Funding Opportunities

Need Help Financing Your Project? Start Here!

Below we have compiled a list of various programs, rebates, grants, and incentives to help you get started!

Retrofit/Energy Funding Programs for Faith, Spiritual, & Community Buildings

1. Sustainable Capacity Foundation & GSS - Faithfully Green Fund: Loan program to help faith communities fund retrofit projects

2. Infrastructure Canada - Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program

   • Currently CLOSED.

   • Funding for small and large retrofit projects.

   • Eligible for community, culture and recreation facilities and for Indigenous facilities (eg. friendship centres).

3. TheCounties SDG - Regional Incentives Program

   • Currently CLOSED.

   • Funding (up to $50,000 in 50% matching grants) for retrofits, renovations, and property improvements for buildings within the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry United Counties.

4. SaveOnEnergy

   • Retrofit program.

   • Small Business Program for lighting and other eligible energy-efficient equipment upgrades. Contact Doug McBeth, Ottawa representative for lighting, at dmcbeth53@gmail.com or (613) 277-7095.

   • Energy Performance Program Incentives: This Program encourages whole building energy performance improvements through incentives at a four cent per kilowatt-hour ($0.04/kWh) of savings per year for up to 3 years

5. Enbridge - Fixed Incentive Program

   • Space Heating: Air Curtains, Condensing make-up air (MUA) Units & Dock door seals

   • Ventilation: Destratification fans, Heat recovery ventilators (HRV) and energy recovery ventilator (ERV), Demand control kitchen ventilation (DCKV), Demand control ventilation (DCV),

   • Hot Water: Ozone laundry

6. Enbridge - Commercial Custom Retrofit Program

   • Boilers

   • Water Heating Systems

   • Building automation systems

   • Heat recovery

   • Variable frequency drives (VFDs)

7. Enbridge - Smart Thermostat Program: Get a $75 discount when you buy a smart thermostat.

8. IESO - Indigenous Community Energy Plan Program: Energy plan funding for Indigenous communities. Applications are now closed.

Electric Vehicle (EV) ZEVIP Program

1. Government of Canada

   • iZEV Incentive Program: Funding for zero-emission vehicles (ZEV). Funding available until March 31st 2025.

   • iMHZEV Incentive Program: Incentives for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicles (iMHZEV) Program. Effective July 11th, 2022.

   • ZEVIP (EV Charging Stations): provides funding towards the deployment of electric vehicle (EV) chargers and hydrogen refuelling stations across Canada. Applications temporarily closed for delivery organizations and for owners/operators of ZEV infrastructure. Applications open for indigenous organizations (until March 26th 2026)

2. Hydro Ottawa - CLOSED (waitlist available)

3. EPCOR Go Ev Funding - CLOSED

4. Alectra Utilities - CLOSED

5. Essex Powerlines - for Windsor-Essex County

6. Green Economy Canada - CLOSED

Gardening-Related Grants

1. TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Grant (TD-FEF): a national charity that funds environmental projects across Canada with a primary focus on environmental education and green space programs.

   • Winter Submission Deadline: January 15, 2024 (CLOSED)

   • Summer Submission Deadline: July 15, 2024

2. Community Garden Development Fund: Financial support for existing and new gardens in Ottawa

3. Communities in Bloom: Various opportunities yearly.

4. 2 Billion Trees Program Funding: New tree planting. Ongoing call for proposals.

5. Tree Canada - Community Tree Grants: Grant applications will open October 2024.

   • Edible Trees Program: Funding for edible tree planting initiatives

   • Treemendous Communities Program: Funding for a variety of tree planting initiatives

6. The Pollination Project - Daily Grant Program: Microgrants of $1000 all year round.

7. WWF - Go Wild Grants: Funding for students & educators to implement community gardens. Currently CLOSED. Open Fall 2024.

8. Green Communities Canada's Living Cities Fund – Demonstrate Stream: Up to $15,000 for creation of new, nature-based, community-led green infrastructure projects, including depave projects, mini forest projects, rain garden projects, and pollinator gardens and/or pathways. Currently CLOSED. 

9. Schoolyard Tree Planting Grant Program: funding for tree planting projects on school property within the City of Ottawa. Applications must be received by June 1st.

Community-Based Project Funding

1. Community Environmental Projects Grant Program (CEPGP): CEPGP provides funding to non-profit organizations interested in undertaking small-scale, community-based initiatives that support an environmentally sustainable Ottawa. Applications are currently open. Deadline April 5th 2024.

2. Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program: provides funding for projects that protect surface water and groundwater quality. Applications now OPEN.

