EcoAction Stream 1: Community-led freshwater action across Canada

Community-led Freshwater Action across Canada helps Canadians become involved in creating more sustainable communities by taking actions that improve freshwater quality and ecosystem health. ​The program supports initiatives that inspire individuals and communities to turn their knowledge and values into action, enhancing water literacy and fostering stewardship across Canada.

The goal of the Program is to improve the environment and increase water awareness and capacity in the community. ​All projects must demonstrate strong community involvement and must address the Key Environmental Priority of Fresh Water.

Eligible projects

EcoAction Stream 1: Community-led Freshwater Action across Canada funds projects that have a local, regional or national scope. To be eligible, projects must address the Key Environmental Priority of Fresh Water, and they must demonstrate a strong community involvement and support.  

Eligible projects include:

• Shoreline protection, stabilization or improvement
• Waste and/or garbage cleanup, removal and/or diversion
• Invasive species control and/or removal
• Planting indigenous plant species
• Habitat and/or land restoration
• Workshops and/or outreach directly paired with community action
• Implementing freshwater recommendations from environmental management plans and
• Water conservation

Community support and involvement requirements

All applications must demonstrate a strong community involvement and an action component. EcoAction Stream 1: Community-led Freshwater Action Across Canada provides an opportunity for Canadians to become involved in creating sustainable communities through projects that yield measurable, positive environmental results.

Applicants are encouraged to include a water literacy component that highlights how their project will share knowledge and foster positive water-related attitudes and behaviours within their community. This helps build awareness of the value of fresh water—economic, social, and environmental—and promotes collective action to protect, restore, and sustain it for future generations.

Opportunities for increasing water literacy include, but are not limited to:

• Inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge to inform action
• Public opinion polls or surveys
• Community-level discussions, sharing knowledge and results, including through storytelling
• Educational workshops
• Project reports or factsheets
• Social media posts

Projects not eligible for funding

• Projects focused on brackish water and saltwater activities
• Projects already underway^{Footnote *}
• Continuation of projects previously funded by EcoAction^{Footnote *}
• Ongoing core organizational activities^{Footnote *} 
• Activities required by law and/or mandated by any level of government^{Footnote *}
• Projects designed only to beautify an area
• Political lobbying, advocacy or fundraising activities (or activities that may be perceived as such)
• Projects outside of Canada.

Eligible applicants

Canadian organizations are eligible to apply and include:

• Not-for-profit organizations, such as charitable and volunteer organizations, professional associations, and non-governmental organizations
• Indigenous organizations, governments, boards, commissions, communities, associations and authorities and
• Local organizations such as community associations and groups, seniors’ and youth groups, and service clubs 

Preference will be given to applications that engage priority groups to achieve project objectives. These groups include:

• Indigenous peoples
• Youth (up to 25 years of age)

Eligible project costs

• Human resource costs, including salaries and benefits
• Contractors required to perform activities related to the project
• Management and professional service costs such as accounting, monitoring, communications, official language translation, Indigenous languages translation, audit and legal charges
• Hospitality, travel and venues/conference expenses that are attributed directly to carrying out the project (in accordance with the Treasury Board Secretariat’s Directives on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures)
  • Hospitality expenditures can include costs related to Indigenous ceremonial offerings to be utilized or consumed during meetings or ceremonies such as traditional medicines, cultural foods, tea and sacred plants
• Costs associated with an Indigenous participation or ceremony
  • Monetary Honoraria offered to Indigenous Elders and/or Knowledge Keepers related to specific participation activities which may include but not be limited to translation and interpretative costs, leading a traditional opening/closing ceremony and/or prayer, the sharing of traditional knowledge and protocols, (including spiritual advice to individuals), and demonstrating traditional art and other practices
• Materials and supplies costs
• Printing, production and distribution costs
• Equipment purchases or rental
• Vehicle rental and operational costs
• Any GST/HST that is not reimbursed by Canada Revenue Agency and any PST not reimbursable by the provinces and
• A reasonable share (20% or less) of overhead and/or administrative costs directly attributed to the carrying out of the project

The following costs and activities are ineligible:

• Studies, research and monitoring activities (environmental issues addressed through project activities should already be identified and researched)
• Planning without a direct-action component and measurable results
• Preparation of formal curriculum materials (except informal, supplementary materials used to enhance learning)
• Educational events or workshops without a direct community action component (e.g. Invasive species workshop without a hands-on restoration component)
• Core organizational functions (e.g., meetings, maintenance and administration unrelated to the project)
• Annual or regular organizational events or campaigns
• Attending general conferences
• Recreational purposes
• Construction of infrastructure (building, roads, bridges and other structures) except for natural infrastructure (e.g. wetlands, publicly accessible rain gardens)
• Capital asset purchases (defined as a single item costing more than $10,000 with a useful life of more than one year)
• Land acquisition
• Vehicle purchase
• Incentives and rebates and
• Further disbursement of funds to a third-party recipient (i.e., micro grants)

If you are unsure about the eligibility of your project, project activities or related costs, please contact us at EcoActionNational@cwa-aec.gc.ca.

