Study: Community Energy Systems

• Pre-application form
• Full application form
• Project workbook
• Supporting documents required in the funding application guide

Who is eligible?

• Canadian municipal governments (e.g., municipalities, regions, districts, local councils)
• Private-sector entities partnering with a municipality
• Municipal corporations
• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and non-profit organizations
• Research institutes (e.g., universities)

Eligible expenses

• Detailed project design and engineering fees for the proposed community energy system.
• Studies and verification costs to confirm the availability of local energy sources.
• Costs to confirm energy off-takers (energy customers) and other end-users of products created by the proposed system.
• Detailed financial analysis costs (e.g., cost estimates, revenue forecasts, return-on-investment analysis, financing options).
• Preparation of tendering/procurement documents for the capital project.
• Stakeholder engagement and public consultation costs.
• Regulatory approval process costs.
• Impact assessment process costs.
• Climate risk assessment costs.

Eligible geographic areas

• Canada (Canadian municipalities and eligible partners).
• Northern Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and the northern parts of Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia (as defined by Statistics Canada codes).
• Quebec (specific submission process for Quebec municipalities via the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation).

• Projects are assessed to prioritize the most innovative initiatives and those expected to have the greatest impact (meeting eligibility requirements alone does not guarantee funding).

• Step 1: Consult the application guide and plan your file
  • Download and review the funding application guide.
  • Review the prerequisite conditions and supporting documents listed in Appendix D of the guide.
  • Review eligible and ineligible costs (Business cases, plans, studies and pilot projects; Capital projects).
  • Build a detailed project budget and identify other funding sources.
• Step 2: Discuss your project with the fund provider (FMV/GMF)
  • Contact a GMF representative to discuss your project: fmvinfo@fcm.ca or 1-877-417-0550.
• Step 3: Create a profile and submit a pre-application (FCM Funding Portal)
  • Create a client profile on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Funding Portal.
  • Follow the portal steps to submit the pre-application form.
• Step 4: Eligibility review (GMF assessment)
  • Wait for GMF to review the pre-application to determine eligibility before moving to the next stage.
  • Receive an eligibility response within 15 business days after GMF receives the pre-application form.
• Step 5: Prepare and submit the full application (FCM Funding Portal)
  • Complete the full application form in the FCM Funding Portal once eligibility is confirmed.
  • Complete the project workbook using the template provided and attach it to the full application.
  • Attach all supporting documents required by the application guide.
  • Contact GMF staff if you have questions while completing the form.
  • Submit the completed full application through the FCM Funding Portal.
• Step 6: File review with a GMF Project Officer
  • Work with a GMF Project Officer who will review the application for accuracy and completeness.
  • Revise elements of the application if requested to ensure completeness and quality.
• Step 7: Peer review and internal review
  • Undergo external peer review (for studies and capital projects).
  • Undergo GMF internal analysis to develop a funding recommendation.
• Step 8: Funding decision and timeline
  • For business cases and studies: receive a decision within three to five months from submission of the complete application.
  • For capital projects: receive a decision within four to six months from submission of the complete application.
• Step 9: Additional submission stage for Quebec municipalities (MAMH pre-review)
  • After completing the steps under “How to apply,” submit the application to Quebec’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MAMH) for review before it is sent to FCM/GMF.
  • Save the application form using the required filename format: GMF_[your municipality name]_[date (YYMMDD)].
  • Log into the “Portail gouvernemental des affaires municipales et régionales (PGAMR)” with your user code and password.
  • Use “Transfert de fichiers” to upload the form in PGAMR.
  • Select the relevant program as the recipient in the dropdown menu.
  • Add files and click “Transférer” once the submission is complete.
  • Receive confirmation from MAMH.
  • Allow up to 15 business days for MAMH to review and forward a compliant application to GMF evaluators.
  • Wait for GMF evaluators to confirm receipt and review once the file is transmitted by MAMH.

• FCM’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF) reviews your pre-application to confirm eligibility before inviting a full application (response within 15 business days).
• After the full application is submitted, a GMF project officer reviews it for completeness and accuracy and may request revisions to strengthen the file.
• The application is assessed through external peer review and an internal GMF review to develop a funding recommendation for GMF and FCM decision-makers.
• FCM issues the funding decision: feasibility studies are decided within 3–5 months after the full application is submitted (capital projects: 4–6 months).
• If approved, FCM prepares a funding agreement between FCM and the applicant.

• Funding applications are accepted on an ongoing basis, but this offering may end once all available funds have been allocated.
• A detailed feasibility study describing the proposed low-carbon community energy system concept is the expected deliverable.
• It is strongly recommended to complete a business case before the feasibility study; a business case and feasibility study can also be carried out in parallel within the same project.
• For Quebec municipalities, the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation (MAMH) reviews applications before they are submitted to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).