Deep Retrofit Accelerator Initiative (DRAI)
Program Category:
Built Environment
Program Sub-Category:
Energy Efficiency (Housing / Buildings)
Status: Open
Funder
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
Deadline Details
The last intake was closed on April 28, 2023. However, Indigenous applicants or applicants who focus on Indigenous communities may submit applications at any time by March 31, 2025 (or until funds are exhausted).
Funder Organization Type
- Federal Government
This initiative provides a non-repayable contribution for projects that:
- identify and/or aggregate deep retrofit projects
- guide individual building owners in the process of developing and implementing specific retrofit projects
- identify available funding and financing for specific deep retrofit projects
- conduct capacity building activities, such as developing or implementing novel, standardized, or replicable approaches to deep retrofits
Eligible Community
- Legal entities validly incorporated or registered in Canada, including for-profit and not-for-profit organizations
- Canadian provincial, territorial, regional and municipal governments and their departments and agencies, including public sector bodies, crown corporations or boards that are established by or under provincial or territorial statute or by regulation or are wholly owned by a province, territory or local or regional government
- Indigenous governing bodies, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations and communities
Required Community Contribution
No community contribution required
Funding Stacking Restrictions
No
Recipients will be required to disclose all anticipated sources (Canadian and non-Canadian) of funding for the project.
Specific Eligibility Requirements
Eligible projects facilitate the accelerated development of deep retrofits for commercial buildings of any size, institutional buildings of any size, and/or mid- or high-rise multi-unit residential buildings, and include each of the following four elements:
- Identifying and/or aggregating deep retrofit projects. This includes activities towards identifying and/or aggregating deep retrofit projects that may span a large number of buildings across a given geographic area or market segment.
- Guiding individual building owners in the process of developing and implementing specific deep retrofit projects.
- Identifying available funding and financing for specific deep retrofit projects. This includes activities towards supporting building owners as they seek public and private sources of funding and financing (including but not limited to banks, utilities, government departments and agencies, crown corporations, retrofit lenders, and other entities).
- Conducting capacity building activities, such as developing or implementing novel, standardized, or replicable approaches to deep retrofits.
Please see the official Application Guide for more detailed eligibility requirements.
Other Eligible Applicants
Indigenous-owned BusinessesBusinesses / For-profit
Indigenous Organizations
Non-governmental Organizations / Not-for-Profits
Type of Funding
- Non-repayable Contribution
Range of Funding Available per Project
- Under $100 000
- From $100 000 to $1 000 000
- Over $1 000 000
Description of Funding
The program’s total available funding is $185.5 million, spread over four fiscal years (2023/24 to 2026/27). Funding may be cancelled or reduced in the event that departmental funding levels are reduced by Parliament.
The program will reserve a portion of this total available funding to support projects that are led by Indigenous Recipients or focus on Indigenous communities. Applications in this particular category will be evaluated against each other. This intake will expire on the earlier of a) depleted funding; or b) March 31, 2025.
Percentage of Project Funded
100%100% of total eligible expenditures for local governments and Indigenous governments or organizations. 75% of total expenditures for for-profit organizations.
Eligible Costs
PlanningOperational and Maintenance Costs
Equipment/Material Purchase
Staff Costs
Administration Fees
Eligible expenditures must be directly related to the implementation of the project
Ineligible Costs
Any costs incurred prior to signing a funding agreementBuilding Purchase Costs
Land Acquisition
Note: capital expenses for retrofits and equipment installed as a part of a building retrofit are ineligible.