Funding details

• EcoAction Stream 1 can provide funding up to a maximum of $100,000, and a minimum of $25,000
• The maximum duration of EcoAction Stream 1 funding to a project is 36 consecutive months
• Projects can be single or multi-year
• EcoAction funding must be requested for each year of the project to be eligible
• EcoAction will fund up to 50% of the total project value (please note matching requirements below) and
• Projects not funded can be re-submitted in a future call for applications

Matching requirements

A minimum of 50% of the total project funding must be obtained from sources other than the Government of Canada. Therefore, for every dollar you receive from the Government of Canada, including EcoAction Stream 1: Community-led Freshwater Action across Canada, you must obtain at least the same amount from non-federal government partners (1:1 match funding required).

Employment support programs within Employment and Social Development Canada and programs for Indigenous peoples within Indigenous Services Canada are exempt. Other sources of funding may be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions, or a combination of both.

Sources of matching funds (cash and in-kind) and defined collaborations (e.g. contributions by the applicant, landowners or others involved in the project.) must be clearly outlined and described in the Project Budget. All funding (cash or in-kind) used to meet the 1:1 matching funding requirement must be expended during the project funding period.

Eligible sources of cash or in-kind contributions include:

• Equipment, materials, and/or office supplies
• Volunteer time for project activities, coordination, or professional services
• Expertise from consultants, Elders, or academics
• Incentives or discounts
• Other donated goods or services that help cover project costs or completion of the project activities

For example, a company donating native perennial plants or members of a local community group volunteering their time to your project are considered in-kind contributions and are assigned a fair market monetary value.

Ineligible matching contributions: the value of ineligible project activities, the value of the land used for the project and/or the purchase of land cannot be considered as part of matched funds for EcoAction Stream 1.

Performance indicators

Applicants will be asked to identify the performance indicators that apply to their project and provide the expected goal for each. Your project must include at least one environmental indicator and one capacity building indicator.

Performance indicators for EcoAction Stream 1 are:

Environmental indicators:

• Amount of area from which toxic or harmful waste was removed from the environment or freshwater body (# of hectares)
• Amount of fresh water conserved (# of litres)
• Area protected, stabilized or improved through restoration activities (# of hectares)
• Number of plants, trees, and/or shrubs planted that are indigenous to an area (# of plants/trees/shrubs planted)

Capacity building indicators:

• Jobs created (# of jobs created)
• Total number of volunteers directly implementing project (# of volunteers)
• Total number of youth volunteers directly implementing project (# of youth volunteers)
• Total number of participants in project activities (# of participants)
• Total number of youth participants in project activities (# of youth participants)

Permits and federal lands

Applicants are responsible for conducting the necessary research to determine if laws or mandates apply to any of the activities listed in the application. It is recommended that applicants verify relevant federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal legislation and regulations relating to the project’s activities and/or location(s).

Permits

If permits or authorizations are required for the project, these must be identified in the application. If not yet obtained, ensure the timeline for obtaining these approvals is included in the project’s work plan.

Federal lands

Applicants must review the project locations and activities and determine if any activities will occur on federal lands. Projects occurring on federal lands may be required to complete an Impact Assessment.

According to the Impact Assessment Act, federal lands are defined as:

a)    lands that belong to His Majesty in right of Canada, or that His Majesty in right of Canada has the power to dispose of, and all waters on and airspace above those lands, other than lands under the administration and control of the Commissioner of Yukon, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut

b)    the following lands and areas:

1. the internal waters of Canada, in any area of the sea not within a province
2. the territorial sea of Canada, in any area of the sea not within a province
3. the exclusive economic zone of Canada
4. the continental shelf of Canada and

c)   reserves, surrendered lands and any other lands that are set apart for the use and benefit of a band and that are subject to the Indian Act, and all waters on and airspace above those reserves or lands

Application process

Applicants must submit their project proposal using the Grants and Contributions Enterprise Management System (GCEMS), Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) online application system.

It is strongly recommended that applicants complete the budget in GCEMS 24 hours prior to the application deadline to allow sufficient time to resolve any errors.  An application not submitted by the deadline will not be considered.

