Heritage Property Grant Program - Cost sharing grant

• Cost sharing grant covers up to 75% of eligible project costs, to a maximum of $75,000.
• For owner-completed work, funding is provided at 50% of material costs only, with no support for labour.
• Technical studies are funded at up to 50% of consultant fees, to a maximum of $1,500.
• Disbursement of funds is made after project completion and verification, with payment issued within 45 days upon certification of project completion.

• The applicant must be an incorporated not-for-profit or charitable organization.
• The organization must own a designated heritage property under Part IV or Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act, located within the City of Ottawa.
• The project must focus on heritage restoration, preservation, or rehabilitation, and conform to the Council-approved Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada.
• Applicants are eligible to receive funding under this stream once every five years.
• The application must include necessary documentation, such as completed forms, photographs, and quotes for the proposed work.

Who is eligible?

• Incorporated not-for-profit organizations that own designated heritage properties
• Charitable organizations that own designated heritage properties

Who is not eligible

• Government and public agencies, including municipal, provincial, and federal bodies, Crown Corporations, and school boards.
• Foreign embassies.
• Owners of non-contributing (Category 4) buildings in Heritage Conservation Districts.
• Organizations or companies that are not incorporated not-for-profit or charitable organizations.

Eligible expenses

• Restoration and repointing of exterior brick masonry.
• Restoration of original windows and porches.
• Structural repairs, including foundation work (at staff discretion).
• Protection and repair of existing heritage materials, form, and integrity.
• Technical studies such as building condition assessments, engineering or stabilization reports, and paint analysis (to a limited extent).
• Replication of heritage attributes that are beyond restoration (e.g., windows, porches, decorative woodwork, masonry).
• Restoration of cladding, including original paint colour, repointing, or non-abrasive cleaning of masonry (once per property).
• Restoration of lost heritage attributes, where specific documentary evidence of the missing feature exists.
• Eligible material costs if the property owner undertakes the work themselves (labour not covered).

Eligible geographic areas

• Properties located within the City of Ottawa.

• Priority given to newly designated properties and first-time applicants.
• Urgency of the restoration project, especially where the integrity of the heritage resource may be threatened if the work is not undertaken.
• Projects demonstrating the highest standards of heritage conservation.
• Projects maximizing retention of historic fabric.
• Consideration for projects that are proposed to be phased at the time of application.

• Applicants are required to provide at least two quotes for the proposed work, though exceptions may be granted if efforts to obtain additional quotes are demonstrated.
• A site meeting with heritage staff is required prior to submitting a formal application for the cost-sharing stream.
• Successful applicants must enter into a contribution agreement with the City of Ottawa, which details reporting requirements.
• The guidelines and program priorities are reviewed periodically and may be updated in line with City policy and legislative changes.