Zero Emission Vehicle Awareness Initiative — Light-Duty Vehicle — Not-for-profit

• Application form and Budget Overview, in Word and Excel format.
• Application Attestations PDF, including the Applicant’s Attestation, Conflict of Interest Attestation, and Attestation for Affiliations to Countries/Persons Under Economic Sanctions.
• Proof of Incorporation or Registration, except for provincial, territorial, regional, or municipal governments.
• Proof of Secured Funding of Applicant’s Share of Total Project Costs.
• Financial Declaration, including Proof of Funding – Contribution from the Applicant and/or Proof of Funding – Funding from Other Contributors.

Who is eligible?

• Organizations and legal entities validly incorporated or registered in Canada, including not-for-profit and for-profit organizations such as electricity or gas utilities, private sector companies, industry associations, research associations, standards development organizations, Indigenous and community groups, Canadian academic institutions, and provincial, territorial, regional, or municipal governments or their departments or agencies, where applicable.
• International legal entities validly incorporated or registered abroad, including for-profit and not-for-profit organizations such as private sector companies, industry associations, research associations, standards organizations, and academic institutions.

Who is not eligible

• Softwood lumber companies and those that are vertically integrated with softwood lumber companies.

Eligible expenses

• Salaries and benefits for project-related personnel.
• Professional services, including marketing, curriculum development and education, scientific, technical and management services, contracting, engineering, construction installation, testing and commissioning of equipment, training, data collection, logistics, maintenance, printing, distribution, audit and evaluation.
• Reasonable travel costs, including transportation, meals and accommodation at rates comparable to Treasury Board travel guidelines.
• Capital expenses, including informatics and other equipment or infrastructure; retrofitting and upgrading of existing capital assets; rental fees or leasing costs, including the cost to lease vehicles for educational activities; licence fees and permits; GST, PST and HST net of any tax rebate to which the recipient is entitled; and overhead expenses directly related to the project, to a maximum of 15% of Eligible Expenditures.
• Honoraria and ceremonial costs for Indigenous peoples, particularly elders and knowledge keepers, to participate in project activities, including engagement on design and evaluation following the project.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• In-kind contributions.
• Land and legal costs.
• Gifts, prizes or other incentives for project participants, and hospitality and catering services.
• Vehicle purchases, charging infrastructure purchases and/or installation and/or associated expenses.
• Professional services related to the administration or management of the project, ongoing operating expenses such as monthly rent or leasing costs, property management or maintenance fees, electricity or hydro, heat, internet and telecommunication expenses, costs incurred outside the eligible expenditure period, and out-of-scope project types including technician training programs, online or digital-only projects for the general public, vehicle-only education projects, projects solely focused on charging electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, and micromobility solutions.

Eligible geographic areas

• Underserved regions of Canada: the Territories, Prairie Provinces, Atlantic Canada, rural areas, or marginalized or racialized urban communities.

• Projects are first reviewed for completeness and must meet all mandatory criteria to proceed; they are then assessed, rated, and ranked by a multi-disciplinary review committee.
• Project Objectives – 15 points; Target Audience – 10 points; Benefits of the Project – 10 points, including KPI targets and measurement methods.
• Project Activities and Timeline – 15 points; Capacity to Deliver Projects – 15 points.
• Risk Mitigation – 10 points; Reach and Impact Regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – 5 points; Participation from Indigenous Organizations to Benefit Indigenous Audiences – 5 points.
• Involvement of Partners and Collaborators – 15 points; priority is given to projects in an advanced state of readiness, and NRCan may not select projects similar or identical to previously funded projects or may choose not to select higher-scoring projects first to ensure program objectives are met and underserved regions are adequately funded.

• Request an application package by email with the subject line Request for Application Package: Education and Awareness Projects Call for Proposals.
• Submit a single copy of the complete application package by 23:59 Eastern Standard Time, February 19, 2026.
• Submit the package to NRCan in digital format by email, or in hard copy by courier or registered mail; electronic versions are preferred.
• If submitting by courier or registered mail, include a memory stick with electronic versions of all relevant files, clearly marked with the name of the organization and the project title, and inform NRCan by email if the application is being delivered by courier.
• Retain proof of the time the application package and supporting documentation were sent to NRCan.

• NRCan acknowledges receipt of submitted applications, which may take up to five business days.
• Applications are reviewed for completeness, then assessed against mandatory criteria and merit criteria by a multi-disciplinary review committee.
• Selected applicants undergo financial due diligence, including review of additional documentation such as audited financial statements.
• Successful applicants receive a letter of conditional approval and are invited to negotiate a contribution agreement; final selection remains at NRCan’s sole discretion.
• Payments are reimbursement-based, no advance payments are made, final payment is withheld until all project activities are complete and acceptable, and recipients must report on financials, milestones, payment claims, outcomes, and post-project KPI results; recipients may be audited during and after the project.

• NRCan encourages applicants to highlight aspects of project proposals that will advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within project teams, activities, and outcomes.
• Applicants may submit more than one proposal, and each application will be assessed independently.