Discover our new Community Building Retrofit initiative

From libraries and recreation centres to arenas and swimming pools, community buildings support vibrant, healthy communities and provide residents with access to important social services. The challenge is that these facilities also use a lot of energy and can stress municipal operating budgets. Optimizing the performance of existing community buildings can help your municipality lower energy costs, and improve the delivery of community services, while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

To help you get started with your next community building upgrade project, the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) has launched a new $167 million Community Buildings Retrofit (CBR) initiative. This initiative helps municipal governments and non-profit organizations that own and operate community recreational and cultural facilities to implement retrofits that will save money and reduce GHG emissions over the full lifespan of the buildings.

In this webinar recording, you will:

  • Explore the benefits of retrofitting community buildings, including success stories from municipalities who have completed similar projects.
  • Discover how GMF can support your community building retrofits, from funding for energy monitoring, building commissioning, studies and capital projects to capacity-building activities and resources.
  • Identify next steps to begin work in your community.

Speakers

  • Juliana Fanous, Project Officer, Sector Development, GMF
  • Patrick Kehoe, Advisor, Programs Outreach, GMF
  • Yvonne Ritchie, Project Officer, Capacity Development, GMF (moderator)

Read the transcript

Did you find this page helpful?
Please offer suggestions that will improve the learning center for you:

In this impressive retrofit initiative, we learn how The Atmospheric Fund, in partnership with Toronto Community Housing achieved impressive environmental benefits. The project saw GHG emissions by the equivalent of 963 tons of CO2 and creating over $450,000 in annual utility cost savings. Through the project, however, they realized that they could achieve so much more. Their resident-engagement program uncovered important resident perceptions of the health and comfort conditions in their homes.

By partnering with Building Up, a non-profit organization that trains people facing employment barriers, the project hired 12 community members on a short-term basis and 90% of them have since gone on to apprenticeships or careers in the trades – often with other contractors who worked on the project.

The project’s innovative financing model, a form of non-debt financing, has carved the way for new thinking in project financing.

Speaker

Bryan Purcell, Vice-President of Policy and Programs at The Atmospheric Fund

Read the transcript

Find out more about how you can drive efficiency in your community housing projects!

Check out the complete Case Study for this initiative.

Explore our Sustainable Affordable Housing Funding program. 

This video is extracted from the webinar "How to adapt green municipal projects to stand the test of time" presented on March, 30 , 2021. Watch the full webinar.

Did you find this page helpful?
Please offer suggestions that will improve the learning center for you:

In big cities across Canada, the leaders of the Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) network and its founders are finding new ways to address climate change by breaking down barriers to implement and scale up low carbon solutions, and to support their cities in reaching their climate change targets.

Municipalities are at the leading edge of developing and implementing climate change solutions to reduce greenhouse gases, build resilient communities, improve the quality of life of their citizens, and much more. Each LC3 Centre focuses on addressing the unique needs of their local communities, such as:

  • community grant-making to advance efforts of diverse local leadership;
  • program development to bridge local capacity gaps and catalyze new approaches; and
  • impact investing to mobilize private resources towards low-carbon solutions.

In this article series, we focus on getting to know the leaders of the LC3 network.

Read on to learn how they have supported the vision and inception of the LC3 network, are finding new ways to address climate change in big cities, and get a glimpse of their plans to support Canada as we strive to reach our 2030 and 2050 climate targets.

Eric St-Pierre: Helping lead and expand the climate change conversation
Headshot of Eric St-Pierre. Photo by Alex Tran Photography

Eric St-Pierre has played a key role in helping set up the Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) network.

LC3 – a partnership years in the making between six non-profit organizations and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities– is funded by the Government of Canada. It all began in 2016, when St-Pierre vividly remembers meeting The Atmospheric Fund’s (TAF) CEO Julia Langer at an event in Toronto.

“It was within my first six months at the Trottier Family Foundation,” says St-Pierre, who had joined the Foundation as Executive Director. “I was learning about TAF at an event and kept thinking: ‘What a wonderful model.’ I was really excited to look into Montreal’s atmospheric fund, until I realized there wasn’t one in our city.”

St-Pierre decided to be proactive – he engaged with an energy consulting company and continued to meet with Langer and her team to research ways to create a model similar to TAF’s in the Montreal region.

“At the time, I was just thinking about Montreal and wasn't really thinking about national outreach,” he says. “But Julia, her team and I continued the conversation about doing this across Canada.”

The partnership developed further in 2017 through a national consultation led by TAF and funded by the Clean Economy Fund and the Canadian Urban Sustainability Practitioners, to consider how to strengthen the capacity of Canadian cities to scale-up urban climate solutions. This ultimately led to the creation of what we know as the LC3 network today – a model where each LC3 Centre will receive an endowment enabling it to invest in demonstrating, de-risking and scaling up local solutions to climate change to meet Canada’s 2030 and 2050 carbon reduction targets.

The Trottier Family Foundation was equally instrumental in the creation of Montreal’s newly created LC3 Centre, the Greater Montreal Climate Fund (GMCF), and the Network itself. From grants towards the consultation process, legal and communication expenses, to government relations, in-kind support, and start-up costs for the GMCF, St-Pierre and his team have spent countless hours and grants since 2016 to make this initiative a reality.

From his perspective, he says that working with other LC3 Centres will be highly beneficial to the Foundation and its climate change work in Montreal. “I'm hoping to learn what other Centres are doing, and bring some of our work to the table,” he says. “For example, it would be great to establish a program in Montreal that is focused on building retrofits and energy-efficiency projects, and then share that with other LC3 Centres, so they can implement their own programs in their communities.”

