Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program

Program Category: Clean Energy, Climate Adaptation, Built Environment, Environment, Community Infrastructure

Program Sub-Category: Energy Efficiency (Housing, Buildings), Economic Development

Export to PDF

Status: Closed

Funder

Infrastructure Canada

Deadline Details

The Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) Program launched its second intake and is accepting applications for both its Scheduled and Continuous intakes until 15:00 ET on February 28th 2023.

Funder Organization Type

Federal Government

The Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program aims to build more community buildings and improve existing ones – in particular in areas with populations experiencing higher needs – while also making the buildings more energy efficient, lower carbon, more climate resilient, and higher performing. This five-year $1.5 billion program will support green and accessibility retrofits, repairs or upgrades of existing public community buildings and the construction of new publicly-accessible community buildings that serve high-needs, underserved communities across Canada.

The GICB program supports the first pillar of the Strengthened Climate Plan by making it easier for Canadians to improve the places in which they live and gather, including by cutting pollution (e.g. reducing GHG emissions, increasing energy efficiency, improving building resiliency to climate effects and encouraging new builds to Net Zero Carbon standards), making these buildings more efficient and affordable to operate and supporting thousands of good jobs.

Infrastructure Canada invites municipal or regional governments, not-for-profit organizations, provincial or territorial governments and Indigenous applicants to apply for funding for eligible projects. Please note that individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible to apply.

Eligible Community

Eligible applicants include:

A municipal or regional government established by or under provincial or territorial statute;
A provincial or territorial government;
A public sector body that is established by or under provincial or territorial statute or by regulation or is wholly-owned by a province, territory, municipal or regional government, including, but not limited to:
- Municipally-owned corporations (e.g. autonomous organizations owned by municipalities, used to produce or deliver local public services outside the local bureaucracy, such as water management, economic development or tourism agencies);
- A provincial or territorial organization that delivers municipal services (e.g. community health services, economic development bodies); and
- Any other form of local governance that exists outside of the municipality description (e.g. local service districts);
Federally or provincially incorporated not-for-profit organizations;
Indigenous recipients:
- Indigenous Governing Body, including the following:
- A band council within the meaning of section 2 of the Indian Act;
- A First Nation, Inuit or Métis government or authority established pursuant to a Self-Government Agreement or a Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement between Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada and an Indigenous people of Canada, that has been approved, given effect and declared valid by federal legislation;
- A First Nation, Inuit or Métis government that are established by or under legislation whether federal or provincial that incorporates a governance structure;
- A federally or provincially incorporated not-for-profit organization whose primary mandate is to serve Indigenous peoples (e.g. Friendship centres, aboriginal women’s associations); and
- Not-for-profit Indigenous development corporations.*

Required Community Contribution

No community contribution required

Funding Stacking Restrictions

Retrofits up to the first $9,999,999 of eligible expenditures:
Up to 80% as the max federal contribution for general program recipients, and up to 100% for Indigenous groups.

Eligible retrofit expenditures of $10,000,000 or more: Up to 60% for general program recipients and up to 100% for Indigenous groups.

New builds up to the first $9,999,999 of eligible expenditures: Up to 60% for general program recipients, and up to 100% for Indigenous groups.

Eligible new build expenditures of $10,000,000 or more: Up to 50% for general program recipients, and up to 100% for Indigenous groups.

Professional input required

Yes

See Applicant Guide for details about expected validations on project designs and costs, depending on project type and size

Specific eligibility requirements

To be considered eligible for funding, applicants must demonstrate that they have the required authority to undertake the project on the building/asset or land.

Type of funding

Grant
Capital

Range of funding available per project

From $100,000 to $1,000,000
Over $1,000,000

Description of funding

Continuous Intake:

Continuous intake stream for small and medium retrofit projects across Canada.

Small retrofit projects are those that range in size from $100,000 to $249,999 in total eligible costs.
Medium retrofit projects are those that range in size from $250,000 to $2,999,999 in total eligible costs.

Scheduled Intake:

Scheduled competitive intake for large retrofits and new buildings across Canada.

Large retrofit projects are those that range in size from $3,000,000 to $25,000,000* in total eligible costs.
New build projects are those that range in size from $3,000,000 to $25,000,000* in total eligible costs.

* Projects in excess of $25,000,000 may be considered on a case-by case basis.

Indigenous Applicants:

A minimum of $150 million will be allocated on a distinctions-basis to Indigenous projects being led by and for Indigenous populations and communities.Indigenous applicants are encouraged to apply through the process described above for projects of all types and sizes and are eligible for up to 100% contribution by Infrastructure Canada.

Percentage of project funded

Retrofits up to the first $9,999,999 of eligible expenditures: Up to 80% as the max federal contribution for general program recipients, and up to 100% for Indigenous groups. Eligible retrofit expenditures of $10,000,000 or more: Up to 60% for general program recipients and up to 100% for Indigenous groups. New builds up to the first $9,999,999 of eligible expenditures: Up to 60% for general program recipients, and up to 100% for Indigenous groups. Eligible new build expenditures of $10,000,000 or more: Up to 50% for general program recipients, and up to 100% for Indigenous groups.

Eligible costs

Engineering, Design, Planning, Capital Costs, Equipment/Material Purchase, Project Management, Staff Costs, Administration Fees

Ineligible costs

Building Purchase Costs, Land Acquisition

Reporting requirements

Progress reports and final reports

Backgrounder: First projects to be funded under the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program