2BT Tree planting applicant guide

In 2019, the Government of Canada committed to supporting governments and organizations in planting an additional two billion new trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader approach to nature-based climate solutions, with the goal of achieving significant carbon sequestration, GHG reductions, habitat restoration, biodiversity and increased human well-being and environmental co-benefits. The 2 Billion Trees (2BT) program, a financial assistance program of the Government of Canada, looks to put in place agreements with proponents for new tree planting and capacity building projects.

Like all funding under the 2BT program, no funding will be provided for tree planting and any related activities that are legally required following commercial activity, or as a condition for impact assessment approval.

A successful proposal will result in the Government of Canada entering into a cost-shared agreement with an applicant to support tree planting.

Applicants for all tree planting funding streams should demonstrate proven capacity to:

• manage tree planting projects successfully
• plant the right tree in the right place
• support the 2BT program’s goal of planting diverse tree species
• monitor tree survival and report on project outcomes
• demonstrate compliance with applicable health and safety protocols

The maximum amount payable through the Tree Planting Stream is $65 million per fiscal year, until March 31st, 2031. Please note that submitting a proposal does not guarantee that Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) will enter into a funding agreement with an applicant.

Please note that, under this call for proposals, it is anticipated that proponents of proposals that are accepted and funded may not be allowed to seek eligibility of their project in any existing or future carbon offset credit program.

Tree planting projects supported by the 2BT program fall into three streams:

• Mass Planting Stream
• Small-Scale Planting Stream
• Urban/Suburban Stream - The program is not accepting applications for this funding stream at this time. However, you may be eligible for funding through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) Growing Canada’s Community Canopies (GCCC) initiative. Trees planted through this program will support Canada’s goal of planting two billion trees. To learn more about this new initiative and how to apply, please visit the GCCC website.

2.1 Mass Planting Stream

The Mass Planting Stream represents the bulk of planting under the 2BT program, with projects focused on planting larger volumes of seedlings in predominantly rural and remote locations. Projects submitted under this stream:

• must plant an average of 500,000 seedlings/trees per calendar year (January to December) in each year in which planting occurs
• allow for planting to occur across multiple sites, as long as the average number of trees planted per calendar year, in years which planting occurs, is equal to or greater than 500,000
• can include forest or tree restoration portions of work involving riparian zones, habitat restoration and other ecosystem improvement projects
• cannot be located in urban and suburban areas

When preparing a Mass Planting Stream proposal, please consider the following:

• choice to pursue afforestation, reforestation or both
• choice of seed sources, variety of tree species of trees planted and their ability to survive and grow in the climate that may exist over the next century
• co-benefits resulting from chosen tree planting activities (for example, GHG reductions, habitat restoration, biodiversity, human well-being, etc.) including permanence

2.2 Small-Scale Planting Stream

The 2BT program recognizes that not all types of organizations will be able to meet the planting threshold for the Mass Planting Stream. To enable participation in the program, the Small-Scale Planting Stream will provide a limited funding envelope to support projects planting between 50,000 and 500,000 trees in rural and remote locations. Projects submitted under this stream:

• must plant an average of 50,000 trees per calendar year (January to December) in each year in which planting occurs
• allow for planting to occur across multiple sites, as long as the average number of trees planted per calendar year, in years in which planting occurs, is equal to or greater than 50,000
• can include forest or tree restoration portions of work involving riparian zones, habitat restoration and other ecosystem improvement projects
• cannot be located in urban and suburban areas
• must have clearly defined planting sites

When preparing a Small-Scale planting proposal, please consider the following:

• choice to pursue afforestation, reforestation or both
• choice of seed sources, variety of tree species of trees planted and their ability to survive and grow in the climate that may exist over the next century
• co-benefits resulting from chosen tree planting activities (for example, GHG reductions, habitat restoration, biodiversity, human well-being, etc.) including permanence

2.3 Urban/Suburban Stream

The 2 Billion Trees program is not accepting applications for this funding stream at this time. However, you may be eligible for funding through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) Growing Canada’s Community Canopies (GCCC) initiative. Trees planted through this program will support Canada’s goal of planting two billion trees. To learn more about this new initiative and how to apply, please visit the GCCC website.

2.4 Eligible recipients

Applicants can apply to the ongoing call for proposals process if they have the ability to plant trees as early as April 1, 2024 planting season and are one of:

• a not-for-profit organization registered in Canada, such as a charitable organization, volunteer organization, community, professional, industry or other association, land conservation organization, or non-government organization
• a for-profit organization (legally incorporated or registered in Canada)
• an Indigenous organization^{Footnote 1} (for-profit and not-for-profit) or community. To apply under the Indigenous Funding Stream, please refer to the Indigenous Funding Stream Applicant Guide.
• organizations looking to be project aggregators^{Footnote 2}. Potential aggregators should describe their concept of operations in their project description.

Individual landowners, provincial and territorial governments, federal government departments and Crown Corporations are not eligible under this funding stream of the 2BT program. Provincial and territorial governments should submit their proposals directly to their NRCan 2BT provincial/territorial contact. Individuals can receive funding only if they are participating in a project with an eligible recipient being funded by the 2BT program. The program will not fund projects with individuals directly.

2.5 Eligible activities and costs

Eligible activities consist of activities directly related to tree planting, managing trees and forests, and monitoring the health and growth of planted trees. Eligible activities would not cover any such costs where the planting, management and monitoring is legally required following commercial activity or as a condition for impact assessment approval. As part of eligible tree planting projects, applicants can include capacity building activities to encourage and facilitate involvement in planting and managing trees and forests, and expanding their ability to participate in forestry activities in support of the 2BT program.