St-Pierre is also looking forward to building on network-wide opportunities and sharing his Foundation’s experience and ideas with LC3. “Montreal has a really rich ecosystem in the finance world and in the environmental community, and we'll be able to draw quite a lot from our experience here,” he says. “I think LC3 is a great project and we're really excited to reflect on our Year One activities with the Network!”

St-Pierre also continues to work with the Network in his capacity as board member of the LC3 Executive Board.

The Trottier Family Foundation is a Montreal-based private Canadian charitable foundation. Founded in 2000, the Foundation’s mission is to support organizations that work towards the advancement of scientific inquiry, the promotion of education, fostering better health, protecting the environment and mitigating climate change.

Photo by Alex Tran Photography.

Julia Langer: Leading the way for urban climate solutions in Toronto
Headshot of Julia Langer. Photo courtesy of WWF Canada and Bill Ivy.

Julia Langer’s passion for the environment spans more than three decades, from the time she wanted to become a marine biologist, to when she was inspired by her parents during the Don River clean ups in Toronto.

Since then, she has held senior leadership positions in the environmental sector, managing campaigns and organizations, defining strategy and policy, and inspiring public and private action to address air pollution and climate change in her community.

Her most recent role is CEO of The Atmospheric Fund (TAF), a position she has held since 2009.

“TAF’s mandate is to advance locally relevant solutions to climate change in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area,” she says. “There's no one way to achieve that objective – you often need a combination tools. So, we are a grant maker, an investor, an advocate, and a convener.”

Langer’s creative thinking and big ambitions on climate change and TAF’s successes, led to the inception of the Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) network, modelled on TAF’s trajectory. “TAF was established by the City of Toronto in 1991 before climate change was headline news,” says Langer. “It was about local action, which is what we need in urban areas across the country. We incubated the idea to co-develop the model and what emerged was a proposal for what would later become the LC3 network.”

Since these initial conversations in 2017, the LC3 network has become a partnership between TAF, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), and five other organizations (including seven cities) in major urban areas across Canada. Each organization, as of January 2021, has received or is in the process of receiving an endowment from the Government of Canada to establish their own, local LC3 Centre. Each Centre will invest in and fund grant programs to address their respective city’s climate change goals and create benefits for members in their communities.

Langer says she is really looking forward to the LC3 idea exchange. “The exciting piece is to be able to share knowledge and make our capacity go further,” she says. “We are looking forward to collaboration opportunities on impact investing and co-granting. One perfect example would be working toward a federal zero emissions vehicle mandate: when you see what that mandate would do in terms of urban carbon emission reduction, it's huge. But it is going to take a fair amount of effort to move that forward and get to implementation. And so, working together might be the best way to move the dial. In fact, I think one of the reasons the LC3 concept will work very well is that all stakeholders have a solid experience of working in networks and in a collaborative environment. There is a commitment to using those skills and that approach to further our work.”

Founded in 1991, The Atmospheric Fund (TAF) is a non-profit agency that finances local initiatives to combat climate change and improve air quality in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, which includes investing in low-carbon solutions and scaling them up for broad implementation. TAF’s mandate and the LC3 mandate are synonymous and form the basis upon which the other LC3 Centres are created.

Photo courtesy of WWF Canada and Bill Ivy. 

Vincent Moreau: Executive Director, Greater Montreal Climate Fund

With over 18 years of experience in climate change, environment and sustainable development, Vincent Moreau is recognised by his peers as a skilled manager, strategic developer and a change catalyzer.

For nearly ten years, Vincent worked within the network of Québec’s Regional Environmental Councils (Conseils régionaux de l’environnement) where he served as Executive Director of the Regional Environmental Councils of Quebec (RNCREQ, Réseau national des Conseils régionaux de l’environnement), while managing the Conseil régional de l’environnement de la Montérégie. Just before joining FCGM’s team, Vincent served for three years as Executive Vice-President at Ecotech Quebec, the province’s cleantech industrial cluster.

In these functions, Vincent Moreau called upon as a strategic advisor to governments, municipalities and institutions for policy development, for action plans and consultations in the fields of climate change, environment and sustainable development. Of note, he co-hosted the provincial consultation tour by Quebec government ministers to develop Québec’s electrification policy framework vis à vis climate change.

He has also served on several ministerial committees and boards of directors. He is currently Vice Chair for the Quebec Fund for Sustainable Development (Fonds d’action québécois en développement durable), a member of the board of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in the Operationalization of Sustainable Development (Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en opérationnalisation du développement durable), and a member of the Joint steering committee of the Circular Economy Consultation Center (Centre d’études et de recherches intersectorielles en économie circulaire CERIEC). In the past Vincent has served on the Quebec’s Environment Minister’s Advisory Committee on Climate Change, the Advisory Committee on the Development of the Sustainable Mobility Policy and the Advisory Committee on the Strategy for the Valorization of Organic Matter.

Finally, he has been involved on the boards of directors of SWITCH (the Alliance for a green economy), the Hydro-Québec Institute in environment, development and society (now called the EDS Institute), the Quebec Center for environmental law (Centre québécois du droit de l’environnement or CQDE) and the group Territoires innovants en économie sociale et solidaire (TIESS).

Learn more about the Greater Montreal Climate Fund.

Melina Scholefield: Executive Director, Metro Vancouver Zero Emissions Innovation Centre

Vancouver has always been at the fore in protecting and preserving the environment. In early 2022, it embarked on a new chapter with the official launch of the Metro Vancouver Zero Emissions Innovation Centre. More commonly known as the ZEIC, seeded by a $21.7 million endowment from the federal government, the Centre is an independent, not-for-profit organization that will accelerate and scale climate action innovation across the Metro Vancouver region.

