Business Smart Grants in Canada

Deadline: 18-Jan-23

The Columbia Basin Trust is now accepting applications for its Business Smart (Sustainable, Mitigation, Adaptation, and Resilience Transition) Grants to support Basin businesses to make operational and infrastructure upgrades to help mitigate or adapt to the impacts of climate change.

What types of projects are eligible?

Eligible projects must result in enhancements or transformations to your business operations that lead to climate mitigation (reduce greenhouse gases), adaptation (adapt to the effects of a changing Basin climate), greater resiliency or increased energy efficiency. Your business must demonstrate a need for the project and commitment to complete the project.
Your business must be based in one of the following sectors: agriculture; food production, processing or retail; production or manufacturing; construction; transportation; service; hospitality; or retail.
Project examples may include, but are not limited to:
- projects that improve resilience to climate change impacts such as enhancement to buildings and associated landscape management measures (i.e., property enhancements to provide resiliency against flooding, fire or heat such as flood alarms, sump pumps, site drainage, shade, sprinklers, building envelope enhancements to improve fire resistance);
- upgrading to energy-efficient appliances or equipment;
- energy efficiency improvements to buildings which aim to conserve or generate green energy (i.e., air source heat pumps, led lighting and heating, cooling, ventilation and insulation, etc.);
- food producer/processor building retrofits that support effective food storage, and reduce food spoilage;
- enhanced watering (drip irrigation) and/or shade to mitigate crop/livestock heat stress;
- technologies for food retailers and restaurants to compost/reduce or divert food waste;
- additive manufacturing technology (i.e., 3D printers) to reduce waste and carbon footprint;
- transitioning to Hydrofluorocarbon-free refrigeration, air-conditioning, building insulation, fire extinguishing equipment;
- resource recovery technologies (technologies to reduce material, address resource waste or use more recycled material);.
- transitioning toward modular-i-zation/off-site construction to reduce the carbon footprint of the construction process;
- electrification of heavy equipment;
- design and process/material optimization (including waste-reduction, increased usage of scrap material and reduced recycling-yield losses); and
- greening the fleet (i.e., purchase of up to two new battery or plug-in hybrid electric fleet vehicles and charging stations).

What types of projects are not eligible?

Ineligible projects include projects that:
- focus on research, planning, or campaigns;
- result in improvements to personal residences;
- are intended for personal use of staff/volunteers;
- are intended to be rented out;
- involve the adoption of technologies that are not market-ready;
- relieve any level of government of its obligations;
- involve advocacy and/or lobbying; and/ or
- involve upgrades to energy-efficient commercial, multi-unit residential or light industrial buildings covered by FortisBC or BC Hydro.
- Individual project eligibility is determined by the Trust at its sole discretion.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants are businesses in the Basin region.
Your business must:
- have been in operation for more than two years
- have between two and 50 direct full time employees
- have at least $75,000 in annual revenues in the previous tax year
- have a WorkSafeBC account in good standing
- if incorporated, be in good standing with BC Corporate Registry
- adhere to all applicable labour laws
- demonstrate how the project will mitigate or adapt to the impacts of climate change, and/or reduce GHG emissions
- demonstrate ability to support ongoing maintenance of any acquired infrastructure
- intend to apply or have applied to other available and applicable federal, provincial, local and/or industry funding programs and/or rebates
- demonstrate ownership of property if applying for infrastructure that will be installed on the building and/or land