian municipal governments and organizations applying in partnership with a municipal government can apply. Partnership organizations may be private-sector entities; Indigenous communities; municipally owned corporations; a regional, provincial or territorial organization delivering municipal services; non-governmental organizations; not-for-profit organizations; and research institutions.

Community Efficiency Financing

Canadian municipal governments and organizations applying in partnership with a municipal government can apply. Partnership organizations may be private-sector entities; Indigenous communities; municipally owned corporations; a regional, provincial or territorial organization delivering municipal services; non-governmental organizations; not-for-profit organizations; and research institutions.

Homeowners, federal government entities and any organizations established by them, and provincial and territorial government entities and any corporation that they own or control, are not eligible to receive funds directly.

Sustainable Affordable Housing

Canadian municipal governments, municipally owned corporations (e.g., municipal housing service providers) and not-for-profit, mission-driven affordable housing providers (including cooperatives) can apply for funding.

Federal, provincial and for-profit entities are not eligible to receive funding.

Community Buildings Retrofit

All Canadian municipal governments except the Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) namesake municipalities (the cities of Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, and Halifax Regional Municipality) can apply for funding.

Are Indigenous communities eligible to apply? 

Yes, Indigenous communities can apply in any of the following situations:

• they are working on an eligible project in partnership with a municipality 
• a province or territory has passed an act or regulation that affords them the status of municipality 
• the Indigenous community has a shared service agreement with a municipality related to municipal infrastructure, climate change or adaptation

What projects are eligible for GMF funding?

Energy, transportation, waste, land use and water

GMF funds the following types of projects:

• technologies and practices that help improve energy efficiency and produce cleaner, more affordable energy
• investments in greener modes of community transportation and fleet management
• innovative waste-management and solutions to reduce, recover and recycle solid waste
• upgrades to community water systems 
• revitalization of contaminated land back to productive use

For an overview of all eligibility criteria that apply to your project, please see the GMF funding opportunities page to find more information on specific funding offers.

Community Efficiency Financing

CEF funds the following types of financing models: property assessed clean energy (PACE) local improvement charge (LIC), utility on-bill financing or direct lending via financial institutions; or a combination thereof.

Programs with any of the following characteristics are ineligible: 

• programs that do not involve municipal participation and buy-in
• programs that do not have a financing component (e.g., incentive-only programs) 
• programs targeted at financing for non-residential buildings (e.g., small businesses)
• programs that support new residential developments

For more details, please consult the CEF application guide.

Sustainable Affordable Housing

SAH funds projects that generate the following triple-bottom-line benefits:  

• environmental: reduces energy and intensity of greenhouse gas emissions 
• economic: increases energy and housing affordability 
• social: improves building quality and increases comfort, health and quality of life for residents

For more details, please consult the SAH application guide.

Community Buildings Retrofit

CBR funding is available for projects that focus on community buildings that are:

• owned by a municipal government or not-for-profit organization
• primarily used to provide athletic, recreational, cultural and community programs or services to the local community
• widely accessible to everyone, offering services that enhance the health and well-being, skills development and economic development of individuals and communities

Community buildings include: 

• athletic facilities, such as indoor rinks, sports arenas, swimming pools and gyms
• recreational facilities, including recreation centres and clubhouses
• cultural facilities, including performing arts centres, art galleries, auditoriums and libraries
• community buildings, including community centres, seniors centres and clubs, and halls

Projects focused on multi-purpose buildings that house one or more of the above community services alongside other services or administrative functions are eligible for CBR funding. Projects including other standalone municipal buildings (e.g., city hall and administrative buildings, fire halls, emergency medical services facilities and public works buildings) are also eligible for funding if the standalone building is part of a portfolio of buildings that includes community buildings.

For more details, please consult the CBR application guide. 

Is there a minimum level of energy efficiency, renewable energy and/or GHG savings required to be eligible to apply?  

Energy, transportation, waste, land use and water projects funded through this category specify a minimum environmental target to be achieved that varies by project. For an overview of all eligibility criteria that apply to your project, please see the GMF funding opportunities page to find more information on specific funding offers.

Community Efficiency Financing

CEF does not currently prescribe any minimum environmental or energy performance targets for eligible financing programs. However, we encourage programs to target energy efficiency and/or renewable energy measures that will maximize opportunities for both energy savings and greenhouse gas emissions reductions in participating homes. Programs that favour deep retrofits are more likely to score higher during the evaluation process than programs that accommodate “light,” single-measure home upgrades. 

Sustainable Affordable Housing

Retrofit projects funded by SAH must aim to achieve a minimum of 25 percent reduction in building energy consumption from current performance. Further incentives are offered for projects that achieve greater reductions, up to 50 percent, compared to current rates. A maximum of 10 percent of the total energy reduction from a building’s baseline performance can come from on-site renewable energy generation (note: geothermal heating is not considered renewable). 

New build projects funded by SAH must be working towards net-zero energy (NZE) or net-zero energy ready (NZER). An NZER building is a high-performance building with very low energy demand. Buildings in most regions must target a net annual total energy use intensity (TEUI) of less than 80 kWh/m2 at project completion. The positive impact of renewable energy generation may be included in the total energy use calculation.

Northern applicants may target a net annual TEUI of up to 120 kWh/m2. This target can be achieved through a range of building performance standards (e.g., Passive House© or Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building).

Note that SAH-funded projects that meet the required energy criteria (above) are accepted as affordable housing if rents for at least 30 percent of the units are less than 80 percent of the local median market rent. This must be maintained for the duration of the loan repayment period with GMF.

For more details, please consult the SAH application guide.

Community Buildings Retrofit

A CBR-funded feasibility study and greenhouse gas reduction pathway capital project must aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent compared to the current or baseline performance of the building within 10 years and by at least 80 percent (i.e., near net-zero emissions) within 20 years.

A CBR-funded impact retrofit capital project must aim to reduce emissions by at least 30 percent compared to the current or baseline performance of the building.

For more details, please consult the CBR application guide.