The Centre’s mission is purpose-built: “to advance policy innovation, facilitate capacity building and collaboration, and catalyse market investments to accelerate zero emissions innovation in collaboration with local governments.”

Leading the ZEIC is Melina Scholefield. No stranger to advancing green initiatives, Melina joined the Centre as its first executive director after working in municipal government with the City of Vancouver for more than a decade. As Manager, Green Infrastructure Implementation, Melina and her team spearheaded an ambitious, cross-departmental green rainwater infrastructure and urban rainwater management initiative known as the Rain City Strategy. She also advanced key City sustainability goals under its bold Greenest City 2020 initiative, including championing urban climate protection, renewable energy, climate change adaptation and green-building programs. Beyond city government, Melina worked in the private sector as a green infrastructure instructor, a green building project consultant and a Built Green-certified residential builder focused on passive house design and construction methods. In 2020, she was named Water Steward of the Year by the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association for her leadership and impact in the Canadian Water industry. In 2021, she received the YWCA Women of Distinction Award in Environmental Sustainability.

As a champion of green initiatives and sustainability, Melina is excited to be leading the ZEIC — an organization she views as vital to Vancouver and the region’s future.

“Going forward, in the years and decades ahead, the ZEIC will play a vital role in shaping how the city and the region mitigate the impact of climate change. This role is clearly set out in the Centre’s vision, ‘of achieving zero emissions by 2050 through mass, transformation innovations in buildings, transportation, energy supply and other GHG-intensive sectors.’”

On a personal note, Melina is thrilled to be working directly with the ZEIC’s founding supporters in British Columbia — the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue and Simon Fraser University (SFU), the City of Vancouver, Metro Vancouver, and the Province of British Columbia. Beyond BC, that support network extends to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and the six existing members of the greater LC3 Network in Calgary, Edmonton, the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, the Halifax Region, the Montreal Metropolitan Community and Ottawa.

“Meaningful change only happens when there is true collaboration,” says Melina. “As we ramp up our activities, we have trusted partners in British Columbia and across the country that will be partners in our journey to create renewable cities in the Metro Vancouver region.

Mike Mellross: Advancing climate action in the Prairies
Headshot of Mike Mellross. Courtesy of Mike Mellross.

As the new Program Director for the Climate Innovation Fund (CIF), Mike Mellross recognizes that Alberta’s Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) Centres will have some interesting challenges to overcome and opportunities to nurture in the near future.

“We are grateful for the hard work of the people in the oil and gas industry who have provided many benefits for Alberta and Canada,” he says. “We know we are builders and have so many capacities for innovation. So, we need to support our economy’s transformation and help achieve the deep emissions targets that will lead us to a low carbon future. Leaders in all sectors are very willing to look at new business models and new energy systems, and work towards carbon neutrality as a goal. It's all about how we get there together!”

Hosted by the Alberta Ecotrust Foundation (AEF), CIF’s endowments from the federal government support two Centres: one in Calgary and one in Edmonton. Though working under one banner, each Centre will focus on the unique challenges and opportunities of their respective city, and will have their own distinct funds, grant program, projects, initiatives, and more. They join the other LC3 Centres in the network, led by five other organizations in cities across the country and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

“CIF is ambitious!” says Mellross. “I think it will be critical to take our lead from the cities themselves. They have developed robust local climate plans with frameworks and pathways for success. The LC3 network is a great platform for sharing best practices and ideas – we are all very supportive [and excited about] doing that.”

Mellross is excited to build on the operational strengths of AEF, and of an already active climate action ecosystem in Alberta. “We must be very catalytic in our actions,” he says about his future plans to foster innovative climate action in both cities. “We need to look for opportunities that are going to leapfrog rather than base our solutions on incremental [progress]. Solutions that are equally beneficial to the environment, the economy, and the people in our communities.”

Over his 30-year career, Mellross has worked for various private enterprises, with a focus on consulting, engineering, and wildlife management.

He has also worked for the City of Edmonton where he initiated the procurement plan to purchase 100% green electricity for all city operations, managed the City’s climate change office, as well as developed the energy transition strategy and renewable energy programs.

Alberta Ecotrust Foundation is guided by a vision of healthy ecosystems for all Albertans. Our mission is to inspire and mobilize those who champion and protect the environment. Through grantmaking, coordinated action and tireless collaboration, Alberta Ecotrust activates our shared sense of responsibility to cultivate a healthier society and natural environment.

Photo courtesy of Alberta Ecotrust Foundation.

New Halifax Climate Investment, Innovation and Impact (HCi3) Fund leader coming soon

Steve Winkelman: Diversity and inclusion should be central to climate change policy
Headshot of Steve Winkelman. Photo credit: Tim Chin

As the new Executive Director of the Ottawa Climate Action Fund (OCAF) – Ottawa’s Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) Centre – Steve Winkelman is looking forward to bridging silos across sectors, agencies and organizations to advance holistic, lasting solutions in the Nation’s capital.

Working to accelerate Ottawa’s transition to an equitable, carbon-neutral future, the Fund is being incubated by the Ottawa Community Foundation, a charitable non-profit organization working to drive positive, systemic, and sustainable change in multiple areas, including housing, education, food security, as well as environmental and other social issues.

“LC3 presents a huge opportunity considering what the Ottawa Community Foundation (OCF) already does in our community,” says Winkelman who has 30 years of experience in supporting senior government officials across the globe on climate change policy, projects and finance, sustainable transportation, urban planning, clean energy, and clean air. “We can complement and leverage each other’s efforts and resources and bring the conversation to other investors and actors. It's a great platform.”