Eligible projects should:

• contribute to incremental planting and associated management of trees and forests. Activities must be in addition to that which would occur without the initiative, and not be legally required, such as following commercial activity or as a condition for impact assessment approval
• contribute clear benefits in terms of net carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions in the period up to 2050, and seek to minimize GHG emissions in the early years. Examples of carbon sequestration considerations include:
  • selecting planting sites where no or minimal vegetation removal is required
  • purchasing seedlings from local nurseries and minimizing the distance travelled for planting, monitoring and maintenance, thereby reducing transportation emissions
  • limiting intensive site preparation activities, such as salvage harvesting after an insect infestation, trenching, or vegetation removal, all of which can cause substantial emissions early in the project
  • reducing the use of pesticides/herbicides
  • limiting equipment use
• seek to achieve human well-being and environmental co-benefits
• contribute to planting that is ecologically suitable or otherwise appropriate for its location, given site conditions (this includes not planting on sites that naturally would be non-forest ecosystems, such as natural grasslands or wetlands)
• result in permanent additions to forests, improve existing forests, or allow for permanent protection of forests

Commercial projects or activities that are being conducted as part of an organization’s normal course of business or that could be viewed as business as usual, will not be funded by the 2BT program. To be eligible, the project or activity must be a new and/or additional undertaking by the organization. An additional undertaking may include an expansion to an existing activity/project that is already planned and/or underway.

Eligible expenditures are those directly related to implementing the proposed project. Eligible expenditures for program funding include:

• salaries and benefits, and employee recruitment and training
• management, professional, technical, capacity building and research services
• community and landowner engagement and consultation
• purchase or lease of land for nurseries to grow tree seedlings
• translation, production, printing, publication and distribution, and media services
• contractors, such as for tree planting and silviculture
• materials and supplies, such as seeds and trees for planting
• transportation
• facilities
• machinery and equipment
• travel, including accommodation, and venue expenses
• honoraria and ceremonial costs where Indigenous recipients or Indigenous partners of recipients are involved
• overhead, provided the expenditures are directly related and essential to the conduct of the project, up to 15% of eligible expenditures. Examples of overhead expenditures that may be included would be a percentage of head office operations including rent, utilities, office staff, insurance and the like.

Aggregators would be eligible for funding of 50%, up to a maximum of 100%, to administer activities that are necessary to manage projects with many ultimate funding participants, which could include the selection of participants to which they further distribute funding, development of the terms of their funding agreements with these participants, and monitoring the participants’ compliance with the terms of these funding agreements. No funds from 2BT would be provided to aggregators to take part in tree planting activities or any other activities that relate to the projects they fund.

2.5.1 Guidance on Habitat Restoration

2.6 Stacking

The program allows for additional supports from other federal and provincial programs (stacking) up to 100% of total project costs. We will consider further flexibilities as required, including costs for capacity building activities.

2.7 Cost sharing

Cost-sharing^{Footnote 3} information is required as part of this call for proposals. The maximum NRCan contribution for eligible project costs is 50% of eligible expenditures. For Indigenous-led projects, more information can be found in the Indigenous Funding Stream Applicant Guide.

In addition, the program allows for additional supports from other federal and provincial programs (stacking) up to 100% of total project costs, and we will consider further flexibilities as required, including costs for capacity building activities.

3.1 2BT tree planting projects assessment criteria

All proposals will be screened for eligibility through an initial assessment based on the criteria detailed below. No additions to the submission will be accepted after the close of the call. Items that are vague or unclear could result in reduced scoring (for example, “nearly a decade of experience” could be interpreted as “over 5 years” of experience instead of “9 years”).

When reviewing the proposal, NRCan will seek to gain a better understanding of how your proposal addresses the elements outlined below.

Assessment questions

1. Do the expected project outcomes align with the 2BT program priorities as outlined on the program’s website?

Relevant form sections:

• Project Information

2. Are the project activities achievable within the time frames of the project?
   

   Relevant form sections:

• Project Information
• Planting Sites
• Project Tasks
• Project Budget
• Experience and Readiness

3. Is there a detailed budget for the project?
   

   Relevant form sections:

• Project Budget

4. Do the expected benefits of the proposed project meet the program’s objectives and are the expected benefits realistic?
   

   Relevant form sections:

• Project Information: Project Benefits

5. Does the applicant have the capacity to deliver the project? (for example, financial leveraging, partnerships, resources)
   

   Relevant form sections:

• Project Information
• Project Budget
• Experience and Readiness

6. Does the applicant have tree planting and/or project management experience? Do they have the necessary administrative and oversight controls to administer this project?
   

   Relevant form sections:

• Experience and Readiness

7. Is the applicant able to clearly communicate and demonstrate their ability to monitor the health and survivability of trees in the short, medium, and long term?
   

   Relevant form sections:

• Project Information
• Project Planning

4.1 Sign-in process

When you apply, you must log in with your GCKey or Sign-In Partner. Both of these tools allow the Government to safeguard the information you provide in your account once it is created.

GCKey: This service is provided by the Government of Canada to allow you to securely conduct online business with various governmental programs and services. The GCKey service issues you your GCKey. A GCKey is a unique credential that protects your communications with online Government programs and services.

More information is available here:

1-855-438-1102

TTY 1-855-438-1103

GCKey - FAQ

Sign-In Partner: You can sign in with your online Canadian banking information if you have an existing account with one of our Sign-In Partners. If you are selecting a Sign-In Partner, please continue to use the same one that you originally selected when your email was verified by our system.

For more information about using Sign-In Partners, please visit Cyber Authentication Frequently Asked Questions for Users.

Always use the same login option and credentials to access your application. If you use different credentials, you will be treated as a different user.

4.2 Organization registration

Once you have logged in, you will need to either register your organization as a new organization or join an existing organization. A description of each question asked at registration is included below.

Name: The legal name is the official name of the organization, business or government used at the time of establishment, registration or incorporation. This may be different from the organization’s operating name (for example, Legal Name 123456 Northern Ltd., operating publicly as ABC Moving Services).

Description: Please provide a description of your organization or business, including its mandate and vision as it relates to the 2BT program.

Type: Please select the type of organization you are registering. This information is important for determining whether the applicant is an eligible recipient. Please note that individual landowners, provincial and territorial governments, federal government departments and Crown Corporations are not eligible under this funding stream of the 2BT program. Provincial and territorial governments should submit their proposals directly to their NRCan 2BT provincial/territorial contact.

