Deadline: 28-Apr-23
Natural Resources Canada has announced the applications for the Deep Retrofit Accelerator Initiative to support projects that facilitate the accelerated development of deep retrofit projects.
In March 2022, the Government of Canada released its 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) – the first under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. This roadmap outlines a sector-by-sector path for Canada to reach its emissions reduction target of 40 to 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, and net-zero emissions by 2050.
In order to meet its climate targets, the Government of Canada must increase the depth and rate of building retrofits. Retrofits, especially deep retrofits, are complex projects with many moving parts – from project pre-development to financing and project implementation – and involve many players. This complexity generates barriers to the development of deep retrofit projects across Canada.
Purpose
- The purpose of this initiative is to support projects that facilitate the accelerated development of deep retrofit projects.
- This initiative provides a non-repayable contribution for projects that:
- identify and/or aggregate deep retrofit projects
- guide individual building owners in the process of developing and implementing specific retrofit projects
- identify available funding and financing for specific deep retrofit projects
- conduct capacity building activities, such as developing or implementing novel, standardized, or replicable approaches to deep retrofits
Objectives
The Deep Retrofit Accelerator initiative (DRAI) is a program that provides contributions for projects that facilitate the accelerated development of deep retrofits in commercial, institutional or mid- or high-rise multi-unit residential buildings in Canada.
The objectives of the program are to:
- build capacity for, and address barriers to, deep retrofit project development and implementation
- facilitate the development of deep retrofit projects in Canada
- contribute to transforming the buildings sector in support of the Government of Canada’s climate goals
Funding Information
- The program’s total available funding is $185.5 million, spread over four fiscal years (2023/24 to 2026/27). Funding may be cancelled or reduced in the event that departmental funding levels are reduced by Parliament.
- The program will reserve a portion of this total available funding to support projects that are led by Indigenous Recipients or focus on Indigenous communities. Applications in this particular category will be evaluated against each other. This intake will expire on the earlier of a) depleted funding; or b) March 31, 2025.
- The total available funding will reimburse recipients up to:
- 100% of total eligible expenditures for:
- provincial, territorial, regional and municipal governments and their departments and agencies where applicable
- Indigenous governments or organizations (e.g. band councils, land claim organizations)
- not-for-profit organizations, including and public health, educational and cultural organizations
- 75% of total eligible expenditures for:
- for-profit organizations (organizations are not to make profit from federal funding)
- 100% of total eligible expenditures for:
Eligible Projects
This funding supports projects that meet each of these four elements:
- identify and/or aggregate deep retrofit projects
- guide individual building owners in the process of developing and implementing specific retrofit projects
- identify available funding and financing for specific deep retrofit projects
- conduct capacity building activities
Eligible Activities
Eligible activities funded include, but are not limited to:
- Energy or carbon audits/assessments, such as: energy performance analysis, identification, recommendations or coordination of measures, aggregation potential, maximizing electrification or carbon reduction potential, etc.
- Development of business cases/plans/proposals for various audiences (owners or shareholders, financers, tenants, etc.), proposal development facilitation
- Development of project plans that emphasize a holistic approach to retrofits, which may include work plans for: procurement, project design, integrated design charrettes, project management and administration, etc.
- Deep retrofit implementation facilitation and project support (excluding capital costs), including tendering, selection, coordination, evaluation, and management of engineering or architectural services, construction trades, other services
- Development and/or implementation of project/program evaluations, monitoring, technical studies
- Commissioning and/or recommissioning and building optimizing assessments/studies
- Onboarding, embedding, training or hiring energy managers or retrofit coordinators for client organizations
- Selecting, configuring, operating, or training client organizations for the use of monitoring and tracking systems
- Implementing or training for the use of energy benchmarking and reporting, and project monitoring and verification (M&V)
- Application for, or achievement of, standards or labeling outcomes such as ISO 50001 energy management standard, BOMA Best, LEED or ENERGY STAR Certification, etc.
- Stakeholder engagement and communication and awareness programs, including knowledge/information dissemination, hosting conferences and information sessions and training (including development and delivery)
- Delivering design workshops
- Technical studies / best practices to support innovative approaches for market transformation
Eligibility Criteria
- Legal entities validly incorporated or registered in Canada, including for-profit and not-for-profit organizations
- Canadian provincial, territorial, regional and municipal governments and their departments and agencies, including public sector bodies, crown corporations or boards that are established by or under provincial or territorial statute or by regulation or are wholly owned by a province, territory or local or regional government
- Indigenous governing bodies, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations and communities
For more information, visit Natural Resources Canada.
