Green Municipal Funds (GMF) | Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation

Description

We fund projects that enhance long-term climate resilience in communities in an equitable and inclusive manner. This funding is intended for communities who are already aware of their climate risks and know which projects will help them make the greatest strides in improving their climate resilience. Projects can involve measures such as improving infrastructure to withstand extreme weather, installing new measures to reduce impacts on the community, modifying the landscape to reduce wildfire risks, or bolstering municipal services to better support vulnerable community members. They are intended to be smaller in nature, with maximum eligible expenses of $1 million and, upon completion, must have implemented on-the-ground solutions to respond to climate risk. LLCA funding empowers local governments to implement equity-informed climate adaptation projects, with an emphasis on projects that provide low-carbon and nature-positive community

What we fund

We fund projects that enhance long-term climate resilience in communities in an equitable and inclusive manner. This funding is intended for communities who are already aware of their climate risks and know which projects will help them make the greatest strides in improving their climate resilience. 

Projects can involve measures such as improving infrastructure to withstand extreme weather, installing new measures to reduce impacts on the community, modifying the landscape to reduce wildfire risks, or bolstering municipal services to better support vulnerable community members.  They are intended to be smaller in nature, with maximum eligible expenses of $1 million and, upon completion, must have implemented on-the-ground solutions to respond to climate risk.

LLCA funding empowers local governments to implement equity-informed climate adaptation projects, with an emphasis on projects that provide low-carbon and nature-positive community benefits. 

What your project needs to achieve 

To qualify for funding, proposed activities must support eligible applicants to implement measures that reduce impacts from climate-related events and hazards. They should be:

• A new or subsequent phase of a climate adaptation project (retroactive funding is not available)
• Capable of completion within three years from the date of grant approval
• Eligible for required approvals, authorizations and permits (where applicable)
• Developed and constructed to ensure that hazard sensitivity is not increased, is not transferred to any parties or to the environment (e.g., transfer of flood risk downstream, destruction of habitat, introduction of pollutants to the environment), and is not maladapted (increasing sensitivity to other hazards)
• Aligned with a priority climate hazard identified in your community’s climate risk assessment or aligned with an action item in your community’s climate adaptation plan (a regional risk assessment that includes your community’s climate hazard priority is also acceptable).
• A feasibility study or equivalent assessment (e.g. Indigenous Knowledge/Two-Eyed Seeing approach) that outlines objectives, costs, technical feasibility and expected outcomes
• For projects installing new infrastructure: Able to demonstrate resilience to flooding, particularly if infrastructure is in or near a 100-year floodplain. Designs must include mitigation measures to avoid flood-related damage.

Additional project considerations

Projects that demonstrate greater impact and alignment with LLCA priorities may be eligible for a higher funding share. In particular, projects that:

• Are led by or in partnership with Indigenous Communities. Applicants must provide a formal agreement or resolution confirming Indigenous community leadership or partnership.
• Include a collaboration between municipalities. Applicants must include a letter of support committing an in-kind or financial contribution.
• Directly benefit equity-deserving or marginalized communities. Applicants must clearly identify how these groups will experience distinct or greater benefits than the general public.
• Integrate natural infrastructure (eg. wetlands, shoreline restoration) where feasible. Applicants must have an options analysis in their feasibility study or be able to describe how nature-based solutions have been assessed and incorporated.

 

Maximum Award:

$1,000,000
 

• Grant for 60%* of eligible costs
• Up to a maximum of $1 million

Open To:

The following organizations are eligible for GMF funding. 

• Canadian municipal governments (e.g., towns, cities, regions, districts, and local boards)
• Municipal partners, which include:
  • municipally owned corporations
  • regional, provincial or territorial organizations delivering municipal services
  • non-governmental organizations
  • not-for-profit organizations
  • research institutes (e.g., universities)
  • Indigenous community

For-profit entities are not eligible partners.  

Expected Output:

Climate adaptation implementation projects designed to help communities adjust and respond effectively to the impacts of climate change.

Emergency response and/or disaster recovery projects are ineligible.

 

Application Deadline:

The deadline to submit a full application for this funding is:

Round 1: July 8-September 3, 2025

Round 2: September 4-October 9, 2025

Applicants are encouraged to contact GMF early in the application period to receive their pre-application form, which GMF uses to validate the eligibility of the proposal. Only proposals for which a full application has been submitted will be considered in a funding round. 