A drop down of choices:

• Federal government or one of their agencies: Includes government departments or their agencies.
• Provincial government or one of their agencies: Includes government departments or their agencies.
• Territorial government or one of their agencies: Includes government departments or their agencies.
• Municipal or local government or one of their agencies: Includes local forms of government with elected authorities (e.g., mayor and councillors).
• Indigenous government, organization or business: Indigenous nations entities (as self-defined entities representing nation-based collectives—could be linked by cultural or linguistic background, geographical area or historical treaty lines), nation member communities or member organizations on behalf of nation entities, Section 35 rights-bearing Métis entities, national and regional Indigenous organizations, self-governing Indigenous governments, Indigenous-owned or -operated businesses, other Indigenous organizations.
• Conservation authority: Charitable or non-profit river valley or watershed management agencies, created by provincial legislation or regulations, that deliver services and programs to protect and manage impacts on water and other natural resources in partnership with all levels of government, landowners and many other organizations.
• Educational or research institution: Includes organizations such as schools/school boards, universities, community colleges, CEGEPs.
• For-profit: Includes registered businesses such as incorporated companies, partnerships, corporations, or co- operatives.
• Non-profit: Includes registered organizations such as tree planting charities, community associations and organizations, and industry or sector associations.
• Private Donor(s)
• Volunteer(s)
• Other: If you do not fit into any of the above categories.

Type Other: Please provide additional information if you selected ‘other’ as your organization type.

Size: Please indicate the size range within which your organization falls in terms of the number of people employed by your organization. A drop down of choices: 0 to 99, 100 to 499, 500 or more.

For part-time employees, please provide a count based on Full Time Equivalent (FTE) positions. For example, if you have 10 part-time employees who regularly work half of the time that a full-time employee works, the part- time employees would count as 5 full-time employees (10 part-time employees x 0.5 = 5 FTEs). For seasonal employees, please consider the average for the year, using the same method just outlined.

Website: Please provide the URL for your organization’s website if one is available.

Street, City, Province, Postal Code, Country: Please provide the mailing address, for your organization that is applying to the 2BT program.

4.3 How to invite others to join your organization

Find your Unique Organization Code (UOC)

After registering your organization on the 2BT portal, you will receive a confirmation email with a Unique Organization Code. If you cannot find your code, please contact us at 2btrees-2garbres@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

Invite a user to your organization account

Share the UOC with your team and invite them to join your organization on the 2BT portal.

Email template to invite users

Use the following template to share instructions on how to use the UOC to join an organization account:

You are invited to join our organization on the 2 Billion Trees (2BT) portal.

1. Go to: https://2billion-trees-2milliards-arbres.canada.ca/
2. Register or login to the 2 Billion Trees portal by using your GCKey or Sign in Partner account.
3. Register as a new user for the 2BT program and you will receive a confirmation email.
4. After clicking on the confirmation link, you will be redirected to the 2BT portal. Then you will have the option to register a new organization or join an existing organization.
5. Enter the following Unique Organization Code (UOC) to join our organization.

4.4 Preparing your application

When preparing your application, please consider the following:

• You must complete the application sections in order when completing the form online. You will not be able to advance to the next section until you have completed the previous one.
• If you would like to see all questions ahead of time, please download the Working Copy of the Tree Planting Application Form, located on the Support page in the 2BT portal.
• The text boxes on the online application form have character limits. If you are copying and pasting information into your application, please review the input to confirm that all of your text was accepted.
• Changing the language of the online application form will cause a loss of data. Please choose your preferred language before you start filling in the form.
• Please remember to save your work often. The system saves your work at the end of each section when you press “next”. You have two options to return to a partially complete application:
  • The Save for Later button on each page provides a link to navigate back to where you left your application. You will need to login, and then paste the link in your browser to resume your work. This link saves partially completed sections of work.
  • The Most Recent Saved Application link found on your Home Page will take you to the next step of the application which you have not completed. If the previous step was only partially completed and “next” was not pressed, the data in that section will need to be re-entered.
• If you have any questions, please email: 2btrees-2garbres@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to complete all sections of our form as accurately and completely as possible. The main sections of the form are:

• 1.0 Application Type
• 2.0 Applicant Role
• 3.0 Project Information
• 4.0 Planting Sites
• 5.0 Project Tasks
• 6.0 Experience and Readiness
• 7.0 Project Budget
• 8.0 Project Budget Summary
• 9.0 Diversity and Inclusion
• 10.0 Final Review
• 11.0 Certification and Attestation
• 12.0 File Upload
• 13.0 Application Submitted

A description of each section is included below to assist in completing the application form. The numbered segments within each section correspond to the numbering in the application form. It is recommended that you save your work often while preparing your application form for submission to the 2BT program.

1.0 Application type

1.01 What type of funding are you applying for? Select:

• Tree Planting Contribution Agreement

1.02 Reference the Applicant Guide

• I understand that I need to reference the Applicant Guide to ensure that I properly answer all questions to be eligible for funding.

2.0 Applicant role

2.01 What is your role? Choices:

• Primary Contact: Select if you are the person who will be the main contact for your proposal with the 2BT program. Should your proposal be successful, this person will be the main point of contact outlined in the agreement between your organization and NRCan.
• Authorized Signatory: Select if you are the person who has authority to sign binding agreements on behalf of the applicant.
• Both: Select if you are acting as both the Primary Contact and the Authorized Signatory for this proposal.

3.0 Project information

3.01 General Information

1. Proposal Funding Stream: Select the appropriate stream for your project. Choices:
   • Mass Planting: For applicants planting equal to or more than 500,000 trees per year in rural and remote areas across Canada. Note that planting can occur across multiple sites, as long as the average number of trees planted per calendar year, each year in which planting occurs, is equal to or greater than 500,000.
   • Small-Scale Planting: For applicants not able to meet the threshold for the Mass Planting Stream, a limited funding envelope is available for smaller-scale projects. Other than the number of trees planted, the requirements are the same as for the Mass Planting Stream, with an average tree planting threshold of 50,000 trees per calendar year for each year in which planting occurs. Note that planting can occur across multiple sites, as long as the average number of trees planted per calendar year, each year in which planting occurs, is equal to or greater than 50,000.
2. Project Title: Provide a short, clear and concise name describing your proposed project. You can include some details on the nature of your project. For example, “Planting a greenbelt around City ABC.” This project title will be shared publicly.
3. Project Summary: Provide a brief description of your project that will be used by the program to contextualize your project and to quickly understand what you intend to do. For example, “Wetland restoration in southern Ontario” or “Tree planting a burn scar in the B.C. Interior.” This description will be shared publicly if your proposal is successful.
4. Project Start Date: The date the first activity of the proposed project is expected to get under way. This date must be no earlier than April 1, 2024. Please note that your organization can include costs incurred prior to April 1, 2024, as part of your ‘applicant financial contributions’ and/or ‘applicant in-kind contributions’ towards the project. However, the 2BT program will not reimburse costs that are incurred prior to April 1, 2024.

