Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program: Up to $36M in Community Grants

The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) is a Canadian government funding program created to support long-term economic growth and shape sustainable, inclusive communities, all while helping to establish a low-carbon economy. There are four streams of funding under ICIP, including: Public Transport, Green Infrastructure, Community, Culture, and Recreation, and Rural and Northern Communities.

This overview dives deeper into the Community, Culture, and Recreation stream, which provides Ontario infrastructure funding for eligible projects throughout the province.

This stream supports infrastructure projects that improve access and quality to cultural, recreational, and communities throughout Ontario. Projects that are community-oriented, open to the public, and non-commercial will take priority. The upcoming deadline for this stream is November 12, 2019 and projects must be completed by March 31, 2027.

About the ICIP Community, Culture, and Recreation Stream

The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program’s Community, Culture, and Recreation stream provides up to $36M in Ontario community grants for projects related to building new or renovating existing facilities that service a public gap in the province of Ontario.

The stream is broken up into two categories:

• Multi-Purpose Category – Applicants may receive up to 73.3% funding for a maximum eligible project budget of $50M.
• Rehabilitation and Renovation Category – Applicants may receive up to 73.3% funding to a maximum eligible project budget of $5M.

* Indigenous communities and organizations may receive up to 93.33% in funding.

All projects should meet the federal objectives of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, along with Ontario provincial objectives which include: promoting good asset management, meeting community and user needs, representing good value for money, and fostering greater accessibility.

Eligible Applicants: Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program

To be eligible for Ontario infrastructure funding via the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program’s Community, Culture, and Recreation stream, applicants must fit into the following criteria:

• Municipalities;
• First Nations;
• Other Indigenous Communities/Organizations;
• Non-Profit Organizations; or
• Broader Public Sector Organizations (i.e., school boards, hospitals, colleges, and universities).

Multi-Purpose Category Projects (Up to $50M)

Eligible projects must address an identified service gap in the region. These consist of:

• New build/construction projects;
• Larger scale renovations; and
• Expansion of existing facilities.

Rehabilitation and Renovation Category Projects (Up to $5M)

Projects under this category are small-scale projects that improve the condition of existing facilities. Eligible projects that may receive Ontario community development grants consist of:

• Renovation and rehabilitations to address functionality and use of existing facilities;
• Small-scale improvements to address accessibility (e.g., hand rails, ramps, accessible doors/parking/elevators, wayfinding and signage etc.); and
• Small new build/construction projects of recreation, cultural, or community centre infrastructure (e.g., playing fields, tennis courts, small community squares).

Eligible Activities

Projects are to improve access to and/or increase quality of cultural, recreational, and/or community infrastructure for Ontarians. Facilities must be publicly accessible. Projects must include a capex component, such as:

• Cultural facilities (e.g., theatres, libraries, museums, cultural centres, civic squares, performing arts centres);
• Recreation Facilities (e.g., hockey arenas, multipurpose recreation centres, playing fields);
• Community centres/hubs (e.g., multi-purpose spaces that bring together a variety of different services, community centres including recreation facilities); and
• Education and health facilities advancing Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action (e.g., funding for new and/or existing Indigenous healing centres, spaces in education facilities for traditional teaching/programming).

Ineligible Activities

Projects ineligible to receive Ontario community grants include:

• Daycare facilities;
• Private sector, for-profit ultimate recipient;
• Religious sites that serve as an assembly for religious purposes; and
• Professional or semi-professional sport facility that is primarily a commercial operation.

Apply: ICIP Community Development Grants

The application deadline for the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program Community, Culture, and Recreation Stream is November 12, 2019.

To learn more about the program and discuss if your upcoming project is positioned to succeed, please contact Mentor Works. We can also help optimize the application and reporting process.