Lead municipalities are eligible to receive funding from Adaptation in Action for up to the following number of projects over the lifetime of the initiative, based on their population reported in the most recent census:

Population Size	Total Number of Projects
<50,000	1 Implementation Project 1 Feasibility Study
50,000 – 500,000	2 Implementation Projects 2 Feasibility Studies
>500,000	3 Implementation Projects 3 Feasibility Studies

 

*Each of following applicants and projects receives a stackable incentive that is additional to the grant covering 60% of eligible costs. Projects may qualify for grant funding of up to 100% of eligible project costs if they qualify for all four of the following incentives:

• +10% - for applicants that are Indigenous communities, local governments applying in partnership with an Indigenous community, or for projects that include two or more municipal governments.
• +10% - for applicants that are rural and/or remote communities, and municipalities with populations below 10,000.
• +10% - for projects that meaningfully address anti-racism, equity, and/or Reconciliation.
• +10% - for projects that emphasize nature-positive adaptation.

Eligible projects

Eligible climate adaptation implementation projects could include:  

• Installing, retrofitting or upgrading public cooling/warming infrastructure (including natural infrastructure) to reduce community vulnerability to extreme temperatures (e.g., designated cooling/warming centres, cooling corridors, naturalized areas)
• Incremental costs associated with improving the design of a capital project to incorporate climate-resilient elements
• Enhancing municipal service levels to respond to climate risks
• Installing back-up power on critical infrastructure/facilities
• Relocating municipal infrastructure
• Installing, retrofitting or upgrading public structures or critical infrastructure for municipal service provision to reduce the risks associated with climate hazards
• FireSmart-aligned vegetative management or vegetation-based wildfire risk mitigation activities
• Installing, retrofitting or upgrading structural flood protection or stormwater collection works (e.g., sponge parks, flood conveyance works, pump stations, flood walls, flood boxes, debris catchment structures, jetties, detention ponds)
• Dam, dike or channel decommissioning and floodplain restoration
• Wetland restoration or construction
• Rehabilitating important aquifer recharge areas
• Installing, retrofitting or upgrading green infrastructure (e.g., rain gardens, bioswales, green roofs and/or permeable pavement)
• Shoreline rehabilitation, including restoring natural shoreline protection through natural infrastructure, beach nourishment and/or bank stabilization
• Slope stabilization projects that reduce the risk of debris flow, particularly in fire-impacted areas
• Operational Testing: Incremental operations of existing assets to reduce hazard exposure during severe events (e.g., running heating/cooling centres) over a period of up to 18 months

Required documents

To apply for GMF funding, you must submit:

• a pre-application form
• an application form
• a project workbook
• all required supporting documents specified in the application guide Opens in a new tab., including a community climate hazard risk assessment or climate adaptation plan

A GMF project officer will be your point of contact throughout the process. They will review your file and provide feedback. You may be asked to revisit some steps to help you submit a complete and high-quality application.  

 

At a glance: Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation funding offers 

Details	Climate-Ready Plans and Processes	Feasibility Studies: Adaptation in Action	Implementation Projects: Adaptation in Action
Purpose	Helps communities prepare and plan for climate change.	Assesses the viability of projects to tackle climate risks.	Implements real-world projects that address local climate challenges.
Eligible Projects	Climate risk assessments, climate adaptation plans, and resilience training.	Studies to determine viability and helps prepare for future projects.	Infrastructure improvements and service enhancements that tackle local climate needs and improves community wellbeing.
Funding Type	Grants of up to $140K	Grants of up to $70K	Grants of up to $1M
Who Should Apply?	Communities at the start of their climate journey	Communities looking to assess the viability of their proposed climate adaptation project	Communities ready to execute climate resilience projects
Key Outcomes	Enhance climate adaptation strategies and community engagement	Clear project feasibility and design ready for future action	Direct improvements to community infrastructure that reduce climate risks and enhance community wellbeing
Learn More	Climate-Ready Plans and Processes funding	Feasibility Studies: Adaptation in Action funding	Implementation Projects: Adaptation in Action funding

Coaching to support climate adaptation success 

Access free, tailored support from experts to help your municipality implement effective, equitable and resilient adaptation projects.