Green Construction through Wood (GCWood) Program | Phase 2: Full Project Proposal (FPP)

The Green Construction through Wood (GCWood) program encourages the use of innovative wood-based building technologies in construction projects. This program supports Canada’s commitment to reach 2030 and 2050 emissions reduction targets under the Paris Agreement and advance long-term priorities regarding greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction.

GCWood invests in wood construction projects that generate many benefits, including:

• reduced GHG emissions from renewable and sustainable resources that help decarbonize the built environment
• accelerated adoption of innovative building technologies and systems
• updated building codes that allow for taller and larger wood buildings
• affordable housing and community infrastructure

Demonstration projects

Since 2017, the program has successfully funded 16 demonstration projects to de-risk and support the greater adoption and commercialization of wood-based products in the construction of tall and low-rise wood buildings and timber bridges. As of March 2023, the program has funded 4 tall wood building projects, 10 low-rise non-residential building projects, and 2 timber bridge projects.

The program produced the 2021 State of Mass Timber in Canada report and an interactive map to record, review, and analyze the rise of mass timber construction in Canada. Applicants are encouraged to review the report and interactive map to see the progress Canada has made in mass timber production, design and building, and the potential for ongoing leadership in this area.

As part of its renewal, the program has expanded its focus to fund the demonstration of schematic designs, innovative building systems for wood construction, and the use of advanced building bio-products in new and existing buildings that have low GHG emissions, are regionally representative, and are highly replicable. The GCWood program provides non-repayable contributions of up to $1.4 million of a project’s eligible costs.

The program will seek to target innovative building solutions and schematic designs under key areas of interest including, but not limited to, prefabrication including modular buildings, retrofits, and design for disassembly/adaptability.

Eligibility

GCWood funding is open to the following applicants:

1. Legal entities validly incorporated or registered in Canada, including:
   • for-profit and not-for-profit organizations such as companies, industry associations, research associations, and standards associations
   • Indigenous organizations and groups
2. Provincial, territorial, regional, and municipal governments and their departments and agencies, where applicable

Applicants who are selected to move on to Phase 2 will receive a link and an editable form to the FPP. They will be asked to submit additional information and documentation such as business financials and project plans.

Applications will be assessed against the specified Rated Program Criteria that can be found in the GCWood Applicant Guidebook.

Final funding decisions will consider the assessment results and other criteria, such as:

• funding requested per year and GCWood budget availability
• distribution of funding to projects across Canada
• distribution of funding to projects that align with eligible project categories

The assessment criteria will establish a prioritized list of eligible projects. NRCan may provide some or all the funds requested, based on the number of successful projects, the proposal evaluations, and the amount of funding available in a given year.

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