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The 2024 Extreme Weather Preparedness for agriculture (EWP) Program
Applications Are Now Closed
Thank you to everyone who applied for the Extreme Weather Preparedness for Agriculture (EWP) Program.
IAF will complete adjudication and notification of funding within eight weeks of the application submission.
Applications may reopen in 2024/2025 depending on available program funds.
Sign up for the EWP newsletter to stay in touch with the latest program updates and future funding opportunities.
The pilot of the Extreme Weather Preparedness for Agriculture Program (the program) invites farm and ranch businesses to apply for a new provincial cost-share funding opportunity that aims to increase farm-level climate resilience to extreme weather events.
Funding is available under three streams for the first pilot intake:
In addition to the above three streams, funding may be available for innovation projects.
To be eligible for the program, applicants must meet all of these eligibility requirements:
1. Be a primary production agriculture business whose primary purpose is the production and sale of agricultural products, and must be a B.C. registered business entity, including sole proprietor, partnership, corporations, cooperatives, Indigenous economic development corporations, and band-owned businesses
2. Be a taxable entity, e.g., individual, corporation or trust, limited partnership, commune, cooperative with a GST and business number, or First Nation Band
3. Have their main farmstead in British Columbia and files farm income tax (form T2042 or T1273) under the Income Tax Act in British Columbia*.
* Licensed aquaculture producers, and federally licensed cannabis or hemp producers are exempt from having to meet criteria #3; however, aquaculture operations need to provide their valid aquaculture license number, while cannabis or hemp producers must provide proof of either their standard-cultivators, micro-cultivators, or industrial hemp license as issued by Health Canada under the Cannabis Act or Industrial Hemp Regulations, and in be good standing in order to be eligible for the program. The personal production of medicinal cannabis is not eligible for this program.
The Province is committed to supporting the success of Indigenous businesses in the agriculture and food sector. We understand that Indigenous businesses may have distinct characteristics reflecting regulatory, operational, cultural, and other factors. Program delivery aims for flexibility to reduce barriers and ensure the accessibility. If you are interested in applying to the program and have questions about the application process or eligibility criteria, please contact program staff at Extreme.Weather.Preparedness@gov.bc.ca.
The Wildfire Preparedness Stream is offered in partnership with BC Wildfire Services and FireSmart BC™.
Applicants are required to first conduct a FireSmart Critical Infrastructure Assessment with a pre-approved Firesmart Professional before November 15, 2024. The cost of FireSmart Critical Infrastructure Assessments will be reimbursed to a maximum of $2,000 per applicant.
After successfully completing the FireSmart Critical Infrastructure Assessment (CIA), applicants will be eligible to apply for select on-farm projects to address recommendations from the assessment.
Wildfire approved applicants may receive between 25-50 percent cost-share reimbursements for selected on-farm projects up to a maximum of $35,000.
The Wildfire Preparedness project category list is based on approved FireSmart practices and includes:
Note: Applicants with a FireSmart critical infrastructure assessment within the last five years can apply directly to the Province for eligible wildfire preparedness projects.
Details of eligible and ineligible items, cost-share and funding caps, project application requirements, project reimbursement requirements, and additional project resources for each category are in Appendix A of the Spring 2023 Guide (PDF, 6.5 MB)
With a large portion of B.C.’s highest-capability agricultural land located in floodplains, much of the province’s most productive agricultural land is increasingly vulnerable to extreme flooding. This stream targets farm and ranch businesses that are at risk from flooding and provides cost-share payments to increase on-farm flood resiliency.
Approved applicants may receive between 30-80 percent cost-share reimbursements for select on-farm projects up to a maximum of $35,000. A critical infrastructure assessment will not be required for this stream.
Flooding preparedness project categories include:
Details of eligible and ineligible items, cost-share and funding caps, project application requirements, project reimbursement requirements, and additional project resources for each category are in Appendix B of the Spring 2023 Guide (PDF, 6.5 MB).
Livestock and horticulture crop operations are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat events. Heat stream targets farmers who are most at risk of extreme heat events and aims to support infrastructure and equipment upgrades that will reduce on-farm vulnerabilities.
Approved applicants may receive between 20-60 percent cost share reimbursements for select on-farm projects up to a maximum of $35,000. A critical infrastructure assessment will not be required for this stream.
Extreme heat project categories include:
Details of eligible and ineligible items, cost-share and funding caps, project application requirements, project reimbursement requirements, and additional project resources for each category are in Appendix C of the Intake 3 Program Guide (PDF, 6.5 MB).
If you know of an alternative method of achieving extreme weather resiliency that meets the Extreme Weather Preparedness for Agriculture program principles and objectives, and also complies with the terms and conditions of the program, then, we would like to review your proposed project.
Applications for innovation projects will only be assessed after applications for the wildfire, flood and extreme heat have been processed (anticipated for early Summer 2024). These innovation projects will also require a greater amount of upfront information from interested applicants and additional project development work between the applicant and Program team.
To initiate this process, the applicant must first submit their application online. If your project description is eligible for funding and program funding remains, you will be contacted by a program representative in the Summer 2024 with more details.
For more information, please refer to page 10 of the Spring 2023 Guide (PDF, 6.5MB).
The program accepts reimbursement documents by e-mail only. To initiate the process, the applicant should submit their complete reimbursement document package to Extreme.Weather.Preparedness@gov.bc.ca.
To obtain your project reimbursement in a timely manner, all the approved projects and assessments must be completed, and financial reimbursement claim (FRC) forms (DOCX, 73KB) submitted to our office by January 15, 2024.
Financial reimbursement claim forms must be accompanied by all invoices/receipts and include proof of payments. Please use the FRC form to track your project expenses, in-kind contributions, and proof-of-payments.
A reimbursement checklist is below to help complete this reporting package:
Signed and dated Financial Reimbursement Claim form.
Accurate “Pre-Approved Amount” and “EWP Agreement #”. Please refer to your project approval letter for this information.
The list of project expenses should align with the budget submitted with your application.
All project expenses must be supported with a receipt/invoice and proof of payment.
Proof of payment examples include cancelled cheques, credit card and debit card receipts, wire transfer and online transfer receipts, credit card and debit card statements.
"In-kind" refers to use of equipment owned by the farm, and work by operators and labourer that are normally employed by the farm.
Pictures of the project (before, during, after if possible/appropriate) and a photo of the final work with yourself in it
Map of the area for the completed project
For your convenience, we have enclosed the Direct Deposit Application Form (PDF, 694KB) if you want to be reimbursed this way; otherwise, the ministry will send you a cheque.
If your FireSmart Critical Infrastructure Assessment (CIA) assessment includes farm pictures and maps identifying the project locations, you may not need to submit separate pictures or maps with the claim form.
Useful tips:
Wondering if the Extreme Weather Preparedness projects are the right investment for your operation, or that the timing is right for you to take one this type of project?
Get help with this decision by connecting with the Agri-Business Planning Program, which provides support to assess the feasibility of farm businesses to fund and/or implement on-farm projects along with identifying opportunities to increase cash flow, production and financial performance.
For more information and funding opportunities, please visit the Agri-Business Planning Program.
Funding is provided under the provincial Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy (CPAS)
Do you have questions or would like to provide feedback? Please contact us.