Environmental Damages Fund: available funds and application process

Available funds

Environmental Damages Fund (EDF) funds come from fines, penalties, court orders, and voluntary payments following environmental infractions. For this call for proposals, funding is available in the following provinces and territories: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, and Quebec. Applicants must identify which available funding they are applying for in their proposal. Please also include the location (province/territory), funds available, Fund Use Requirement, and the funding deadline.

British Columbia

Application Deadline: May 30, 2024, 15:00:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Location: British Columbia
Funds Available: $475,000
Fund Use Requirement: For projects related to the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat or the restoration of fish habitat in the Province of British Columbia; priority may be given to projects within the Campbell River area. Applicants must request a minimum of $100,000 from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in the proposal’s budget in order to be eligible for funding.

Application Deadline: May 30, 2024, 15:00:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Location: British Columbia
Funds Available: $2,660,000
Fund Use Requirement: For projects related to the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat or the restoration of fish habitat in the Province of British Columbia; priority may be given to projects within the Lower Fraser River and tributaries. Applicants must request a minimum of $250,000 from ECCC in the proposal’s budget in order to be eligible for funding.

Application Deadline: May 30, 2024, 15:00:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Location: British Columbia
Funds Available: $950,000
Fund Use Requirement: For projects related to the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat or the restoration of fish habitat in the District of West Vancouver, City of North Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, and North Shore Mountains within the Province of British Columbia. Applicants must request a minimum of $250,000 from ECCC in the proposal’s budget in order to be eligible for funding.

Application Deadline: May 30, 2024, 15:00:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Location: British Columbia
Funds Available: $1,045,000
Fund Use Requirement: For projects related to the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat or the restoration of fish habitat in the Peace River region of British Columbia; priority may be given to projects related to bull trout. Applicants must request a minimum of $250,000 from ECCC in the proposal’s budget in order to be eligible for funding.

Alberta

Application Deadline: May 30, 2024, 15:00:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Location: Alberta
Funds Available: $3,145,000
Fund Use Requirement: For projects related to the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat or the restoration of fish habitat in the Province of Alberta; priority may be given to projects in the Eastern Slopes area. Applicants must request a minimum of $250,000 from ECCC in the proposal’s budget in order to be eligible for funding.

Application Deadline: May 30, 2024, 15:00:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Location: Alberta
Funds Available: $450,109
Fund Use Requirement: For projects related to the conservation and protection of migratory birds or migratory birds’ habitat or the restoration of migratory birds’ habitat in the Province of Alberta, with priority for projects in the northeastern Alberta region (defined as: east of Highway 35, and north of contiguous Highway 2 and Highway 55). Priority may be given to projects led by Indigenous organizations and communities. Applicants must request a minimum of $100,000 from ECCC in the proposal’s budget in order to be eligible for funding.

Application Deadline: May 30, 2024, 15:00:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Location: Alberta
Funds Available: $293,348
Fund Use Requirement: For projects related to the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat or the restoration of fish habitat within Modeste, Strawberry, Sturgeon, and Beaverhill sub watersheds of the North Saskatchewan River Watershed, including the Edmonton area, with priority for projects related to Lake Sturgeon or Species at Risk Act (SARA) listed endangered or threatened species. Applicants must request a minimum of $100,000 from ECCC in the proposal's budget in order to be eligible for funding.

Manitoba

Application Deadline: May 30, 2024, 15:00:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Location: Manitoba
Funds Available: $190,000
Fund Use Requirement: For projects related to the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat or the restoration of fish habitat in the Province of Manitoba; priority may be given to projects in the Upper Nelson River watershed. Applicants must request a minimum of $100,000 from ECCC in the proposal’s budget in order to be eligible for funding.

Northwest Territories

Application Deadline: May 30, 2024, 15:00:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Location: Northwest Territories
Funds Available: $475,000
Fund Use Requirement: For projects related to the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat or the restoration of fish habitat in the Territory of Northwest Territories; priority may be given to projects within the Great Slave Lake watershed. Applicants must request a minimum of $100,000 from ECCC in the proposal’s budget in order to be eligible for funding.

Quebec

Application Deadline: May 30, 2024, 15:00:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Location: Quebec
Funds Available: $950,000
Fund Use Requirement: For projects related to environmental conservation, protection, or restoration in the St. Lawrence River watershed in the Province of Quebec; priority may be given to projects directly targeting the Bouchard stream. Bouchard stream is a 2.8 km stream located in Dorval, QC that flows into Lake Saint-Louis. Applicants must request a minimum of $250,000 from ECCC in the proposal’s budget in order to be eligible for funding.

Application Deadline: May 30, 2024, 15:00:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Location: Quebec
Funds Available: $475,000
Fund Use Requirement: For projects related to the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat or the restoration of fish habitat within the Province of Québec; priority may be given to projects within the Bégin stream and/or St-François River area. Applicants must request a minimum of $100,000 from ECCC in the proposal’s budget in order to be eligible for funding.

Application process

Step 1: Confirm available funds and project eligibility

Log into Grants and Contributions Enterprise Management System (GCEMS) to review the funding opportunity. Refer to the EDF Applicant Guide to ensure all proposed project activities are eligible for funding and that your project satisfies all Fund Use Requirements.

For more information about available funds in your province or territory or to discuss the application process with an EDF program officer, please email your ECCC regional office.

If contacting ECCC about a proposal in GCEMS, please always reference the proposal ID number associated with the application.

Step 2: Prepare your funding application using GCEMS

Visit the GCEMS application instructions page for technical assistance documents, tutorials, and support throughout your application preparation.

Step 3: Submit your application

Once you have submitted your application through GCEMS, the portal automatically generates an acknowledgment of receipt. If you do not receive an acknowledgment, it is important that you email sgesc-gcems-sgesc-gcems@ec.gc.ca to confirm that your application was received.

Following the project review phase, a decision will be communicated to you by email.

Contact us

National EDF Office
E-mail: EDF-FDE2@ec.gc.ca

East and Central Region

Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island
E-mail: fde.est.centre-edf.east.central@ec.gc.ca

West and North Region

Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon
E-mail: fdeouestnord-edfwestnorth@ec.gc.ca