He is also excited about tapping into the LC3 network and the committed climate action leaders across Canada. “I'm hoping that OCAF’s model of partnerships with the philanthropic, private and public sectors can be shared across LC3, including advancing synergies among housing, transport, land use, and environmental policies,” he says.

Winkelman adds that members of the Network have already started sharing best practices. “If we each copy a really successful program from another Centre, we are going to make good progress, and since the whole LC3 program is being supported by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the opportunities for learning and alignment are huge,” he says. “The real challenge and opportunity will be to determine how we scale up the important work of implementing and replicating things at the project level. When do we start to affect markets, institutions and systems? We must pursue our bold long-term vision while generating tangible, short-term benefits.”

Diversity and equity will play an important role in this work. “In the context of working within a community foundation, we have identified the need for improved collaborative capacity among leaders in climate change and leaders in social inclusion,” he explains. “These communities do not necessarily know each other that well. The pandemic has highlighted many fault lines in our society, including racial discrimination, and unequal access to resources and services. The climate emergency requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. That means that everyone is at the table, working together to shape the low-carbon solutions that all community groups will benefit from.”

The Ottawa Climate Action Fund (OCAF) is a program being incubated by the Ottawa Community Foundation (OCF), a philanthropic organization that works with donors and the community at large to bring about positive, systemic, and sustainable change. The Foundation continues to build on its astute financial management, high-quality donor services, strategic grantmaking and innovative partnerships.

Image courtesy of Tim Chin. 

Did you find this page helpful?
Please offer suggestions that will improve the learning center for you:

Funding Snapshot

Maximum Award:

Single building: Grant for a maximum of $65,000 to cover up to 80% of eligible costs.

Portfolio of buildings: Grant for a maximum of $200,000 to cover up to 80% of eligible costs (maximum grant per building cannot exceed $65,000).

 

Open To:

All Canadian municipal governments (with the exception of Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) namesake municipalities; Municipal government project partners.

 

Application Deadline:

Applications are accepted year round, though this offer will close when all funding has been allocated.

 

Eligible Costs:

See the application guide for a list of eligible costs.


NOTE:
If your project involves a building conversion or addition, your project might be considered a new building OR a retrofit and would require further consideration by GMF. Please contact GMF for clarification: gmfinfo@fcm.ca

Apply for funding to make energy efficiency part of the long-term vision for your community’s recreational and cultural spaces.

Plan for near- and long-term capital projects that cut energy use and greenhouse gas emissions—reducing total cost of ownership over the building’s life and freeing up municipal budget room for essential services. Studies will explore practical upgrades that extend asset life, lower operating costs, and help modernize community spaces to be more comfortable, resilient and sustainable for the future.

Eligible projects can focus on a single community building or take a portfolio approach—saving staff time and resources by submitting one funding application for multiple buildings. A portfolio can include: 

  • multiple community buildings within the same municipality  
  • one or more community buildings combined with other municipal buildings in the same municipality  
  • similar types of community buildings across multiple municipalities (subject to GMF review) 

Please note: The guides for applying to this study grant have recently been updated. Ensure you download the latest versions to access the most current information.

Application guideGreen Buildings Pathway guide

What is a Green Buildings Pathway?

A sequence of GHG reduction measures that allow local recreational and cultural facilities to achieve 50% GHG reductions within 10 years and achieve best practice energy targets within 20 years.

This grant enables the identification of measures to be addressed in a Green Buildings Pathway retrofit capital project. Studies will consider the unique objectives and constraints of the building owner (e.g., building condition, capital budgets, equipment renewal cycles, etc.), and provide a detailed exploration of multiple optimization scenarios.

Best practice energy targets

For the retrofit of community buildings, the best practice energy targets are based on the following energy use and fossil-fuel phase-out requirements.

  • For office and office-like buildings (including but not limited to libraries), the Energy Use Intensity (EUI) requirement for building energy consumed per year, per unit floor area, must be met and measured in kWh/m2/y. To determine the EUI requirement, see the Green Buildings Pathway Guidance Document.  
  • Thermal Energy Demand Intensity (TEDI) – calculate and report only. Projects are not required to meet a TEDI target for any building type. However, TEDI must be calculated for all projects by an energy modelling professional.
  • Renewable measures (such as installation of solar panels) are permitted, but the project must meet the EUI targets without factoring in any net energy use reductions from renewable systems. However, GHG reductions from renewable energy installations can be counted toward meeting the 50 percent GHG reduction target over 10 years.
  • For non-office buildings (including but not limited to recreation centres, pools and arenas), the building must achieve 25% energy savings compared to the National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB) 2020 baseline.
  • Other mandatory requirements, as described in the Green Buildings Pathway Guidance Document.
  • For all building types in climate zones 4 and 5, a complete fossil-fuel phase-out is required. Backup fossil-fuel use is not permitted.
  • For all building types in climate zones 6 and above, a complete fossil-fuel phase-out is required when outdoor temperatures are -15 C and above. Backup fossil-fuel space heating is allowed only when outdoor temperatures are below -15 C.

Please read our technical guide before submitting your application.

Eligible buildings

To be eligible for this grant, projects must include at least one community building that is owned by a municipality or not-for-profit organization.

A community building is an enclosed public place or an enclosed workplace that is:

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

Community buildings include:

  • indoor ice rinks, indoor sports arenas, indoor swimming pools
  • community and recreational centres (e.g., community centres, clubhouses, seniors’ centres and clubs, recreation centres, gyms, halls, and curling rinks)
  • arts and culture facilities (cultural facilities, performing arts facilities, art galleries, and auditoriums)
  • libraries
  • multi-purpose buildings, which include one or more of the above community functions as well as other services/administrative functions

For full project scope and eligibility, please read our application guide.

