Historic resource conservation grants

• Cost estimates or quotes
• Invoices or receipts for completed work
• Municipal written approval, if applicable
• Owner authorization, if applicable
• Incorporation document and list of executives/Board of Directors for organizations

Who is eligible?

• Individuals
• Registered organizations (including non-profit organizations, corporations, church organizations, schools and other educational institutions)
• Municipalities
• First Nations and Metis Settlements

Who is not eligible

• Provincial government departments.
• Friends organizations associated with historic sites and interpretive centres owned or operated by the Government of Alberta.

Eligible expenses

• Cash costs for project-related materials and services (excluding GST).
• In-kind contributions directly related to the project (donated labour, services, materials or equipment), up to 33% (one third) of cash costs.
• Professional fees for architects, engineers and other professional consultants associated with conservation work.
• Costs to prepare conservation studies and planning documents (for example feasibility studies, architectural/engineering assessments, historic structure reports, concept plans, preservation plans, and architectural drawings/designs) associated with the conservation of the historic place.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Work that does not comply with the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada.
• Total reconstruction of a historic place.
• Ongoing operations or routine maintenance.
• Energy retrofitting or upgrading.
• Administration and overhead activities (for example, financial reporting, fundraising, or grant application preparation).

Eligible geographic areas

• Alberta

• Size/scale of the historic place.
• Scope of the project.
• Alignment with conservation priorities.
• Capacity of the applicant to complete the work and meet reporting requirements by February 28 of the following year.
• Applicant’s funding history (including outcomes of past projects and compliance with reporting requirements), and the grant program’s available budget.

• Step 1: Consult & plan (adviser, guidelines)
  • Consult with your Heritage Conservation Adviser.
  • Review the Guidelines for Historic Resource Conservation Grants.
  • Prepare a project budget and schedule.
  • Collect invoices/receipts for completed work and estimates/quotes for proposed work (to upload later).
• Step 2: Prepare supporting documents (approvals, authorization, corporate records)
  • If applying for a municipal historic resource, obtain written approval from the municipality for the conservation work.
  • If you are not the legal owner, obtain authorization from the legal owner.
  • If applying as an organization, prepare your incorporation document and a list of executives and Board of Directors.
• Step 3: Register for GATE Front Office (first-time users)
  • If you are unsure whether you already have a GATE Front Office account, email acsw.registration.hppp@gov.ab.ca.
  • For organizations: complete the GATE Front Office Registration Form to register up to 3 users (at least one must have legal signing authority), then email the completed form to acsw.registration.hppp@gov.ab.ca and include the name and location of your historic resource.
  • For individuals: email your legal name and email address to acsw.registration.hppp@gov.ab.ca and include the name and location of your historic resource.
  • Wait for the email containing login credentials and instructions to access the portal.
• Step 4: Apply online in GATE (application form, attachments)
  • Log in to the GATE Front Office portal.
  • Use the GATE Front Office User Guide as needed while completing the application.
  • Complete and submit the application in GATE, including uploading required supporting documents.
  • Contact the Program Coordinator or your Heritage Conservation Adviser if you need assistance.
• Step 5: Submit by the intake deadline (online submission)
  • Submit your application through GATE before the application intake closes on February 2, 2026.
• Step 6: Confirmation & follow-up (status, notification)
  • After submission, retain the submission confirmation.
  • Expect notification of the funding decision generally in May or June.

• Applications are evaluated using several factors (including the size/scale of the historic place, project scope, conservation priorities, the proponent’s capacity to complete the work and reporting by February 28 of the following year, funding history/compliance, and the program budget).
• Funding decisions are generally communicated to applicants in May or June.
• If approved, an interim payment of 50% is released when the project is initiated.
• To obtain the final payment, recipients submit project invoices/receipts (cash expenses) and report any in-kind donations in GATE; work is inspected and must comply with the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada.
• Recipients must complete the project and reporting requirements by February 28 of the following year and publicly acknowledge the Government of Alberta’s financial support.

• Work must comply with the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada and will be inspected by a Heritage Conservation Adviser.
• Applicants are generally notified of the funding decision in May or June.
• In-kind donations must be reported when requesting the final payment.
• Grant recipients must publicly acknowledge the Government of Alberta’s financial support (for example, in print, online, through media outlets or at events).