GCEMS Applicant User Guide: The GCEMS Applicant User Guide contains instructions on how to apply and includes information on how to create, edit and submit project applications.

Please contact sgesc-gcems@ec.gc.ca for technical assistance when using GCEMS.

Consider including the following elements to strengthen your application:

• Opportunities for active community involvement in the project activities
• A strong community engagement and water literacy to increase awareness of water issues and capacity-building and improve sustainable behaviours and practices, within the timeframe of the project (e.g., pre- and post-project surveys)
• Clear objectives that are realistic, achievable and measurable
• Demonstration of the links between the funding request, project activities, the Key Environmental Priority of Fresh Water and indicator results
• Relevant qualifications and experience of the project team members that will facilitate project activities and contribute to the project’s success (i.e., project management capacity)
• Rationale why the project is needed locally, regionally and/or nationally, including any efforts by your organization or others to address this environmental issue
• Details on permits and technical information to ensure reviewers can evaluate the project’s feasibility, technical merit, environmental benefits, and compliance with jurisdictional requirements. Such approvals and permits must be identified in the application
• Supporting documentation to help evaluate project activities or information to conduct an environmental screening (i.e., reports, relevant background information)

The following information is recommended, but is not required when applying:

• Additional information such as research summaries, photos, sketches, maps
• Support letter(s) from any of the following:
  • the First Nation (s) for projects engaging, or involving Indigenous communities
  • Landowner confirming permission for groups conducting restoration activities on private property
  • community organization endorsing the project

Selection process

EcoAction Stream 1 decisions are based on an annual open Call for Application process. All completed applications received by the deadline will go through a three-stage review process:

Stage 1: Administrative Review: Review for project eligibility. Ineligible projects will be notified at the end of this stage.

Stage 2: Technical Review: Subject-matter experts confirm the validity of the issues and the scientific and technical feasibility of projects.

Stage 3: Final Review: Projects are reviewed based on:

• project’s link to fresh water
• evidence of strong community involvement/water literacy components
• feasibility of the project’s impact, budget, results and activities
• continuation of project activities and benefits
• engagement and partnership with priority groups

Notification and reporting requirements

All applicants (both successful and unsuccessful) will be notified in writing. If your project is approved, you will be contacted to negotiate a Contribution Agreement, which outlines the terms and conditions of funding. Federal MPs and/or their team may be advised about the approval of a project and be provided with information provided in the project application including applicant’s name, project title, project description, project location, funding amounts and contact information.

Funding is conditional on the successful negotiation of a Contribution Agreement between the applicant and the CWA. Each Contribution Agreement must include written confirmation of all funding sources, a project design summary, delivery, progress evaluations and anticipated results, as well as a budget forecast. All of these components must be accurately completed before the agreement can be signed.

All approved recipients must submit reports to CWA throughout the duration of the project as outlined in the Contribution Agreement. Payments are based on the project cashflow and reporting.

Once a project has finished, a final report is required. The final payment will not be provided (minimum 10% holdback) until a final report has been submitted, reviewed and approved by CWA.

Annex A – Additional guidance on ineligible projects, and activities

Projects already under way, the duplication/continuation of projects, and ongoing core organizational activities:

• EcoAction Stream 1 funds only new projects or new phases of a project. The continuation of existing projects, whether funded by EcoAction or not, are not eligible for funding.
• For a new phase of a previously completed project to be eligible, it must:
  • have distinct start and end dates
  • have clear goals and objectives that distinguish the phases as different projects and
  • track the performance indicators from the new phase activities
• Attributes that can help determine a new phase of a project, rather than continuation or duplication, include:
  • activities occur in a new geographic location than previous projects (EcoAction or otherwise)
  • new activities in the same geographic location
  • new measurable results and performance indicators
•  Applicants must demonstrate how the proposed project is a new phase or differs from ongoing core organizational activities.  Projects dealing with reoccurring issues at a new location may be deemed ineligible.

Project activities required by law and/or mandated by government are not eligible for funding, including:

• Projects related to compliance with by-laws in effect (e.g., installing septic tanks on properties, if required by law)
• Core/required operational costs belonging to a program mandated by law (e.g., municipal water treatment) 
• Activities required by provincial regulation related to agricultural practices (e.g., building fencing around riparian areas, when required by law.) and/or
• Site decontamination

Contact us

E-mail: EcoActionNational@cwa-aec.gc.ca

Related links

• Grants and Contributions Enterprise Management System
• GCEMS Applicant User Guide