Notes

Only one grant is eligible per municipality, regardless of whether the included building (or buildings) are owned by the municipality or a not-for-profit.   

Funding is subject to availability. We reserve the right to make changes to eligibility criteria and the types of projects funded through this offer.


How to Apply

  1. Review the application guide. Make sure to look at the eligibility criteria and required document sections.
  2. 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 3 
  3. Complete the pre-application form available on the FCM funding portal.
  4. Submit the form to GMF following the instructions in the application guide. Applicants will receive a response within 15 business days of receipt of the initial proposal.
  5. Eligible projects will be invited to submit a full application.

If you are not eligible to apply, sign up for our e-newsletter to stay informed about other funding opportunities.

Are you seeking guidance to you get the most of your CBR initiative?

GMF now offers a new CBR Advisory Service and is intended to help municipalities maximize the potential of their CBR project by matching them to industry leaders who understand best practices in energy retrofits of community buildings and who can help municipalities achieve their energy goals.

Learn more here.

SIGN UP, LEARN MORE, STAY UP TO DATE

Sign up to Connect and stay up to date with GMF news and the latest resources, e-courses and funding opportunities.

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.

Funding Snapshot

Maximum Award:
$10,000,000

Maximum of $10 million per project. Up to 25% as a grant and the remainder as a loan. Combined loan and grant for up to 80% of eligible project costs.

 

Open To:

All Canadian municipal governments (with the exception of Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) namesake municipalities; Municipal government project partners.

 

Application Deadline:

Applications are accepted year round, though this offer will close when all funding has been allocated.

 

Eligible Costs:

See the application guide for a list of eligible costs.


NOTE:
If your project involves a building conversion or addition, your project might be considered a new building OR a retrofit and would require further consideration by GMF. Please contact GMF for clarification: gmfinfo@fcm.ca

Apply for funding to undertake retrofits that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30% compared to baseline levels—modernizing infrastructure, extending building life and cutting long-term operating costs. These savings help free up municipal budgets for essential services and improve overall quality of life.

Eligible projects can focus on a single community building or take a portfolio approach—saving staff time and resources by submitting one funding application for multiple buildings. A portfolio can include:

  • multiple community buildings within the same municipality  
  • one or more community buildings combined with other municipal buildings in the same municipality  
  • similar types of community buildings across multiple municipalities (subject to GMF review) 

Application guide

What is the required GHG impact?

Projects must aim to achieve a minimum 30 percent GHG reduction from current or baseline performance. Eligible projects may be a single building retrofit, or a portfolio of buildings (across a single municipality or group of municipalities). 

Read our application guide for full details.

Eligible buildings

To be eligible for this grant, projects must include at least one community building that is owned by a municipality or not-for-profit organization.

A community building is an enclosed public place or an enclosed workplace that is:

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

Community buildings include:

  • indoor ice rinks, indoor sports arenas, indoor swimming pools
  • community and recreational centres (e.g., community centres, clubhouses, seniors’ centres and clubs, recreation centres, gyms, halls, curling rinks)
  • arts and culture facilities (cultural facilities, performing arts facilities, art galleries, and auditoriums)
  • libraries
  • multi-purpose buildings which include one or more of the above community functions as well as other services/administrative functions

For full project scope and eligibility, please read our application guide.

Notes

CBR only provides funding for one type of capital project per municipality. In addition, only one GHG impact retrofit project is eligible per municipality, regardless of whether the included building (or buildings) are owned by the municipality or a not-for-profit organization.

Funding is subject to availability. We reserve the right to make changes to eligibility criteria and the types of projects funded through this offer.


How to Apply

  1. Review the application guide. Make sure to look at the eligibility criteria and required document sections.
  2. 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 3 
  3. Complete the pre-application form available on the FCM funding portal.
  4. Submit the form to GMF following the instructions in the application guide. Applicants will receive a response within 15 business days of receipt of the initial proposal.
  5. Eligible projects will be invited to submit a full application.

If you are not eligible to apply, sign up for our e-newsletter to stay informed about other funding opportunities.

Are you seeking guidance to you get the most of your CBR initiative?

GMF now offers a new CBR Advisory Service and is intended to help municipalities maximize the potential of their CBR project by matching them to industry leaders who understand best practices in energy retrofits of community buildings and who can help municipalities achieve their energy goals.

Learn more here.

SIGN UP, LEARN MORE, STAY UP TO DATE

Sign up to Connect and stay up to date with GMF news and the latest resources, e-courses and funding opportunities.

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.

Funding Snapshot

Maximum Award:
$10,000,000

Maximum of $10 million per project. Up to 25% as a grant and the remainder as a loan. Combined loan and grant for up to 80% of eligible project costs.

 

Open To:

All Canadian municipal governments (with the exception of Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) namesake municipalities; Municipal government project partners.

 

Application Deadline:

Applications are accepted year round, though this offer will close when all funding has been allocated.

 

Eligible Costs:

See the application guide for a list of eligible costs.


NOTE:
If your project involves a building conversion or addition, your project might be considered a new building OR a retrofit and would require further consideration by GMF. Please contact GMF for clarification: gmfinfo@fcm.ca

Apply for funding for multi-measure, long-term projects that reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions over time—modernizing your community buildings, lowering operating costs and freeing up resources for essential services. These retrofits will contribute to a Green Buildings Pathway while enhancing comfort, resilience and quality of life for your community.

