Emergency management financial supports
Funding options for Indigenous communities and local governments are available for disaster mitigation, disaster response, and after a disaster may have happened.
Response operations finance claims
Your community may be eligible for emergency and recovery costs if you've experienced a disaster.
Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA)
Following a disaster, the provincial government may declare certain events eligible for funding to repair or replace damaged infrastructure.
Mitigation funding
Funding programs that offer support to Indigenous communities, municipalities and regional districts for permanent disaster mitigation measures. If you have any questions about disaster mitigation funding programs, please e-mail: embcdisastermitigation@gov.bc.ca.
Adaptation, Resilience and Disaster Mitigation (ARDM) program - Covid-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream (CVRIS)
ARDM funds structural and natural infrastructure projects that address the impacts of flooding and flood-related hazards up to a value of up to ten million dollars.
Intake: Closed
Adaptation, Resilience and Disaster Mitigation (ARDM) program – Green Infrastructure
This ARDM sub-stream is under the Green Infrastructure (Green-ARDM) stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
Green-ARDM focuses on investing in increased structural capacity and/or increased natural capacity to adapt to climate impacts, natural disasters and/or extreme weather events. It is distinct from the Covid-19 Resilience and Infrastructure program (CVRIS-ARDM) that was launched in January 2021.
Intake: Closed
This new guide was created to simplify a community’s search for funding and to quickly connect communities to the next opportunity to fund a climate-related projects. It features funds from provincial, federal and non-governmental funding sources and more. It is a one-stop resource within these broad categories:
- Climate preparedness and adaptation: funding to help communities prepare for and respond to wildfires, droughts, floods and other impacts of climate change
- Community infrastructure: funding to help cover the costs of building sustainable communities, including waste facilities, transportation systems and community buildings
- Sustainable transportation: funding to help communities pay for bike lanes, charging stations, and other projects that will encourage the use of zero-emission vehicles and active transportation, like cycling and walking
- Clean energy: energy efficiency, fuel switching and renewable energy projects that help communities move to cleaner energy systems
Visit: communityclimatefunding.gov.bc.ca for more information.
B.C. Rural Dividend Fund
The B.C. Rural Dividend Fund assists rural communities, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, with a population of 25,000 or less to strengthen and diversify their local economies.
Intake: Closed
The Canada Community-Building fund (formerly the federal Gas Tax fund) provides predictable, long-term and stable funding to local governments in B.C. for investment in infrastructure and capacity building projects.
Canada Infrastructure Program – Rural and Northern Communities Fund
The Rural and Northern Communities fund supports infrastructure projects for small, rural and remote communities in B.C.
Intake: Closed
The Community Emergency Preparedness Funding (CEPF) streams enhance the resiliency of local governments, First Nations, and communities in responding to emergencies. Funding is provided by the province and is administered by Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM). The CEPF website lists additional details, current intake status, and future intake dates.
Disaster Risk Reduction - Climate Adaptation
Supports eligible applicants to reduce risks from future disasters due to natural hazards and climate-related risks through the development and implementation of:
- Accurate foundational knowledge of the natural hazards they face and the risks associated with B.C.’s changing climate
- Effective strategies to prepare for, mitigate, and adapt to those risks
Disaster Risk Reduction - Climate Adaptation
Emergency Operations Centres and Training
Supports the purchase of equipment and supplies required to maintain or improve emergency operations centres (EOC) and to enhance EOC capacity through training and exercises.
Emergency Support Services
Supports eligible applicants to build local capacity to provide emergency support services through volunteer recruitment, retention and training, including in-house training, and the purchase of ESS equipment.
Public Notification and Evacuation Route Planning
Supports eligible applicants to develop evacuation route plans and/or public notification plans that provide information for local governments, First Nations, and community members in the event of an emergency.
Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility Training
Supports eligible applicants to enhance cultural safety and humility in the delivery of local emergency management programs and services. Activities include cultural safety and humility training, adapting emergency management tools to be inclusive of Indigenous peoples, and activities related to partnering with, or providing assistance to, Indigenous communities during emergency mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Volunteer and Composite Fire Department Equipment and Training
Builds the resiliency of volunteer and composite fire departments in preparing for and responding to emergencies through the purchase of new or replacement equipment and to facilitate the delivery of training.
Ongoing operational costs and the purchase of major fire apparatus are not eligible
The Community Resiliency Investment program funds wildfire risk reduction and mitigation programs for communities.
The Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) funds large-scale infrastructure projects to help communities better manage the risks of disasters triggered by natural hazards.
Information on who can apply, types of eligible projects, the evaluation process and important deadlines can be found on the DMAF Program Details webpage.
Intake: Open January 16 until July19th 2023. Accepting applications for the Large-Scale and Small-Scale Project Stream. See Infrastructure Canada’s website for submission deadlines.
The Emergency Management Assistance Program provides funding to Indigenous communities on reserve so they can access emergency assistance services. Funding is used to help communities build resiliency, prepare for disasters and respond to them. It also provides funding to support on-reserve emergency management.
The First Nation Adapt Program provides funding to Indigenous communities to assess and respond to climate change impacts on community infrastructure and disaster mitigation.
Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program helps Canadian municipalities prepare for and adapt to climate change, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Proposal review process
Provinces and territories will apply to the federal government for NDMP funding on behalf of the eligible entities. Projects are prioritized in a merit-based approach.
- To confirm eligibility and prioritize proposals from B.C., the provincial government will conduct a brief assessment of the proposals. Unlike previous NDMP intakes, full technical reviews will be carried out by Public Safety Canada.
- After the review, eligible proposals will be forwarded to Public Safety Canada.
- EMBC will keep applicants informed through each step of the review process.
- Public Safety Canada will assess the proposals using a competitive, merit-based process across all provinces and territories.
For successful proposals, we will work with the proponents to administer the project to meet program terms and conditions.
Intake: Closed