Sustainable Municipal Buildings

We provide funding for high-efficiency new construction of municipal and community buildings, as well as retrofits of municipal buildings. The Sustainable Municipal Buildings offer enables municipalities and their partners to meet best practice targets for energy consumption and heating demand, resulting in buildings that meet national net-zero targets while striving to deliver additional benefits in potable water conservation, sustainable materials management, biodiversity and ecological function.

What we fund

New builds of municipal buildings and community buildings.
Deep-energy retrofits of municipal buildings.
Feasibility studies that plot a pathway to reduce GHG emissions in municipal buildings over time.
New construction studies for highly efficient municipal and community buildings.

Benefits

Reduce heating, cooling and energy costs.
Accelerate energy savings and keep energy dollars in the community.
Increase comfort, health and quality of life for residents.
Lower operating costs which can be utilized for community benefits.
Create local jobs.
Reduce strain on local energy grids and increase resilience to climate events.

What we do not fund

Retrofits of community, recreational or cultural buildings. See Community Buildings Retrofit for funding in this area.
Plans or studies to establish net-zero/zero-carbon targets for municipal building inventories.
Upgrading or renewal of fossil fuel-based heating systems.
New builds or stand-alone retrofits of long-term care homes.
- Retrofits of long-term care homes may be considered as part of a portfolio of eligible municipally-owned buildings.

Available funding

We support projects at various stages of development through grants and loans. Funding amounts are based on total eligible costs. Further details on eligible costs are provided on individual funding pages.

Study: New construction of municipal and community buildings

Outline the design of a proposed new high-efficiency municipal or community building

Study: Retrofit pathway for municipal buildings

Outline the design of a proposed retrofit of an existing municipal building or portfolio of existing municipal buildings

Capital project: Construction of new sustainable municipal and community buildings

Commission and construct a new high-efficiency municipal or community building

Capital project: Retrofit of existing municipal buildings

Retrofit a municipal building or portfolio of municipal buildings for higher energy performance and significant GHG emissions reduction

What is a municipal building?

A municipal building is a workplace that is:

Owned by a municipal government.
Primarily used by administrative or service staff to carry out their duties to the public.
Not necessarily accessible to the public, but may have a public interface.

What is a community building?

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

Primarily used to deliver 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.

Have a project that goes above and beyond?

GMF’s Net-Zero Transformation offer funds the development and demonstration of new solutions to support the municipal transition to net-zero. We provide funding for plans, studies, pilots and capital projects for a wide range of innovative and replicable initiatives that have significant GHG reduction benefits.

Learn more

Featured Resources

Our free learning resources build your knowledge in developing sustainable projects and accelerate your community’s transition to a resilient, net-zero future.