December 2, 2020 — As of December 1, 2020, the government of British Columbia will be accepting applications for the long-awaited COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream (CVRIS). In August of this year, the federal government announced the new stream of funding under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The CVRIS was created in response to the widespread impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities across the country.
The government of British Columbia is accepting applications through two ministries:
- The Ministry of Municipal Affairs will administer up to $80 million in funding for projects.
- Emergency Management BC (EMBC) will administer up to $56 million in funding for flood mitigation and adaptation projects.
Eligible applicants – municipalities and regional districts, Indigenous organizations and governments, and not-for-profit organizations in BC – can only submit one application. All successful applicants can receive up to 100 percent of eligible project costs; total project costs cannot exceed $10 million.
Eligible projects must clearly demonstrate that they are for public use and benefit. Applicants must seek to achieve one of the following program objectives:
- Retrofits, repairs and upgrades to local government and indigenous buildings, health infrastructure and educational infrastructure;
- COVID-19 resilience infrastructure, including measures to support physical distancing;
- Active transportation infrastructure, including parks, trails, footbridges, bike lanes and multi-use paths; and
- Disaster mitigation and adaptation infrastructure, including natural infrastructure, flood and fire mitigation, tree planting and related infrastructure.
Applications are due at 2 PM PST on Wednesday, January 27, 2021. Once approved, construction projects must begin before September 30, 2021, and must be complete by December 31, 2021 (December 31, 2022, for remote communities).
If you have any questions about the grant program or want support in writing the application, please visit our grant services webpage.
