Grants to British Columbia Agricultural and Indigenous Producers, Producer and Conservation Groups, and Agencies to Improve Water Infrastructure

Agricultural Water Infrastructure (AWI) Program

Agency

Foundation

GrantWatch ID#

210062

Funding Source

B.C. Investment Agriculture Foundation (IAF)

Geographic Focus

Canada:British Columbia;

Important Dates

Deadline: 09/19/23 4:30 PM

Grant Description

Grants to British Columbia agricultural producers, producer groups, conservation groups, government agencies, and Indigenous producers for efforts to improve water infrastructure. Applicants are required to register in the grant portal prior to submitting an application. The goal of the program is to improve water security in agricultural areas and food security in British Columbia. The Agricultural Water Infrastructure Program will help the sector in adapting to climate change by providing incentives for the sector to invest in water infrastructure for adaptation.

Program Objectives:

Target funding in water-scarce and drought-prone areas that will be increasingly stressed by climate change, and that will benefit from more efficient infrastructure or storage to maximize available water for agricultural uses particularly irrigation and livestock watering; and
Target funding in areas with sufficient water supply or with high potential for farmland expansion that could lead to an increase in agricultural production with additional water infrastructure.

Program Structure:

Funding is available to producers through three application-based funding streams:

Stream 1: Improvement, rehabilitation, expansion or new construction of water storage systems for farms (including agricultural dams).

Eligible activities:

Activity 1: Rehabilitation and upgrades of agricultural (regulated and unregulated) dams and reservoirs to meet regulatory requirements
Activity 2: Improvement, expansion or new construction of dugouts and storage facilities for irrigation water and livestock watering, including rangeland
Activity 3: New construction of reservoirs and large storage facilities

Stream 2: Improvement, expansion or new construction of off-farm conveyance and water supply systems to farms.

Eligible Activities:

Activity 1: Improvement, expansion, or new construction of off-farm conversion of conveyance ditches to pipelines where savings of 30 to 50% can be achieved
Activity 2: Improvement, expansion, or new construction of delivery systems to the farm gate from off-farm storage reservoirs and licensed intakes on streams
Activity 3: Extension of an existing water purveyor network to expand water supply to additional agricultural lands
Activity 4: Development of new water purveyed systems to agricultural land
Activity 5: Installation of meters where a universal agricultural water metering program is being implemented by a water purveyor

Stream 3: Agricultural water supply assessments, engineering studies or plans.

Eligible Activities:

Activity 1: Water supply assessments or feasibility studies in key agricultural areas to determine available water supply.
Activity 2: Engineering studies or plans for water purveyors to assess and determine opportunities for upgrades and expansion of existing purveyed water systems.
Activity 3: Dam engineering assessments, dam emergency plans, dam safety reviews, redetermination of consequence classification or any professional consultative services as required under the Dam Safety Regulation (DSR).

For additional information regarding these streams, see: https://iafbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/AWI_Program_Guide.pdf#page=4

Recipient

Additional Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible, applicants must be appropriately registered, licensed and/or certified to conduct business in British Columbia. Eligible applicants to the program include:
- Incorporated and individual producers.
- Agricultural and conservation groups.
- Irrigation/improvement districts and local/municipal governments that supply water to agriculture.
- Indigenous Communities and Indigenous Producers.

Stream 1 eligible participants:
To be eligible, applicants must be appropriately registered, licensed and/or certified to conduct business in British Columbia. Eligible applicants to the program include:
- Incorporated and individual producers.
- Agricultural and conservation groups.
- Irrigation/improvement districts and local/municipal governments that supply water to agriculture.
- Indigenous Communities and Indigenous Producers.

Stream 2 eligible participants:
To be eligible, applicants must be appropriately registered, licensed and/or certified to conduct business in British Columbia. Eligible applicants to the program include:
Activities 1 & 2:
- Incorporated and individual producers.
- Agricultural and conservation groups.
- Irrigation/improvement districts and local/municipal governments that supply water to agriculture.
- Indigenous Communities and Indigenous Producers.

Activities 3, 4, & 5:
Irrigation/improvement districts & local/municipal governments including First Nations.

Stream 3 eligible participants:
Activities 1 & 2:
- Irrigation/improvement districts & local/municipal governments including First Nations.

Activity 3:
- Incorporated and individual producers.
- Agricultural and conservation groups.
- Irrigation/improvement districts and local/municipal governments that supply water to agriculture.
- Indigenous Communities and Indigenous Producers.

Ineligible

Ineligible Participants
The following applicants are not eligible to participate in this program:
- Non-agricultural individuals or groups, including Seafood/Aquaculture.
- Provincial and federal governments.
- Crown Corporations.

For information regarding Stream 1 ineligible items, see: https://iafbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/AWI_Program_Guide.pdf#page=5

For information regarding Stream 2 ineligible items, see: https://iafbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/AWI_Program_Guide.pdf#page=10

For information regarding Stream 3 ineligible items, see: https://iafbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/AWI_Program_Guide.pdf#page=17

Retroactive costs will not be considered. All projects must receive IAF approval before starting activities or incurring any project costs.

Pre-Application Information

IAF will invite applicants for Streams 1-3 to apply through the IAF Client Portal from June 27th, 2023. Applications will be accepted on a continual basis until funding is fully committed.

While applications will be continually received, batches of applications will be reviewed and funded based on priorities provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and available funds. The review dates for each application batch for the 2023/24 fiscal year are as follows:
- August 15, 2023
- September 19, 2023*
*Dependent on program fund availability. Intake deadlines will be determined and posted online based on program uptake and funding remaining.

Your organization must register through the IAF Client Portal to apply to IAF programs. Please note, if you have not already registered this process can take up to 2 business days and must be completed before the application deadline.

IAF will complete adjudication within 60 days after an intake review date, followed by decision emails to applicants.

Stacking of funds from other government programs is allowed up to 100% of project costs provided the programs are not delivered by IAF.

Cost-shared ratio:
Stream 1: 50% up to $1M
Stream 2: 50% up to $2M
Stream 3: 75% up to $100K

An initial payment (50%) will be made by IAF to all projects upon signing of their contribution agreement, however IAF may reduce this advance based on project/applicant risk. Interim and final payments will be made based on actual expenses reported and payments will be made in arrears.

If permits are pending/under review but the application is otherwise complete, IAF will proceed to consider and adjudicate the application. However, any approval will be conditional until all required documentation is received.

IAF Client Portal assistance tutorials: https://iafbc.ca/client-portal-support/

Additional Funding Information

Estimated Total Program Funding:

$20,000,000

Estimated Size of Grant

Stream 1: up to $1 million
Stream 2: up to $2 million
Stream 3: up to $100,000

Term of Contract

- Project Start Date on or after: September 15, 2023
- Three-year program.
- All projects must be completed by January 15, 2026.

Contact Information

Application: https://iafbc.fluxx.io/user_sessions/new

Contact the IAF Team:
awi@iafbc.ca

IAF
PO Box 8248 Victoria, BC, V8W 3R9
Courier Unit 301 – 747 Fort Street
Victoria, BC, V8W 3E9
T 250.940.6150
E info@iafbc.ca

Grants to British Columbia Agricultural and Indigenous Producers, Producer and Conservation Groups, and Agencies to Improve Water Infrastructure

Agricultural Water Infrastructure (AWI) Program

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