Funding Opportunity – Two Billion Trees

December 21, 2021

Maximum Request: 50% of eligible costs (planting); $150,000/year for 2 years (capacity-building)

SOI Deadline: January 14

The Two Billion Trees (2BT) program is a cost-sharing funding program supporting new tree planting projects and capacity building activities. Please note that the program will not fund activities that are legally required following commercial activity or as a condition for impact assessment approval.

Tree Planting Projects

Tree planting projects will be supported in three streams, depending on the number of trees to be planted:

(1) Mass Planting Stream

The Mass Planting Stream will support projects that plant a minimum of 500,000 seedlings/trees per year. This stream allows for planting across multiple sites, and can include forest or tree restoration portions of work involving riparian zones, habitat restoration and other ecosystem improvement projects. These plantings cannot be located in urban and suburban areas.

(2) Small-Scale Planting Stream

The Small-Scale Planting Stream will support projects that plant a minimum of 50,000 trees per year. This stream allows for planting across multiple sites, and likewise cannot be located in urban and suburban areas.

(3) Urban/Suburban Stream

The Urban/Suburban Stream will support projects in and around population centres that plant a minimum of 10,000 trees per year. This stream allows for planting across multiple sites.

This stream will support a variety of work, including urban planting, riparian zone work involving tree planting within population centres and greenbelts, planting in parks and conservation areas in and around population centres, and other tree planting projects focused on supporting ecosystem improvements and resident needs.

Funding for each stream will cover 50% of eligible project costs. For eligible costs, please see the attached Tree Planting Applicant Guide.

Capacity Building Projects

This stream will support projects that focus on building and transferring knowledge, expertise and experience related to planting and managing trees and forests.

The focus of activities should primarily relate to:

• capacity building to encourage and facilitate involvement in planning and undertaking tree planting, including knowledge building and transfer, training and outreach;
• capacity building related to management, protection and monitoring of trees and forests, including knowledge building and transfer, training and outreach; and
• planting and management of trees and forests as part of capacity building.

Funding for this stream will be available for up to $150,000 per year for up to two years. No matching funding is required for this stream. For eligible costs, please see the attached Capacity Building Applicant Guide.