Marine Debris Clean-Up Program
Department - Organization: Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
Description: The program provides funding to help remove debris from Nova Scotia's marine and freshwater shorelines. The program has 3 funding streams.
Shoreline Clean-up – supports clean-up efforts of marine and freshwater coastlines.
Marine Debris and Litter Prevention – supports methods of reducing litter from reaching our water systems.
Marine Debris and Litter Recycling – supports waste diversion solutions that encourage recycling over sending debris to landfills.
Deadline: Shoreline clean up February 1st, 2025. Marine Debris and Litter Prevention & Marine Debris and Litter Recycling closed August 2024.
Contact: MarineCleanUp@novascotia.ca
Website: Marine Debris Clean-Up Program
Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund
Department - Organization: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
Description: Eligible projects include planning or capital projects that would build or upgrade drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, or solid-waste infrastructure to enable more housing.
Two streams, 1) Direct delivery stream 2) Provincial and territorial agreement stream. Eligible applicants can apply to either stream, or both streams, depending on their infrastructure needs. However, applicants cannot receive funding from both streams for the same project. The direct delivery stream is intended for projects with a high level of readiness to be completed by 2031. Applicants seeking support for long-term infrastructure projects that enable housing are encouraged to apply under the provincial and territorial agreement stream.
Deadline: Projects may be pulled for assessment at various times during the intake period, with projects being recommended for approval prior to the intake closing on March 31, 2025, at 15:00, Eastern Time.
Contact: chif-fcil@infc.gc.ca
Website: Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund
Provincial Capital Assistance Program (PCAP)
Department - Organization: Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Description: A fund for municipal projects designed to eliminate serious environmental and health problems. The program supports investment in high-priority municipal infrastructure projects. You need to use the funding for municipally owned infrastructure projects like water supply, sewage disposal, and solid waste management. Projects that reduce or eliminate actual and potential environmental and health problems in the municipality are given priority. Priority is also given to projects that include collaborating with multiple municipalities or have beneficial impacts on larger populations
Example Project: Stormwater management study, landfill decommission project
Deadline: April 28th, 2025
Contact: pcap@novascotia.ca
Green Municipal Fund
Department - Organization: Federation of Canadian Municipalities/ Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
Description: GMF is more than just a funding source—they are a full-service partner in your climate action progress. Grants and loans for all stages. Stackable with other funding sources. Dedicated staff to help you apply. Free resources to help build business cases and improve project outcomes. Grants from $100-500k for up to 50% of eligible costs, combined grant and loan to a maximum of $10M for up to 80% of eligible costs.
- Sustainable Municipal Buildings: Funding for high-efficiency new construction of municipal and community buildings, and retrofits of municipal buildings.
- Organic Waste to Energy: Support for communities with established waste diversion programs to generate renewable energy from organic waste streams or landfill gas.
- Local Net-Zero Transformation: Funding for innovative projects that have significant GHG reduction benefits and are not eligible under other GMF funding offers.
Deadline: Continuous
Website: Green Municipal Fund
Municipal Adoption Fund
Department - Organization: Divert Nova Scotia
Description: Divert NS provides support for municipalities and/or waste management regions that wish to adopt a waste diversion program previously established in Nova Scotia.
Deadline: Continuous intake. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their Regional Coordinator in advance of submitting their application.
Example(s): Curbside collection and recycling of textiles, Green cart collection of pet waste, Curbside collection and recycling of expanded polystyrene, Implementation of a reuse center, Curbside collection and recycling of small scrap metal.
Contact: Regional coordinator
Website: Municipal Adoption Fund
Municipal Efficiency Fund
Department - Organization: Divert Nova Scotia
Description: Divert NS provides support for increasing efficiency in the municipal solid waste-resource management system of Nova Scotia. The fund will support municipalities in researching, developing and implementing efficiency projects.
Deadline: Continuous intake. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their Regional Coordinator in advance of submitting their application.
Contact: Regional coordinator
Example Project: Eligible projects under the program could include: Projects assessing the feasibility of shared services or regional collaboration. Projects that create new processes, systems and services or improve substantially those already in existence. Examples of past research: https://divertns.ca/research-reports
Website: Municipal Efficiency Fund
Mitacs Municipal Support
Department - Organization: Mitacs
Description: They offer funding (non repayable grants) and connect municipalities with post-secondary researchers for innovative projects — from affordable housing, green initiatives, transit, infrastructure, climate change — and more — to tackle your most difficult challenges and create vibrant and healthy communities.
- Non-repayable funding from $6,000 to multi-million.
- A custom-built research and innovation team to roadmap your project.
- Scalable, multidisciplinary projects in all areas.
- Academic/research team to give you the specialized knowledge and skills that you need.
- Works with you to resolve the major challenges that Canadian municipalities face
Deadline: Continuous intake
Contact: Form on the webpage
Website: Mitacs Municipal Support
Currently Closed, Next Intake TBD:
Low Carbon Economy Fund - Low Carbon Economy Challenge
Department - Organization: Environment and Natural Resources Canada
Description: The Low Carbon Economy Challenge is part of the Low Carbon Economy Fund. Projects must result in greenhouse gas emissions reductions in 2030 and must align with Canada’s goals for net-zero emissions by 2050.Projects for municipalities could include waste diversion, biomass retrofits (wastewater). Applicants are able to request between $1 million and $25 million in funding for eligible project expenditures, with cost-sharing of 50% of total project costs for municipalities. Self-Screening Tool for understanding project eligibility and competitiveness. To access the tool, please send an email to lcef-fefec@ec.gc.ca.
Deadline: Closed February 8th, 2024.
Contact: lcef-fefec@ec.gc.ca
If you can't find a grant that suits your municipality's needs, please reach out. Similarly, if your municipality is applying to any of the listed opportunities, I am readily available to provide assistance throughout the application process.
Lucy MacLeod,
Fund Navigator
lmacleod@nsfm.ca