   All reimbursement is contingent on negotiating and signing a Contribution Agreement with NRCan.

5. Project End Date: This is the date when all project activities supported by 2BT program funding are expected to be completed (cannot be later than March 31, 2031). All work directly supported by the 2BT program must be completed by March 31, 2031. However, the program acknowledges that long-term monitoring of planted trees may extend beyond the end of the 2BT program, which is March 31, 2031. Long- term monitoring and maintenance beyond this date are not eligible for reimbursement under the 2BT program, but can be included in the long-term monitoring section.
6. Project Description: Describe the project, and its activities. This section is key for the review panel to understand WHAT your project is doing (e.g., This project will plant # of trees over # hectares in # years. This will be completed by doing X, Y, and Z). Please avoid generality statements (e.g., Tree planting is important to fight climate change) and focus on the specific activities of your project. If your project includes Habitat Restoration, please follow the instructions in the Habitat Restoration section and include details here.
7. Project Objective: Please provide details on WHY this project is important (e.g., The objective of this project is to conserve/ implement/ recover ‘X’ in ‘location’, in order to improve/ increase/ secure ‘Y’). Please highlight why your project fits within the 2BT program.

3.02 Land details

1. Indigenous Lands: Please indicate if your proposed project takes place within or adjacent to Indigenous lands or traditional territory, including lands governed by a modern treaty. Your project may give rise to a duty to consult that must be addressed before proceeding. If your answer to this question is no, but a duty to consult subsequently arises, your project may be delayed, modified or halted until the duty to consult is addressed. For additional information on the duty to consult and Indigenous traditional territories, please go to the following websites:
   
   1. Aboriginal and Treaty Rights Information System (ATRIS): https://sidait-atris.aadnc- aandc.gc.ca/ atris_online/home-accueil.aspx
   2. Consultation and Information Service of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC): https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100014686/1609421785838#sec2
   3. Native Land Digital’s Territory Map: https://native-land.ca/


2. Habitat Restoration: Please indicate if your project will involve activities to restore habitats for species at risk or other species-of-interest and if yes, quantify what percentage of your project is habitat restoration as instructed below. Please note that if your project includes habitat restoration components your proposal will be shared with Environment and Climate Change Canada. General 2BT eligibility criteria will be applied to the evaluation of habitat restoration applications, however in order to be thoughtfully considered, proposals being submitted to the 2BT program that support habitat restoration should attempt to outline the following information in 3.01.f Project Description or as an additional file at the end:

• quantify what percentage of your project is habitat restoration and provide a description of the expected benefits for the target species, including how the area could contribute to an increase in habitat quality, size, and connectivity
• alignment with existing species or land stewardship goals, principles, and/or guidance based on Indigenous Knowledge, best management practices, property/forest management plans, landscape-scale connectivity mapping or restoration prioritization exercises, amongst others
• when applicable, alignment with the activities identified in provincial, territorial or federal planning documents such as conservation plans, recovery strategies, action plans and management plans, conservation agreements such as Section 11 under SARA, and/or related planning processes (e.g., caribou range plans, herd plans, similar approaches to maintaining or achieving recovery and population objectives) where these exist
• it would be expected that applicants applying with habitat restoration proposals adhere to pertinent provincial, territorial and federal policies and regulations as needed
• a description of established or intended collaboration with stakeholders, Indigenous communities, and other organizations to maximize the effectiveness and sustainability of the restoration efforts
• long-term monitoring plan of restoration progress, results, and effectiveness
• consideration for the long-term sustainability and maintenance of the restored habitat

For additional information on habitat restoration, please consider using the following resources:

• Provincial guidance documents on restoration; completed restoration plans specific to the area of interest; and species-specific restoration plans
• Community Forests International’s guidance (developed in collaboration with ECCC)
  • Habitat Restoration Tree Planting: Quick Facts
  • Reforestation Infographic
• Species at Risk Act: Recovery Strategies
• Key Biodiversity Areas Canada
• Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD)
• Habitat Joint Ventures
• Bird Conservation Regions and Strategies
• Pan-Canadian Approach to Transforming Species at Risk Conservation in Canada (for priority places, priority species)
• The Government of Canada Open Government portal
  • 2015 Anthropogenic disturbance footprint within boreal caribou ranges across Canada – as interpreted from 2015 Landsat satellite imagery
  • Critical Habitat for Species at Risk National Dataset – Canada

3. Agricultural Planting: Please indicate if your project will include planting on agricultural lands, where the land will remain as agricultural land following planting. Please note that if your project includes agricultural planting components, your proposal will be shared with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
4. Public Land: Please indicate if your proposed project will involve planting trees on Crown land or public land. If you are planning to plant on Crown land or public land, please be prepared to upload documentation showing that you have met the requirements and have received approval from the relevant federal, provincial/territorial or municipal government(s).
   
   Please note that if your project includes planting on Crown land and or public lands, components of your proposal will be shared with the relevant federal, provincial/territorial or municipal government(s).

5. Afforestation vs Reforestation: Please indicate if your project will include afforestation, reforestation, both or neither (urban/suburban planting only). Afforestation refers to the establishment of forests on lands that were previously non-forested, while reforestation refers to regeneration of forests after recent losses of forest cover, for example, due to wildfires or severe insect infestations.