Eligible projects can focus on a single community building or take a portfolio approach—saving staff time and resources by submitting one funding application for multiple buildings. A portfolio can include:

  • multiple community buildings within the same municipality  
  • one or more community buildings combined with other municipal buildings in the same municipality  
  • similar types of community buildings across multiple municipalities (subject to GMF review) 

Please note: The guides for applying to this grant have recently been updated. Ensure you download the latest versions to access the most current information.

Application guideGreen Buildings Pathway guide

What is a Green Buildings Pathway?

A sequence of GHG reduction measures that allow local recreational and cultural facilities to achieve 50% GHG reductions within 10 years and achieve best practice energy targets within 20 years. Green Building Pathway capital projects are conducted in phases towards near-net zero, supported by an ongoing strategy to ensure existing equipment and systems operate optimally. An example of the pathway could include: 

  • Phase 1: Improvements are made to a community building envelope that also address critical building upgrades (e.g., insulation, energy efficient windows, etc.) in year 1
  • Phase 2: Focus on high rate-of-return GHG reduction measures in years 5 – 6, such as the addition of solar PV depending on the province.
  • Phase 3: HVAC system is replaced at end-of-life in year 10

This is just one example of a Green Buildings Pathway. Each pathway will reflect unique objectives, constraints and preferred measures. Funding applications must consist of at least one phase in support of a Green Buildings Pathway. Funding recipients may then re-apply in the future for further Green Buildings Pathway retrofit capital project funding for subsequent phases subject to funding availability. 

Best practice energy targets

For the retrofit of community buildings, the best practice energy targets are based on the following energy use and fossil-fuel phase-out requirements.

  • For office and office-like buildings (including but not limited to libraries), the Energy Use Intensity (EUI) requirement for building energy consumed per year, per unit floor area, must be met and measured in kWh/m2/y. To determine the EUI requirement, see the Green Buildings Pathway Guidance Document.  
  • Thermal Energy Demand Intensity (TEDI) – calculate and report only. Projects are not required to meet a TEDI target for any building type. However, TEDI must be calculated for all projects by an energy modelling professional.
  • Renewable measures (such as installation of solar panels) are permitted, but the project must meet the EUI targets without factoring in any net energy use reductions from renewable systems. However, GHG reductions from renewable energy installations can be counted toward meeting the 50 percent GHG reduction target over 10 years.
  • For non-office buildings (including but not limited to recreation centres, pools and arenas), the building must achieve 25% energy savings compared to the National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB) 2020 baseline.
  • Other mandatory requirements, as described in the Green Buildings Pathway Guidance Document.
  • For all building types in climate zones 4 and 5, a complete fossil-fuel phase-out is required. Backup fossil-fuel use is not permitted.
  • For all building types in climate zones 6 and above, a complete fossil-fuel phase-out is required when outdoor temperatures are -15 C and above. Backup fossil-fuel space heating is allowed only when outdoor temperatures are below -15 C.

Please read our technical guide before submitting your application.

Eligible buildings

To be eligible for this combined loan and grant, projects must include at least one community building that is owned by a municipality or not-for-profit organization.

A community building is an enclosed public place or an enclosed workplace that is:

  • owned by a municipal government or not-for-profit;
  • primarily used for the purposes of providing athletic, recreational, culture and community programs or services to the local community;
  • widely accessible to everyone offering services designed to enhance the health and well-being, skills development, and economic development of individuals and communities.

Community buildings include:

  • indoor ice rinks, indoor sports arenas, indoor swimming pools,
  • community and recreational centres (e.g., community centres, clubhouses, seniors’ centres and clubs, recreation centres, gyms, halls, and curling rinks),
  • arts and culture facilities (cultural facilities, performing arts facilities, art galleries, and auditoriums),
  • libraries, and
  • multi-purpose buildings which include one or more of the above community functions as well as other services/administrative functions.

For full project scope and eligibility, please read our application guide.

Prerequisites

Capital projects must be supported by a Green Buildings Pathway feasibility study or an equivalent feasibility study. Capital projects must consist of GHG and energy reduction measures sequenced in alignment with the Green Buildings Pathway. Read our application guide for full details.

Notes

There is no limit on Green Buildings Pathway capital projects supported per municipality provided they are all part of the same Green Buildings Pathway. Only one type of capital project, Green Buildings Pathway or GHG reduction impact, is eligible per municipality regardless of whether the building or buildings are owned by the municipality or a not-for-profit organization.

Funding is subject to availability. We reserve the right to make changes to eligibility criteria and the types of projects funded through this offer.


How to Apply

  1. Review the application guide. Make sure to look at the eligibility criteria and required document sections.
  2. 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 3 
  3. Complete the pre-application form available on the FCM funding portal.
  4. Submit the form to GMF following the instructions in the application guide. Applicants will receive a response within 15 business days of receipt of the initial proposal.
  5. Eligible projects will be invited to submit a full application.

If you are not eligible to apply, sign up for our e-newsletter to stay informed about other funding opportunities.

Are you seeking guidance to you get the most of your CBR initiative?

GMF now offers a new CBR Advisory Service and is intended to help municipalities maximize the potential of their CBR project by matching them to industry leaders who understand best practices in energy retrofits of community buildings and who can help municipalities achieve their energy goals.

Learn more here.

SIGN UP, LEARN MORE, STAY UP TO DATE

Sign up to Connect and stay up to date with GMF news and the latest resources, e-courses and funding opportunities.

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.

