Funding Opportunity – Natural Infrastructure Fund (NIF)

July 18, 2022

Maximum Funding Amount: $30,000 to $1 million (for projects up to $3 million)
Statement of Interest (SOI) due:  August 5, 2022

Applications for Infrastructure Canada’s – Natural Infrastructure Fund are now open.

The Natural Infrastructure Fund (NIF) is a direct-delivery program that supports communities to implement a range of diverse natural and hybrid infrastructure projects. The Small Projects Stream responds to known demand at the local level for smaller projects.

All projects are assessed on the basis that they can deliver one or more of the following community services:

• Climate change resilience: Adapting to or transforming to anticipated or experienced climate hazards. (e.g., erosion prevention, flood protection, regulating temperature extremes, and activities reducing costs and damages associated with climate hazards).

• Increased access to nature: Enhancing the quality or quantity of healthy and safe natural systems to connect people to nature. (e.g., increased public greenspace, active transportation, and design elements such as signage).

• Improved environmental quality: Enhancing the efficiency, productivity, and functionality of ecological processes to provide people with healthy environments (e.g., water, air, and soil quality improvements). (e.g., stormwater diversion, infiltration or detention, ground water infiltration and replenishment, prefiltration of water, and wastewater treatment.)

• Enhanced biodiversity and habitat: Reducing fragmentation, loss, or destruction of important habitats or species. (e.g., ecological integrity or connectivity, or reduction of alien invasive species and an increase in native species).

• Climate change mitigation: Increasing the capacity of natural systems and processes to sink and store greenhouse gasses. (e.g., carbon sequestration or broader greenhouse gas reductions through energy efficiency benefits).

Eligible Projects:  

Projects eligible for funding are infrastructure projects that involve the creation, expansion, restoration, improvement, or enhancement of tangible natural or hybrid infrastructure. Projects must be primarily for public use and/or benefit.

Projects must reflect at least one of the following categories:

• Planting and restoring green space;
• Construction or restoration of naturalized water retention or detention systems;
• Naturalized water diversion and infiltration; or
• Natural or hybrid infrastructure that supports biodiversity and connectivity.

E.g., urban forests, street trees, green roofs, parks, community gardens, wetlands, restored flood plans, coastal restoration, naturalized stormwater ponds, living dykes, rain gardens, and bioswales.

Projects may also include design elements that enhance human access to green space or natural water bodies (blue space). These are only eligible design elements if they are connected to the broader project.

E.g., trails, walkways, ramps, signage, lighting, garbage bins, benches, and multifunctional piers.  

You can bundle smaller-dollar value projects that deliver the same community services in a particular geographic area (e.g., community, watershed) or contribute to an overall plan to enhance natural infrastructure (e.g., climate action plan, natural infrastructure plan).

Eligible expenditures for contributions (i.e. those funding requests between $250,000 and $3 million) may include private land acquisition provided that it is directly linked to the development of natural infrastructure and is not the sole project component.

Duration:

Eligible expenditures for both grants and contributions include those with costs incurred between May 1st, 2021, and March 31st, 2024.

Stacking Limits:

The NIF will provide funding up to a maximum of 80%. The remaining 20% can be matched with other grant funds including any Canadian government sources (i.e., federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal) provided it will not exceed 100% of total eligible expenditures.

If you are interested in applying, please contact the Funding and Grants Coordinators: Max Smith (max.smith@trca.ca) or Samuel Hale (samuel.hale@trca.ca) to discuss your project’s eligibility.