3.03 Project benefits

1. Benefits to Stakeholders: Describe the benefits to stakeholders, including collaborators, supporters and other volunteers who may be impacted by the project. This should include social, environmental and other benefits that would be realized by stakeholders as a result of project activities. It could include things such as employment opportunities, training and skills development, or increased diversity and inclusion in related forestry activities.
2. Benefits to Canada or Canadians: Describe the benefits to Canadians resulting from your project. This section should include social, environmental and other benefits that would accrue to Canadians broadly as a result of undertaking this project. This could include things like cleaner air and water, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, increased forest cover, etc. Please include the number of jobs that you expect to support as part of this project.
3. Environmental Benefits: Describe the environmental benefits of your project. Please provide details on how your project supports habitat restoration for species-at-risk and other species of interest (if applicable), and how your project contributes to forest resilience to climate change.
4. Greenhouse Gas Considerations: Describe how your proposed project will seek to maximize greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions or carbon sequestration. Some examples of activities that affect GHG benefits include:
   • selecting planting sites where no or minimal vegetation removal is required, thereby avoiding emissions associated with the decay or burning of the removed vegetation (increased benefits)
   • purchasing seedlings from local nurseries, thereby reducing transportation emissions (increased benefits)
   • intensive site preparation activities, such as salvage harvesting after an insect infestation, trenching, or vegetation removal, all of which can cause substantial emissions early in the project (decreased benefits)
5. Estimated Total GHG Reduction by 2050: Please provide the estimated total net reduction of GHGs resulting from your project, in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) by 2050. Note that the GHG effects of tree planting include effects on biomass and soil carbon, and that GHG benefits change each year (there is not a constant benefit each year). Also note that site preparation activities can have a large impact on the total net reductions. A GHG calculator can be downloaded from this section of the online application to assist with this estimate, if required.

3.04 Project planning

1. Climate-Resilient Seed Sourcing: Please indicate if your project will be using seed sources of known provenance. Please describe how your project will incorporate climate change considerations when selecting seed sources/species for your project.
   In general, tree planting supported by 2BT must use native tree species with seeds sourced locally or regionally as trees adapted to local conditions are more likely to survive, grow well, and provide the greatest ecological benefit. Choice of seed sources also needs to consider that trees planted in the next decade must be able to survive and grow in the climate that may exist over the next century. Urban tree planting requires some flexibility where deliberate planning around climate-resilience informs the choice of tree species.
2. Monitoring: Provide details on how the trees will be monitored for health and survival in future years, including after your project with the 2BT program has ended. Please explain the frequency of monitoring, the qualifications of the monitors, any audit protocols you will use (if not a provincial standard, consider attaching it as an additional file). Please save this file with the name “YEAR - CFP - Organization Name - Project Name - Monitoring”, where “Organization Name” represents the lead organization proposing the project and “YEAR” is the year the application was submitted. The completed form can then be uploaded at the end of the online application.
   
3. Long-Term Maintenance: Please explain how your organization or business will ensure long-term maintenance of planted trees, in accordance with the principles of sustainable forest management. Please provide information on your management plan in the case of substantial tree mortality after planting. This can, and should, extend beyond the end date of your project and the end date of the 2BT program (2031). 2BT is not obligated to support applications for future replants of failed sites.
   
4. Long-Term Plan for Trees and Sites: The 2BT program would like to gain a better understanding of the long-term benefits attached to your proposed project. As such, please elaborate on any expected use of the trees being planted, the amount of time that you anticipate the trees remaining undisturbed (outside of natural events such as fire, drought, pest infestations, etc.), and whether or not there are any plans related to the sites that would merit raising with the 2BT program as they relate to the other co-benefits to be achieved under the 2BT program (for example, biodiversity, human well-being, economic opportunities, etc.).
   
5. Current Project Status: List any work that has been completed in preparation for this project (for example, work plan, or business case, available seedlings and identified land, feasibility studies). Work completed prior to April 1, 2024 will not be eligible for reimbursement by the 2BT program. However, it is important to provide details on activities already completed so that the program can assess your readiness to complete the project.

4.0 Planting sites

The program expects you to know sites in advance and how many trees, and which species, you plan to plant. While some project inputs may not be resolved (for example, specific sites may not be confirmed), you must be able to demonstrate in your application that you have a process to secure the appropriate land for planting. For some organizations, planting sites may be known many years in advance, which is also perfectly reasonable from the standpoint of the 2BT program.

Please provide site details for each contiguous planting area. If an exact planting location is not known, please use your best estimate of the region, nearest municipality or community to the site. You should be able to identify the majority of your planting sites by the time the agreement is signed with NRCan.

If you have a large number of sites, you may choose to enter this information using the Planting Sites Upload Template. The Excel sheet is available to download from this section of the online application or from the Support Page. Please save this form with the name “YEAR – CFP - Organization Name - Planting Sites”, where “Organization Name” represents the lead organization proposing the project and “YEAR” represents the year in which you applied (e.g. 202). You will be asked to upload the completed template at the end of the online application.

4.01 Total Number of Sites

From the Excel sheet, enter the total number of sites that will be planted. If this number differs from the total number calculated in the Excel sheet, we will defer to the information in the Excel sheet.

4.02 Total Number of Trees to Be Planted

From the Excel sheet, enter the total number of trees that will be planted. If this number differs from the total number calculated in the Excel sheet, we will defer to the information in the Excel sheet.

4.03 Total Number of Hectares to Be Planted

From the Excel sheet, enter the total number of hectares that will be planted. If this number differs from the total number calculated in the Excel sheet, we will defer to the information in the Excel sheet.

4.04 Name of Planting Site

This could be an internal name or as simple as “Site 1.”

4.05 Province or Territory

A drop-down of choices is provided.

4.06 Location Type

A drop-down list of choices is provided: Urban, Suburban, Rural, Remote, Unknown. Please note that urban and suburban cannot be selected if your project is included in the Mass Planting or Small-Scale Planting stream.

4.07 Latitude

Please provide the latitude in decimal degrees for the location of this site using the approximate centre point of the site. To find the latitude and longitude, use Google Maps to find your site and right click on the centre point. You will then be able to click on the latitude and longitude and copy these into the application form. For sites in Canada, the latitude will be a positive number between 42 and 83 and the longitude should be a negative number between -53 and -141. If you have difficulty with this process, please contact the program for assistance. If the site is not known, please use your best estimate of the latitude of the region within the province/territory.

