Closed
Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund
Funding for nature-based emissions reduction projects
Record updated
- Funding available
- $ 75,000
- Deadline
- Unspecified
- Location
- Canada
- Who can apply
- Non-profit organizations, including charities, volunteer groups, professional associations, and NGOs.
- See full eligibility
Overview
The fund supports projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions through avoided conversion, improved management, and restoration of ecosystems. The maximum funding available is $50 million per project, with contributions delivered through contribution agreements.
At a glance
Funding available
- Minimum funding
- $75,000
- Increase social or community impact
- Develop strategic partnerships
- Conduct research and development activities
- Reduce environmental footprint
- Raise awareness or mobilize a population
- Conduct research or evaluation activities
Eligible candidates
- Location
- Canada
- Eligible Industries
- All industries
- Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
- Organisation size
- 500 employees maximum
- Audience
- Indigenous Peoples
- Canadians
- Legal structures
- Non-profit, Sole proprietorship, Public or Parapublic institution, For-profit business
Non-profit candidates
- Sector of operation
- Research, Environment, Economic, Social and Community Development, Diversity and Inclusion
- Target groups
- General public, Indigenous peoples, Rural / Remote communities, Nonprofits / charities, Academia / students, Community leaders
- Scope
- Local, Municipal, Regional, Provincial, National, International
Receipt of requests is now closed
Get notified about updates to this grant.
Availability timeline
2026
Periods: 1
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Non-profit organizations, including charities, volunteer groups, professional associations, and NGOs.
- Indigenous organizations and authorities, including non-profit and for-profit entities.
- Governments and public agencies at the provincial, territorial, municipal, and local levels.
- Research, teaching, and educational institutions.
- For-profit organizations, including small businesses with fewer than 500 employees.
- Local community, senior, youth, and philanthropic groups.
Eligible expenses
- Costs associated with projects that reduce the loss, restore, or improve the management of ecosystems
- Expenses related to halting or reducing the conversion of carbon-rich ecosystems to less carbon-rich ecosystems
- Costs for restoring carbon storage and biodiversity in converted or degraded ecosystems
- Expenses for reducing GHG emissions caused by natural resource use through implementing new forest harvesting management practices
- Costs related to developing policies, programs, or tools with key actors in priority sectors to reduce GHG emissions and improve biodiversity
- Costs for measuring and reporting on GHG outcomes from natural climate solutions
- Expenses associated with providing biodiversity and human well-being co-benefits
- Costs related to advancing science and knowledge on natural climate solutions in Canada
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Projects required by law, regulation, or policy.
- Projects funded by other Government of Canada programs for tree planting or agricultural climate solutions.
- Projects without proven cost-effectiveness or with excessive uncertainty.
Eligible geographic areas
- Canadian provinces.
- Canadian territories.
Activities funded
- Avoided conversion of carbon-rich ecosystems.
- Improved management of agricultural and forest lands.
- Restoration of degraded wetlands, peatlands, grasslands, and annual cropland.
- Policy, program, and incentive-based actions that support emissions reductions.
How to apply
- Step 1: Contact your regional Canadian Wildlife Service office
- Request access to the application documents.
- Discuss your project idea if needed.
- Step 2: Prepare the application
- Complete the Application Form and the Supplementary Information Workbook.
- Gather the required supporting documents.
- Step 3: Submit to the regional office
- Send the completed application package to your regional CWS office.
- Submit only a complete application package.
Documents Needed
- Application Form
- Supplementary Information Workbook
- Relevant supporting documents
Selection criteria
- Team expertise and capacity to manage the project.
- Clear and detailed project description, work plan, and budget.
- Reasonable timeline and budget.
- Support from key partners.
- Likelihood of delivering concrete, additional, and permanent emissions reductions by 2030 and beyond 2050.
Processing and Agreement
- Applications are reviewed for completeness before being dated.
- Incomplete applications may be returned for revision and resubmission.
- Review time can take 4 to 6 weeks.
- If recommended for approval, the approval process can take up to 3 months.
Additional information
Here are additional relevant details for this grant:
- The application process is ongoing until funds are exhausted for the fiscal year 2025-26, which means early submissions have a potential advantage.
- The funding provided can range from a minimum of $75,000 to a maximum of $50 million, emphasizing the wide range of project scales supported.
- For projects involving Indigenous applicants, encouraging but not requiring matching funds acknowledges the diverse financial contexts.
- Applicants must not only demonstrate a project's potential in reducing emissions but also handling biodiversity, Indigenous reconciliation, and human well-being co-benefits, highlighting a holistic approach to environmental solutions.
- Projects have to demonstrate and provide evidence for a 1:1 matching fund from non-federal sources to be favorably evaluated, pointing to a preference for collaborative funding structures.
Contacts
Official sources
Official page
Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund
Frequently Asked Questions about the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund Program
What is the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund?
The fund supports projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions through avoided conversion, improved management, and restoration of ecosystems. The maximum funding available is $50 million per project, with contributions delivered through contribution agreements.
Who is eligible for the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund program?
To be eligible for the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund program, you must:
Eligible applicant types include non-profits, for-profits, governments, and Indigenous organizations.
Projects must support greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
Projects must fit nature-based climate solutions.
What expenses are eligible under Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund?
Costs associated with projects that reduce the loss, restore, or improve the management of ecosystems
Expenses related to halting or reducing the conversion of carbon-rich ecosystems to less carbon-rich ecosystems
Costs for restoring carbon storage and biodiversity in converted or degraded ecosystems
Expenses for reducing GHG emissions caused by natural resource use through implementing new forest harvesting management practices
Costs related to developing policies, programs, or tools with key actors in priority sectors to reduce GHG emissions and improve biodiversity
Costs for measuring and reporting on GHG outcomes from natural climate solutions
Expenses associated with providing biodiversity and human well-being co-benefits
Costs related to advancing science and knowledge on natural climate solutions in Canada
Who can I contact for more information about the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund?
You can contact Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) by email at ec.fscan-nscsf.ec@ec.gc.ca.
Where is the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund available?
The Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund program is available across Canada.
Is the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund is a Grant and Funding
Who are the financial supporters of the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund?
Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund is funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)