The Resilience Acceleration Lab is Co-operators' initiative to demonstrate the need and viability for private capital to finance urgently needed climate resilience in Canada. The Lab is seeking to build a pipeline of investable resilience and adaptation projects in communities and regions across Canada, taking a whole-of-society approach through innovative, interdisciplinary partnerships. This Call for Proposals invites municipalities to apply for funding and support to develop infrastructure projects that reduce physical climate risk.

Program Objectives

• Accelerate the shift to more climate-resilient communities and economies in Canada
• Demonstrate the need and viability for private capital to finance climate resilience
• Build a pipeline of investable resilience and adaptation projects across Canada
• Help municipalities access resources needed to bridge the infrastructure gap
• Foster climate adaptation, improve community resilience and stimulate local economic growth

Incentives for Selected Projects

• Funding up to $250,000 per project to offset costs of staff engaging with Co-operators and/or to hire external expertise (e.g., engineering consultants). Total funding pool of $500,000 across all selected projects.
• Significant contribution of Resilience Acceleration Lab staff time and expertise to collaborate on project development and preparation for possible private capital financing
• Public recognition of physical climate risk mitigation leadership (with applicant approval)
• Potential for additional financing to assist in executing the infrastructure project if development and due diligence processes progress smoothly

Project Objectives (for Selected Projects)

Risk Reduction & Resilience: Significantly reduce current physical climate risks while incorporating forward-looking design and engineering principles for long-term climate adaptation and resilience

Economic Uplift: Create direct and indirect economic benefits such as job creation, asset value defense, reduced climate-related damages and enhanced business continuity

Municipal Leadership: Showcase forward-thinking commitment to proactive climate adaptation strategies and innovative approaches to bridging infrastructure gaps through private capital

Eligible Project Examples

Infrastructure projects that mitigate physical climate risks including:

• Flooding (riverine, pluvial or coastal): riverine channel improvements, dikes, levees, floodwalls, natural infrastructure solutions, permeable pavements
• Wildfires: defensible spaces, linear infrastructure hardening
• Severe storms (wind, hail): infrastructure hardening and protective measures
• Heat: cooling infrastructure and heat mitigation solutions

Projects should address current vulnerabilities while building adaptive capacity to withstand and manage future extreme climate risks.

Key Requirements

Minimum project size: $5 million total. Ideal size: $20-100 million.

Openness to private financing: Demonstrate clear willingness and capacity to think creatively and embrace innovation in exploring private financing mechanisms (either as sole source of capital or to complement public funding sources)

Senior administrative support: Proposal must have support of senior administrative staff within the organization

2026 timeline commitment: Commit to working actively with Resilience Acceleration Lab throughout 2026, culminating in draft term sheet or business case with letter of intent regarding further private capital financing by November 30, 2026

Willingness to explore revenue sources: Possess or willing to explore dedicated and sustainable revenue streams earmarked to offset project financing. Examples include:

• Dedicated stormwater utility charges
• Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
• Local Improvement Charge (LIC)
• Special assessment districts
• Earmarked portions of property taxes or development charges
• Other revenue-generating mechanisms or profit-sharing/equity partnership agreements