4.08 Longitude

Please provide the longitude in decimal degrees for the location of this site using the approximate centre point of the site. To find the latitude and longitude, please refer to the instructions provided for question “4.07 – Latitude” above. If the site is not known, please use your best estimate of the longitude of the region within the province/territory.

4.09 Number of Trees to Be Planted

Estimated number of trees to be planted at this site over the course of the year.

4.10 Number of Hectares to Be Planted

Estimated number of hectares to be planted at this site over the course of the year.

4.11 Site Preparation

Describe the site preparation activities that you expect to undertake for the site. You can include a description of the site conditions of this location, including current cover and any soil information.

4.12 Size of Stock to be Planted

A drop-down list of choices is provided: Cutting, Seedling, Potted, Large/Caliper, Urban Mix (this option should not be selected under the Small Scale or Mass Planting stream).

4.13 Species

Describe the tree species planned for planting at this site over the course of the year. Please indicate the percentages of each species type.

4.14 Cost Per Site

Approximate cost to plant at this site. The total cost of all sites should add up (roughly) to your total budget and include all expense categories.

4.15 Anticipated Lifespan of Trees

Please select how long the planted trees are expected to live at this site. A drop down of choices: 0 to 30 years, 31 to 59 years, 60 to 79 years, 80 years or longer, Permanent without legal protection, Permanent with legal protection, Unknown.

4.16 Start Date of Planting

Please enter the day, year and month.

4.17 End Date of Planting

Please enter the day, year and month. This date must be within the same calendar year as the start date. If you are planting at a site for multiple years you will need to create a new entry for each year.

5.0 Project tasks

In the following section, please break down your project activities into high-level tasks that are expected to be completed as part of the project. Please limit the number of tasks to no more than 10.

For each task, please:

• Provide a short description of the task, including any contractors or subcontractors involved. Where there are non arm’s-length arrangements, such as contracting work to a subsidiary or affiliated company, you must declare these arrangements and provide supplementary information to demonstrate that the value is competitive and appropriate for the work being performed. NRCan reserves the right to reject or terminate any future agreement with the 2BT program resulting from this application for failure to fully disclose these arrangements. The description of each task should begin with “Under this Task, the Proponent will:”.
• Describe the overall outputs of your activities and work.
• Identify the risk(s) associated. Where multiple risks exist for a task, number each risk and use the same numbering when describing its impact and mitigation.
• Describe the potential impact of the risk if it occurs.
• Describe your mitigation strategy for: 1) reducing the likelihood of the risk occurring, and 2) minimizing its impact if it occurs.

Do not downplay or minimize risks. The goal is to assess your organization’s ability to identify, plan for and manage risks. Comprehensive descriptions of potential risks demonstrate that you can draw on experience and that the project has been given thorough consideration.

This information will be used to create the Contribution Agreement between you and NRCan if your final proposal is approved.

5.01 Task

Provide a descriptive title for each task. The suggested task breakdown includes:

• Project Planning and Management
• Site Preparations
• Planting Activities
• Monitoring and Maintenance

5.02 Start Date of Task

Provide your best estimate regarding the month/year when you expect to start each task.

5.03 End Date of Task

Provide your best estimate regarding the month/year when you expect to complete each task.

5.04 Description

Provide a short description of the work to be completed, including any collaborators involved. Please use the format as described above (“Under this Task, the Proponent will assess the site for any needed vegetation removal, soil conditions – ABC Inc. will conduct soil sample analysis; use equipment, people, treatments to prepare the site for planting; establish planting grids, tree species placement, work schedules for planting.”).

5.05 Outputs

Provide the overall outputs that you are hoping to achieve through the activities and work. Examples: Site is ready for planting; team understands which trees to plant where; appropriate supervision is in place to oversee planting; subsequent mapping and tracking of tree planting are more efficient.

5.06 Risk

Identify the risk(s) associated with the task. Where multiple risks exist for a task, number the risks and use the same numbering for the impact and mitigation columns pertaining to each risk.

5.07 Impact

Describe the potential outcome of the risk if it were to occur.

5.08 Mitigation

Describe how you will reduce the likelihood of a risk occurring and how you would minimize its impact if it did occur.

6.0 Experience and readiness

In the following section, please describe how your organization’s experience and readiness can lead to the success of your proposed tree planting project/initiative. This includes your internal controls, and your organization’s capacity and experience in managing similar tree planting projects.

6.01 Years of Tree Planting Experience

Provide a round number that describes the number of years of tree planting experience that your organization has at the time of completing the application form. This is not a summary of the experience that each individual in your organization has, but rather must be the number of years that your organization itself has been planting trees. Note that demonstrated experience is part of the assessment criterion.

6.02 Scale of Tree Planting Experience

Provide the number of trees that your organization has successfully planted in the last three (3) years.

6.03 Readiness

Describe your organization’s experience and readiness to successfully implement your proposed tree planting project/initiative. This section should also include your organization’s general ability to manage projects, including project management and delivery experience, teams/contracted resources management, and reporting for activities that are proposed under this project.

6.04 Capacity Increase

Provide a description of how your organization is ready to ramp up to plant more trees including plans and procedures that will help you successfully increase capacity to plant trees, secure land, raise additional funds if you are increasing from your historical tree planting volumes. Include details on securing workers, management and financial staff appropriate for the scale of work proposed. This section should be detailed enough for the 2BT program to be able to assess the likelihood of success for your organization in being able to expand tree planting activities. If you are not increasing your traditional planting capacity, please indicate “status quo”.

6.05 Financial Management and Capacity

Please describe the administrative and oversight controls that your organization has in place to administer this project (for example, a Board of Directors, experienced staff, auditors etc.). Please also explain the financial capacity of your organization to undertake your proposed project. This can include cash flow available to your organization, ability to incur project-related costs in advance of being reimbursed, contingency funding for unforeseen costs, and the capacity to manage projects and their related budgets.

