News & Updates

Capital Project: Retrofit of Existing Municipal Buildings: Funding for municipalities to retrofit existing municipal and community buildings to improve energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions.

• Estimated amount per fund: Up to $10 million (combined loan + grant)
• Support ratio: Up to 80% of eligible costs (loan + grant)
• Grant portion: Up to 20% of the GMF loan
• Deadline: Applications are accepted year-round, though this offer may close when all funding has been allocated.

RBC Barrier Buster Grants Program: Grants up to $40,000 for permanent accessibility infrastructure improvements. For municipalities, charities, qualified donees, and incorporated non-profits. 40 grants available.

• Application deadline: March 15, 2026, 11:00 PM PST

Festival and Community Event Development program has been added and is now open. Provincial funding up to $10,000 to help sustain, grow, or improve unique community festivals and events across Nova Scotia (for a specific project or component of an event).

Open to:

• Municipalities
• Non-profits registered in NS
• Mi’kmaq communities

Deadline: February 27, 2026 (4:00 PM Atlantic)

New Funding Opportunity Added to the Portal:

• Wellness Fund: Provincial grants of $500–$3,500 for community projects that address social determinants of health. Funded through Nova Scotia’s Community Health Boards, the program supports upstream health initiatives including intergenerational activities, food literacy, and social connection projects.
  • Application window: February 16 – April 15, 2026

Update to Existing Program:

• Energy Innovation Program – Off-Site Construction Challenge (Stream 2) is now open. Federal funding for projects demonstrating innovative off-site construction methods for energy-efficient multi-unit residential buildings. Phase 1 offers design grants up to $180,000; Phase 2 offers up to $10 million for finalists to bring designs to construction.
  • Deadline: March 27, 2026

• Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages: Federal salary subsidies for employers creating short-term bilingual jobs for youth ages 15-30. Non-profits may receive up to 70% of employment costs; public or private sector organizations (including municipalities) up to 50%.
  • Deadline: February 3, 2026
• Enabling Accessibility Fund – 2026 Call for Proposals: Federal funding of $500,000 to $1,000,000 for projects that improve workplace accessibility for persons with disabilities. No matching funds required.
  • Deadline: March 12, 2026

Green Municipal Fund (GMF) is hosting a webinar on collaboration for municipal climate adaptation planning. The session explores how working with external partners – neighbouring municipalities, Indigenous communities, equity-deserving groups, and local organizations – can strengthen climate resilience, with insights from municipal staff in Muskoka and Toronto.

• Date: January 29, 2026
• Time: 2:00–3:00 pm Atlantic
• Location: Online
• Free registration: Register here

• Recreation Facility Development Grant: Provincial funding for recreation facility projects over $30,000, including recreation centres, pools, rinks, athletic fields, parks, playgrounds, and large equipment. Includes the Rink Revitalization Fund for arena upgrades and repairs. Funding covers up to two-thirds of total project costs, to a maximum of $150,000.
  • Deadline: February 14, 2026

• Electrify Nova Scotia MHZEV Rebate Program: Provincial rebates up to $50,000 for medium and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles purchased or leased by NS municipalities, First Nations, and non-profit organizations.
  • Deadline: Applications accepted on a continuous basis.

• Electric Vehicle Test Drives and Charging Education: Federal funding up to $200,000 for national and regional outreach projects that increase public, industry, and local government knowledge about light-duty EV charging and ownership, with priority for projects in underserved regions, including Atlantic Canada.
  • Deadline: February 19, 2026.

Free training for municipal staff, community leaders, and organizations on integrating climate resilience into service delivery. The series covers climate risk and vulnerability assessment, land use planning, and community engagement, with sessions delivered by CLIMAtlantic and practitioners in the field.

Climate Risk and Vulnerability | Workshop:

• January 21, 2026, 10:00-11:30 am – English
• January 28, 2026, 10:00-11:30 am – French
• Free registration: Register here

Municipal Service Delivery | Learning Sessions:

• February 12, 2026, 10:00–11:30 am – Addressing Risks and Vulnerabilities within Land Use Planning with Hope Parnham, DV8 Consulting
• February 24, 2026, 10:00–11:30 am – How to Engage Community Members in Adaptation and Resilience with Krystal Pyke, Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation
• Free registration: Register here

The Co-operators Resilience Acceleration Lab is hosting an information webinar for municipalities interested in their current Call for Proposals, focused on advancing climate-resilient infrastructure projects.

The session will provide an overview of the program, project fit, and what Co-operators is looking for in proposals, with time for questions from participants.

• Date: January 15, 2026
• Time: 1:00 pm Atlantic
• Location: Online
• Free registration/information: Email resilience@cooperators.ca

Build Canada Homes (BCH) is hosting a regional webinar to support organizations interested in partnering with BCH to increase affordable housing supply across Canada. BCH recently opened its online portal for affordable housing proposals and is currently looking for shovel-ready projects that demonstrate affordability, speed, innovation, and regional impact.

Participants will learn more about BCH’s Investment Policy Framework, how to navigate the BCH Portal, and how to prepare a strong proposal.

• Date: January 8, 2026
• Time: 2:00–3:00 pm Atlantic
• Location: Online
• Free registration: Register here

• Innovative Communities Fund: Federal non-repayable contributions for community-based projects across Atlantic Canada that build local economies, strengthen rural infrastructure, and help communities address economic challenges.
  • Deadline: Applications are accepted year-round.
• Affordable360 – Predevelopment Feasibility Cohort: No-cost feasibility support and free software access for municipalities and non-profit housing providers developing affordable housing, includes planning/zoning review, 3D massing/early design, preliminary cost estimates, and hands-on training.
  • Deadline (Current cohort): December 23, 2025.

EcoAction Community Program – Stream 2 (Freshwater Sustainability and Innovation): Federal funding for projects that pilot innovative/clean-tech solutions, enable circular economy opportunities, or improve freshwater data access and interoperability, focused on initiatives with national relevance or scalability. Funding is $25,000–$200,000 and covers up to 50% of total project costs.

• Deadline (Application): January 20, 2026.

The Digital Content Marketing Program provides Nova Scotia tourism businesses and organizations the opportunity to partner with Tourism Nova Scotia to create high-quality photos and videos and develop digital marketing campaigns in key markets. The program offers two streams: Content Creation (minimum $10,000 partner investment) and Digital Marketing (minimum $7,500 media budget plus 15% admin fee). Tourism Nova Scotia matches all partner investments.

• Deadline: January 30, 2026

Green Municipal Fund (GMF) is hosting a webinar on developing community efficiency financing initiatives to help communities remove barriers to home energy upgrades. Learn from sector experts about overcoming common challenges, best practices for launching effective community financing programs, and strategies to deliver economic, social and environmental benefits while lowering resident energy bills and improving comfort.

• Date: January 15, 2026
• Time: 2:00–3:30 PM ET
• Location: Online
• Free registration: Register here

Speakers:

• Stephanie Ripley – Program Manager, Clean Energy Improvement Program
• Soren Christianson – Project Manager, Climate Leadership, Better Homes Kingston
• Caley Halcro – Project Manager, Sustainability Division, City of Saskatoon’s Home Energy Loan Program