Discover the members of the Peer-to-Peer Network

On July 20, 2022, the CCRI announced the 15 local governments and communities selected to participate in their new Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Network. Located from Squamish, British Columbia, to Haute-Yamaska and Granby, Quebec, members of this Network have direct access to leading experts in the field and connect with local governments and communities across the country, develop their own circular economy roadmaps for their local regions, and much more. Learn more about the participants and the P2P Network today.

Local communities have a unique role to play in accelerating the transition to a circular economy. Cities and regions are leading the way in this transition, acting as hubs for innovation and culture, and engines of economic activity.

The Circular Cities & Regions Initiative (CCRI) aims to advance circular economy knowledge sharing and capacity building in Canadian cities and communities of all sizes. This one-year pilot was created and developed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund (GMF), the National Zero Waste Council, the Recycling Council of Alberta and RECYC-QUÉBEC.

Through direct support, locally focused guidance tailored to their needs, and access to a peer network that encourages and fosters collaboration amongst participants, those taking part in CCRI have the opportunity to:

  • learn how to get started and to embed circular economy approaches in their respective communities;
  • access one-on-one mentoring and workshops offered by circular economy experts in Canada and worldwide, to support and advise on the development of their local circular economy roadmap; 
  • identify benefits to the members of their communities, challenges to overcome and opportunities during this transition;
  • collect lessons learned and best practices to support the future transition of other cities and regions to a circular economy;
  • access monthly peer-to-peer (P2P) workshops that bring together participating communities to exchange ideas with peers across the country, while embarking on their own unique circular economy journey.

Want to learn more about circular economy?

Interested in learning more about how the circular economy can come to life in cities and regions? Review the CCRI webinar recordings featuring speakers from leading organizations and global cities. Webinars are delivered in English with French simultaneous interpretation. Watch the recordings today.

For more information on CCRI, please visit canadiancircularcities.ca

Still have questions?

For more information about CCRI and the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Network, please contact info@canadiancircularcities.ca.

Did you find this page helpful?
Please offer suggestions that will improve the learning center for you:

Funding Snapshot

Maximum Award:
$175,000

Grants of up to $175,000 to cover up to 80% of eligible costs.

Open To:

All Canadian municipal governments; Municipal partners applying in partnership with a municipal government.

The following entities are not eligible to receive funds directly:

Homeowners
Federal government entities and any organizations established by those entities
Provincial and territorial government entities and any corporation that they own or control

Application Deadline:

Applications are accepted year round, though this offer will close when all funding has been allocated.

Eligible Costs:

See the application guide for a list of eligible costs.

Explore and assess options for a financing program for home energy upgrades that can achieve triple-bottom-line benefits within your community.  

Your study should include one or more of the following elements: 

  • A baseline assessment of a community’s housing stock and energy upgrade potential, including:
    • Assessing building types, energy use profiles and opportunities for energy upgrades to support GHG emissions reductions
    • Assessing the potential uptake for energy efficiency and renewable energy in terms of the number of anticipated projects and level of investment required
    • Projecting the local benefits that could be achieved from energy upgrades (e.g., energy cost savings for residents, energy and GHG reductions, water savings, etc.)
  • An analysis of how financing may address:
    • Homeowner barriers to energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades (e.g., high upfront cost, split incentives, information gaps)
    • Homeowner barriers to participation in existing efficiency programs, such as those offered by a utility company or regional efficiency agency
  • An evaluation of available financing models within the context of municipal law, including the feasibility of establishing PACE-enabling legislation, or another innovative financing instrument, in a given province or territory
  • Engagement with key municipal and external stakeholders on shared goals for a local program 

Multiple municipalities and partners are encouraged to collaborate on regional opportunities, where appropriate. 

For full details, please read our application guide.

Prerequisites 

A community energy, sustainability or climate action plan, or similar, that identifies energy efficiency and renewable energy in the residential sector as a priority area for action.
 

Notes

Feasibility studies (or equivalent) are a prerequisite when applying for capital project funding

Funding is subject to availability. We reserve the right to make changes to eligibility criteria and the types of projects funded through this offer. 


How to Apply

  1. Review the application guide. Make sure to look at the eligibility criteria and required document sections.
  2. 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 3. 
  3. Complete the pre-application form available on the FCM funding portal.
  4. Submit the form to GMF following the instructions in the application guide. Applicants will receive a response within 15 business days of receipt of the initial proposal.
  5. Eligible projects will be invited to submit a full application.

If you are not eligible to apply, sign up for our e-newsletter  to stay informed about other funding opportunities.

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.

Funding Snapshot

Maximum Award:
$10,000,000

Two funding options are available:

Capital loan combined with grant
Loan to a maximum of $10 million
Grant of up to a maximum of 50% of the loan amount to support start-up and operating costs
The combined loan and grant can cover up to 80% of total eligible program costs

Credit enhancement:
Credit enhancement of $2 million pledged by GMF to support third-party financing
Applicant must demonstrate a minimum leverage ratio of 5:1 (credit enhancement to third party capital)
Grant of up to $5 million (not to exceed 50% of total eligible costs and not to exceed total start-up and operating costs)

Open To:

All Canadian municipal governments; Municipal partners applying in partnership with a municipal government.

The following entities are not eligible to receive funds directly:

Homeowners
Federal government entities and any organizations established by those entities
Provincial and territorial government entities and any corporation that they own or control

Application Deadline:

Due to strong demand, CEF funding is nearing full commitment and will close to new Capital Program applications on September 1, 2025. If you have any questions about this change, please contact our Outreach team at gmfinfo@fcm.ca.

Eligible Costs:

See the application guide for a list of eligible costs.