6.06 Inputs Status

Please indicate your organization’s access to seedlings, land and labour. A drop-down list of choices is provided: Yes – all inputs for this item are secured, Mostly – most inputs are secured while several remain to be finalized, Partially Secured – a few inputs are secured while the majority remain to be finalized, No – this input will be secured following tentative approval of the project with NRCan.

1. Have Seedlings been legally secured?
2. Has Land been legally secured?
3. Has Labour been legally secured?

7.0 Project budget

The project budget should include all costs directly related to the proposed project.

Eligible expenditures are those necessary to support the purpose of the funding and must be directly related to the implementation and conduct of a project. Eligible expenditures must fall into the categories provided below:

• salaries and benefits, and employee recruitment and training
• management, professional, technical, capacity building and research services
• community and landowner engagement and consultation
• translation, production, printing, publication and distribution, and media services
• contractors, such as for tree planting and silviculture
• materials and supplies, such as seeds and trees for planting
• transportation
• facilities
• machinery and equipment
• purchase or lease of land for nurseries to grow tree seedlings
• travel, including accommodations, and venue expenses
• honoraria and ceremonial costs where Indigenous recipients or Indigenous partners of recipients are involved
• overhead, provided the expenditures are directly related and essential to the conduct of the project, up to 15% of eligible expenditures

Please break out your NRCan funding request by the eligible expenditure categories. If an expenditure is not listed, it may not be eligible. Please check with the program.

Please include the amounts per eligible expenditure for each year that you are applying for funding. Costs entered must be directly related to the implementation and conduct of your project under the 2BT program.

The project budget will be assessed for its reasonableness in comparison to similar projects. Should the project be approved for funding, all project costs must be incurred within the time frame specified in the agreement.

Please use the Project Budget Upload Template for this section of the online application form. This Excel sheet is available to download from this section of the online application or from the Support Page. Please save the template with the name “YEAR - CFP - Organization Name - Project Budget”, where “Organization Name” represents the lead organization proposing the project and “YEAR” is the year in which you are applying (e.g. 2024). You will be asked to upload the completed budget template at the end of the online application.

The project budget information will be directly inserted into the Contribution Agreement if your final proposal is approved.

The Project Budget Upload Template has four sections:

• Section 1. Instructions: contains instructions and a project budget summary. This section shows you the values to enter into the online application form.
• Section 2. NRCan Request: asks about the funding you are seeking from NRCan.
• Section 3. Collaborators: asks you to list the organization(s) you are collaborating with and provide some information about them.
• Section 4. Contributions: asks for each collaborating organization’s cash and in-kind contributions to the project, as well as the cash and in-kind contributions from your organization.

Section 3 of the Excel template asks for the following information about each collaborator:

Collaborator Type: Is the collaborating organization a partner, supporter or both? A drop down of choices:

• Partner: A partner refers to collaborators providing financial support towards your project.
• Supporter: A supporter refers to collaborators providing in-kind support (but not direct financial support) towards your project.
• Partner and supporter: This refers to collaborators providing both financial and in-kind support towards your projects.

Legal Name of the Collaborator: Refers to the legal name of the organization, business or government at the time when it was established, registered or incorporated. If your organization is expecting to collaborate with individuals, whether as partners (individuals providing financial support) or as supporters (individuals volunteering their time or expertise), please aggregate all contributions from individuals. For example, if your organization has received (or will receive) financial donations from individuals, you would enter their contribution details under the pre-existing row for “Private Donor(s)”. Similarly, if your organization is working with multiple volunteers to support the work for the project, you would enter their contribution details under the pre-existing row for “Volunteer(s)”. If you expect to have a collaborator but that collaborator is currently unknown, please enter their contribution details under the pre-existing row for “Unknown Funder”.

For Government funding, please indicate the specific program name.

Organization Type:

• Federal Government or one of their agencies: Includes other government departments or their agencies.
• Provincial Government or one of their agencies: Includes other government departments or their agencies.
• Territorial Government or one of their agencies: Includes other government departments or their agencies.
• Municipal or Local Government or one of their agencies: Includes local forms of government with elected authorities (for example, mayor and councillors).
• Indigenous Government, Organization or Business: Indigenous nations entities (as self-defined entities representing nation-based collectives—could be linked by cultural or linguistic background, geographical area or historical treaty lines), nation member communities or member organizations on behalf of nation entities, Section 35 rights-bearing Métis entities, national and regional Indigenous organizations, self-governing Indigenous governments, Indigenous-owned or -operated businesses, other Indigenous organizations.
• Conservation Authority: Charitable or non-profit river valley or watershed management agencies, created by provincial legislation or regulations, that deliver services and programs to protect and manage impacts on water and other natural resources, in partnership with all levels of government, landowners and many other organizations.
• Educational or Research Institution: Includes organizations such as schools/school boards, universities, community colleges, CEGEPs.
• For-Profit: Includes businesses such as incorporated companies, corporations or co- operatives.
• Non-Profit: Includes organizations such as tree planting charities, community associations and organizations, and industry or sector associations.
• Private Donor(s): Individuals who donate funds to support your project should be aggregated under one entry in the table.
• Volunteer(s): Individuals providing in-kind support for your project should be aggregated under one entry in the table.
• Other: If you do not fit into any of the above categories.
• Unknown: If you do not know the organization type of the collaborator.

Length of Collaboration: Refers to the length of time that the applicant has been collaborating with said company delivering other projects. If you do not know the length of collaboration (for example, if the collaborator is an unknown funder) please enter ‘0’.

Collaborator Role: Describe the role of each collaborator in delivering your project.

Commitment Confirmed: A drop-down list of choices is provided: Unconfirmed, Conditional, Confirmed. Selecting ‘Confirmed’ should indicate that there is a letter of support or other documentation that can be provided to demonstrate the commitment. This documentation can be uploaded at the end of the online application. Please select’Conditional’ if the support is contingent on other factors, including any time constraints that may apply.

You will need to explain these factors in your response to Plans to Secure Commitment.

Plans to Secure Commitment: This question is only required if the commitment is not yet confirmed. For arrangements that have not been secured, please indicate the current status and plans to secure arrangements. For arrangements that are conditional, please describe what the commitment is dependent on. Please provide succinct details on the status of your relationship, with sufficient information for the program to understand the relationship between the collaborator and the applicant.

