Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program (GICB) – Retrofit Grants

With up to $1.5 billion in federal funding over five years, the Green and Inclusive Community Building (GICB) Program is now open for its second scheduled intake. The CICB program supports green and accessible 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 Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program has $1.5 billion in funding allocated towards its five-year rollout. The new intake is currently open until February 28, 2023.

The 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 resilient, and higher performing.

Program Streams and Funding Amount:

The Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program is a five-year program that will support green and accessible retrofits, repairs, and upgrades for public community buildings and the construction of new publicly accessible community buildings that serve high-needs, underserved communities across Canada.

The government grants for nonprofits being offered in this program are split into two different funding streams depending on the type of project your organization has in mind:

1. Small and Medium Retrofits – Budgets ranging from $100,000 to $3M – Applications are accepted until February 28, 2023.
2. Large Retrofits and New Buildings – Budgets ranging from $3M to $25M – Applications are accepted on a competitive intake basis, currently open until February 28, 2023.

Eligible Applicants:

• Municipal, regional, provincial, or territorial governments and local service districts;
• Municipally and provincially owned corporations;
• Federally or provincially incorporated not-for-profit organizations; and
• Indigenous governing bodies, not for profits, and development corporations. $150M of the program has been set aside specifically for these applicants.

For-profit applicants, individuals, and cooperatives are NOT eligible.

Eligible Expenses:

All projects must be non-commercial, community-oriented, and deliver programming and services to underserved and high-needs populations. For example, community, culture, and recreation facilities, mobile community structures, community health and wellness facilities, Indigenous health and social infrastructure facilities, and Indigenous education facilities.

Amount: The funds will be provided as a non-repayable contribution.

• Up to 80% of retrofit costs for projects with budgets of $9,999,999 or less.
• Up to 60% of retrofit costs for projects with budgets of $10,000,000 or more.
• Up to 60% of the first $9,999,999 in costs for a new build.
• Up to 50% of all costs above $10,000,000 in costs for a new build.
• Indigenous and territorial projects can receive up to 100% funding.

Eligible Projects:

All projects must be able to submit structural information, energy profiles, and GHG emissions using the government’s RETScreen software.

1. Retrofits: $860M of the program is available for retrofits, repairs, and upgrades to existing community buildings. Retrofits are changes to an existing building/asset that seek to renovate, upgrade, or repair aspects of the building/asset in a manner that improves environmental outcomes. Retrofits must be to a facility that is accessible to the public and that will provide non-commercial services to the community.

Eligible buildings in this stream include:

• community centres;
• public sports and rec facilities;
• cultural buildings;
• child and youth centres;
• adult learning centres;
• seniors’ activity centres;
• mobile health clinics;
• mobile libraries;
• mobile youth service facilities;
• community health centres;
• addiction and mental health centres;
• rehabilitation centres;
• seniors’ centres; and
• community food hubs/banks and greenhouses.

Indigenous projects may extend beyond these uses.

2. New Construction: $430M is available for new builds, which must be of a building/asset that is open and accessible to the public, will provide non-commercial services to the community, and be Net-Zero-Carbon ready.

Eligible buildings in this stream include:

• community centres;
• public sports and rec facilities;
• cultural buildings;
• child and youth centres;
• adult learning centres;
• seniors’ centres;
• mobile health clinics;
• mobile libraries; and
• mobile youth service facilities.

Indigenous projects may extend beyond these uses.

Apply for the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program (GICB)

This program is currently accepting applicants until February 29, 2023, and you can find out if you’re eligible to apply by speaking with Mentor Works.

Our team works with municipalities and organizations to determine if they are a good fit to apply for grant programs like this. We also help identify other government funding programs that your business may be a good fit to apply for. Contact Mentor Works by calling 1-888-599-3111 or book a meeting with our team.

To learn more about Canadian Government funding, consider attending an upcoming webinar to learn about what programs you should be looking into, have your questions answered, and know when future program intakes are coming up.