3. Ottawa Community Foundation - Community Grants Program: One-year grants and multi-year grants available.

   • One-year grant deadlines: February 1 & October 1

   • Multi-year grant deadline: Multi-year stream is currently paused for 2023-2024

4. EcoAction Community Funding Program: Applications due March 22nd, 2024.

5. Ontario Trillium Foundation - Grants: Various grants available to communities, youth, and Indigenous groups. Here are a few relevant options:

   • Community Investment Seed Grant: Funding to support the development of new projects. Deadline-June 26th, 2024

   • Community Investment Grow Grant: Funding to help advance already established projects. Deadline-November 6th 2024.

   • Capital Grant: Funding for capital projects, such as purchasing equipment, building a new space, or completing renovations, retrofits or repairs. Deadline-APPLICATIONS CLOSED.

6. Canada Post - Community Foundation Grants: Applications CLOSED.

7. The McLean Foundation - Grants: Canada wide grants for charitable community projects.

8. Honda Canada Foundation - Grants: Funding for charitable non profits.

9. Environmental Justice and Climate Resilience- EJ4Climate Grant Program: Project funding for underserved and vulnerable communities. Currently CLOSED.

10. Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring Program: Applications for 2023 now closed.

11. IESO Education and Capacity Building Program: Funding to Indigenous communities for education and skills on energy systems. Applications now closed.

12. Ontario Community Environment Fund: directs funds from environmental penalties to important, community-based activities like shoreline cleanups, habitat restoration and tree planting. Applications are OPEN.

Youth Funding

1. Ontario Trillium Foundation - Grants: Various grants available to communities, youth, and Indigenous groups. Here is a youth option:

   • Youth Opportunities Fund: Funding for youth projects with a focus on BIPOC communities.

2. Laidlaw Foundation - Grants & Programs: Multiple grant opportunities for youth action and Indigenous community engagement. Here is a youth option.

   • Indigenous Youth and Community Futures Fund:Currently CLOSED.

3. WWF - Go Wild Grants: Funding for students & educators to implement community gardens.

4. Nature Canada - Young Nature Leaders Grant: A grant program in collaboration with Women for Nature that provides youth under 30 with $1000 to implement an environmental project. Currently CLOSED.

Faith-Based Funders

1. United Church:

   • United Church of Canada (UCC) Foundation

   • Faithful Footprints: Up to $20,000 for energy efficiency retrofits.

   • Eastern Ontario Outaouais Region funding sources (Church Extension Committee, Innovation Grants, Scrivens/Baillie Grants, Vision and Transformation Funding)

2. Anglican Foundation:

3. The Anglican Foundation of Canada: Viriditas—God’s Greening Power: Up to $100,000 in seed funding will be provided for new projects that prioritize climate care or “green shoots ministries” that offer new and innovative approaches to local challenges. Applications now closed.

4. Evangelical Lutheran Foundation of Eastern Canada (ElFEC). Applications now CLOSED.

5. EnviroMuslims: CLOSED - offered grants of up to $1000 to mosques around Canada for sustainability initiatives. Contact GSS or EnviroMuslims@gmail.com for more information or visit the application form here.

6. Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec: offering grants to Baptist Churches in Ontario & Quebec under 4 categories; planting, revitalization, ministry, and internship. Grant Application Deadlines; Spring: April 15, Fall: October 15.

7. Mennonite Church Canada-MC Canada Emissions Reduction Grant: This grant is to fund project in a Mennonite Church that will reduce GHG emissions, or generate renewable energy. Each applicant/congregation may request a grant to cover up to 50% of the cost of a proposed project, to a maximum of $6000. Applications are currently CLOSED, but will reopen in Spring 2024.

Grants for Homes

1. Natural Resources Canada - Canada Greener Homes Grant: Retrofit funding for homeowners. Applications CLOSED.

2. SaveOnEnergy - Energy Affordability Program: Free energy upgrades for income eligible homes

3. Better Homes Ottawa - Loan Program: Loan program for energy efficient retrofits

4. Enbridge - Home Winterproofing Program: Free energy upgrades for homes in need

5. The Residential Protective Plumbing Program (RPPP):provides financial assistance to qualified City of Ottawa property owners for the installation of protective plumbing devices, such as sump pumps and storm and sanitary backwater valves to prevent water and sewage from flooding homes as a result of increased water level (surcharging) in the City’s sewer system.

6. Rain Ready Ottawa- offers free rainwater management home assessments, a self guided e-learning course on how to implement rainwater management practices, and rebates of up to $5000 to implement projects that help manage rainwater for homes in priority stormwater retrofit areas.

Hello Vélo: City of Ottawa Parking Services Program