After you have completed the Project Budget Upload Template, you will be asked to enter the following, which can be found in Section 1 of the Excel template:

7.01 Amount Sought from NRCan as Reimbursement

Indicate how much funding you are seeking from NRCan for this project. If this number differs from the total calculated in the Excel sheet, we will defer to the information in the Excel sheet.

For eligible projects, priority may be given to applicants providing a higher leveraging ratio (for example, where applicants are seeking a lower contribution from NRCan towards total project costs).

NRCan support is limited to 50% support for most applicants. For Indigenous-led projects, more information can be found in the Indigenous Funding Stream Applicant Guide.

7.02 Applicant Cash Contributions

This represents the dollar value cash contribution made by your organization towards this project. If this number differs from the total number calculated in the Excel sheet, we will defer to the information in the Excel sheet.

7.03 Applicant In-Kind Contributions

This represents the total value of in-kind contribution made by your organization towards this project. If this number differs from the total number calculated in the Excel sheet, we will defer to the information in the Excel sheet.

In-kind contributions that you will be providing to the project (non-monetary contribution of goods, services, equipment or time) will only be considered if you can demonstrate a cost to your organization that relates directly to the proposed project. For example, salaried employees could be considered as in-kind costs, where you can demonstrate, through time sheets, that they are dedicated to project activities. In-kind support is any type of assistance reported by its fair market value. Please note that in-kind support is limited to 25% of the total project costs.

7.04 Total Number of Collaborators

This represents the total number of collaborators expected for this project. Unknown funders should not be counted. If this number differs from the total shown in the Excel sheet, we will defer to the information in the Excel sheet.

7.05 Collaborator Cash Contributions

This represents the total dollar value of cash contributions expected from all collaborators toward this project. If this number differs from the total shown in the Excel sheet, we will defer to the information in the Excel sheet.

7.06 Collaborator In-Kind Contributions

This represents the total value of in-kind contributions expected from all collaborators toward this project. In-kind support is any type of assistance reported by its fair market value. Please note that in-kind support is limited to 25% of the total project costs. If this number differs from the total shown in the Excel sheet, we will defer to the information in the Excel sheet.

8.0 Project budget summary

This section will provide a summary of the Project Budget information you provided.

9.0 Diversity and inclusion

Building a sustainable, inclusive, and dynamic economy helps all Canadians to prosper. Recognizing that systemic barriers remain in achieving the full participation of underrepresented, disadvantaged, or equity-seeking groups (including, but not limited to, women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minority/racialized groups), the information collected in this section helps the Government of Canada to identify the potential impacts of its policies, programs and services on diverse groups of people.

The information that you provide in this section is protected under the Privacy Act and will not affect your proposal.

Future calls for proposals will require medium and large enterprises to have workplace diversity and inclusion plans and to follow them. Future calls for proposals may take workplace diversity and inclusion plans into account when rating proposals.

9.01 Does your organization have a workplace diversity and inclusion plan?

Please select either ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

9.02 Does your organization’s workplace diversity and inclusion plan target one or more of the following under-represented groups?

Check all that apply.

• Indigenous Peoples
• Persons with Disabilities
• Youth
• Members of an Official Language Minority Community
• Women
• Visible Minorities
• 2SLGBTQI+

10.0 Final review

This section will allow applicants to review most of the information that was entered into the online application for a final review. Please note that for the Planting Sites and Project Tasks sections, not all information will be shown.

11.0 Certification and attestation

To be considered, you must read and understand the certifications. It is incumbent on all applicants who are unsure about the certifications to seek professional advice before agreeing to them.

Your online application form will be submitted to the program after completing this step. The very last step allows you to add any necessary documents to your submitted form and completes your application.

11.01 Certifications

Please select either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for each statement.

11.02 Consent to Share

Please indicate if you give your consent for NRCan to share the non-confidential portions of your project proposal with other levels of government (federal, provincial, territorial or municipal) in the event that there is an opportunity for your organization to seek other sources of funding for the proposed project.

11.03 Exceptions to Consent to Share

If you answered “Yes with exceptions” to Consent to Share, please explain any exceptions regarding your consent for the 2BT program to share the information in your application form.

12.0 File upload

Please upload all relevant Excel templates as well as any additional documentation that would support your application, such as:

• letters from collaborators confirming their support and commitment to the project
• documentation showing that you have met the requirements and have received the necessary approvals, if you are planning to plant on Crown land or public land
• proof of consultations if your proposed project takes place within or adjacent to Indigenous lands or traditional territory, including lands governed by a modern treaty

13.0 Application submitted

You will see a confirmation message indicating your application has been successfully submitted to the 2 Billion Trees program.

If you would like to withdraw your application after it has been submitted, please email: 2btrees-2garbres@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

Funding decisions will be sent via email. You can also monitor your application’s status using the Projects Page.

A successful proposal resulting in a cost-shared agreement between the applicant and the Government of Canada will require the applicant to submit reports at regular intervals, including:

• quarterly financial and activity reports
• a final financial report demonstrating how the 2BT program funding was used
• a final narrative report describing how the project activities contributed to achieving the 2BT program objectives

In addition to the reporting requirements detailed above, the 2BT program will require applicants to submit a Planting Activity Form for each unique site where seedlings/trees were planted as part of the project.

Reporting requirements may be modified at any time as required by the 2BT program.

This section of the guide describes how the use and distribution of information collected through this call for proposals will comply with both the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act.

Pursuant to the Privacy Act, the 2BT program will keep confidential any personal information that it may collect, and will not disclose or transmit said information without your written consent.

Pursuant to the Access to Information Act, the 2BT program will protect from disclosure any information of a financial, commercial, scientific or technical nature that it collects from you, provided that you treat the said information as confidential in your own establishment. If you choose to send the information or other confidential information to the program by email, the program will respond by email. Similarly, if your correspondence is carried out through regular mail, the program’s response will be in like manner. However, in all cases, the program will use email correspondence for any non-confidential matters.

For any questions pertaining to this call for proposals process, please contact us by email at 2btrees-2garbres@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.