About CEF funding 

CEF funding prioritizes projects that maximize community impact and innovation while ensuring balanced access across Canada. Applications for capital project funding are assessed based on the following criteria:

  • Geographic balance: Supporting diverse regions and increasing uptake in provinces and territories where fewer CEF-funded programs currently exist.
  • Innovation in program design: Encouraging the adoption of diverse financing models beyond traditional PACE, such as utility on-bill financing and third-party lender partnerships.
  • Depth of impact: Prioritizing programs that:
    • Target deeper energy retrofits.
    • Achieve higher greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions.
    • Include new capacity-building or stakeholder partnership models.
    • Integrate climate resilience and adaptation measures.

Applications for CEF capital funding are reviewed through a competitive intake process to ensure fair and strategic allocation across all regions and sectors.

  • CEF funding is nearing full commitment, and new Capital Program applications will close on September 1, 2025, or earlier if funding is fully allocated.
  • Funding decisions are based on merit, with priority given to projects that demonstrate innovation, regional balance, and strong potential for community impact.
  • Due to strong demand, full funding amounts may not always be awarded, and some applications may not receive funding.

We encourage applicants to carefully review the intake criteria and consider these factors when deciding whether to proceed with a full application.

Questions?

Contact our Outreach team who can answer any questions regarding the CEF update.
gmfinfo@fcm.ca

 

JUMP TO:

We offer two options to capitalize a local financing program for home-energy upgrades: 

  • Loan combined with grant
  • Credit enhancement combined with grant 

Loan combined with grant 

Access a competitive-rate loan in combination with a grant to implement a local financing program for home-energy upgrades. Funding is intended to support start-up, operating and capital costs over a four-year implementation period. 

  • Loan details: Up to $10 million per local program provided for on-lending within the community for home-energy upgrades on private property and associated costs. Up to 30% of the approved loan amount can be used for approved non-energy improvements (e.g., water conservation, climate adaptation, alternative energy) at the individual participating home
  • Grant: Up to 50% of the GMF loan amount to cover program start-up costs (e.g., legal services, procurement of IT tools, website development) and multi-year operating costs (e.g., staffing, marketing and promotions)

This option also includes a loan loss provision to mitigate the default risk of participating homeowner loans. A dedicated loss reserve is established for each program to cover any individual loan losses that might be realized. Amounts committed to the loss reserve are considered an eligible cost and funded by the grant allocation. 

For full details, please read our application guide
 

Credit enhancement combined with grant 

A credit enhancement option is available to incentivize private investment into local financing programs for home-energy upgrades. This involves a municipality working in partnership with a third-party lender (e.g., financial institution, impact investor, or utility company) who provides or arranges capital to finance home-energy upgrades.  

Applicants partnering with participating lenders can access this funding to offset the lenders’ risk by providing partial coverage for losses that may arise, while also unlocking preferential financing products for homeowners that would otherwise not be made available in the absence of the credit enhancement (e.g., below-market interest rates, extended repayment terms, or expanded underwriting criteria). 

To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate that they have secured capital commitments from lenders to satisfy a minimum 5:1 leverage ratio (i.e., ratio of loan capital to credit enhancement). For example, a $1 million loss reserve pledged by FCM must mobilize at least $5 million in third-party loan capital.

For full details, please read our application guide.

Prerequisites 

  • A community energy, sustainability or climate action plan, or similar, that identifies energy efficiency and renewable energy in the residential sector as a priority area for action
  • Evidence of having completed detailed program design work 
     

Notes

Funding is subject to availability. We reserve the right to make changes to eligibility criteria and the types of projects funded through this offer. 


How to Apply

  1. Review the application guide. Make sure to look at the eligibility criteria and required document sections.
  2. 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 3. 
  3. Complete the pre-application form available on the FCM funding portal.
  4. Submit the form to GMF following the instructions in the application guide. Applicants will receive a response within 15 business days of receipt of the initial proposal.
  5. Eligible projects will be invited to submit a full application.

If you are not eligible to apply, sign up for our e-newsletter  to stay informed about other funding opportunities.

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.

Funding Snapshot

Maximum Award:
$500,000

Grants of up to $500,000 to cover up to 50% of eligible costs.

Municipalities and municipal partners with a population of 20,000 or under may qualify for a grant of up to 80 per cent of eligible project costs under certain conditions. Contact us to find out if your municipality is eligible.

Open To:

All Canadian municipal governments; Municipal partners applying in partnership with a municipal government.

The following entities are not eligible to receive funds directly:

Homeowners
Federal government entities and any organizations established by those entities
Provincial and territorial government entities and any corporation that they own or control

Application Deadline:

Applications are accepted year round, though this offer will close when all funding has been allocated.

Eligible Costs:

See the application guide for a list of eligible costs.

We fund exceptional pilot project proposals that demonstrate clear market transformation potential and are otherwise ineligible for capital funding. This funding supports implementation of a small-scale version of a local financing program for home energy upgrades. 

For full details, please review our application guide

Prerequisites 

  • A community energy, sustainability or climate action plan, or similar, that identifies energy efficiency and renewable energy in the residential sector as a priority area for action
  • Evidence of having completed detailed program design work 

Notes

Funding is subject to availability. We reserve the right to make changes to eligibility criteria and the types of projects funded through this offer.


How to Apply

  1. Review the application guide. Make sure to look at the eligibility criteria and required document sections.
  2. 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 3. 
  3. Complete the pre-application form available on the FCM funding portal.
  4. Submit the form to GMF following the instructions in the application guide. Applicants will receive a response within 15 business days of receipt of the initial proposal.
  5. Eligible projects will be invited to submit a full application.

If you are not eligible to apply, sign up for our e-newsletter  to stay informed about other funding opportunities.

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.

Pagination

Subscribe to