Funding

Photo: Roy Rea

89 Total 2023–2024 Projects

28 Coastal Region Projects

33 Columbia Region Projects

28 Peace Region Projects

Grant update

If you applied for a 2024-2025 fish or wildlife grant, you can except to receive news about your grant application by early March, 2024.

If your grant application is approved, get ready for the next steps. Read Next Steps for F25 grant recipients.

Find out more in the FAQ below. Contact us if you have any questions.

Subscribe to our newsletter and connect with us on Instagram and LinkedIn to stay informed.

Project lists

Learn more about the projects we’re funding in our Coastal, Columbia, and Peace regions. Read our project lists. Visit our CoastalColumbia and Peace region interactive project maps. See our project map.

Manage your project

If you have an existing grant, use our online grant management system to manage your project. Login here. Contact Melissa if you have any problems logging in.

See our user guides for grant recipients:
User Guide for Submitting a Change Request
User Guide for Submitting a Progress Report
User Guide for Submitting a Progress or Final Statement of Account Task
User Guide for Submitting a Draft Final Report

Contact us if you have questions.

Manage your grant

Community engagement grants

Our Community Engagement Grants are typically $500 to $1,000 and help stewardship groups and others take action to benefit local fish and wildlife.

We accept applications for Community Engagement Grants all year until the funding is fully allocated. Apply anytime.

NOTICE: Our Community Engagement Grant funding has been fully allocated in our Coastal Region. Applications for our Coastal Region can be submitted for the next fiscal year after April 1, 2024. Applications for our Columbia and Peace regions are still being accepted.

Apply

2023-2024 projects

In 2023–2024, our regional boards approved ~$10.2 million for 89 fish and wildlife projects. Our Coastal Region board approved 28 projects, our Columbia Region approved 33 projects, and our Peace Region approved 28 projects.

A wide range of species and ecosystems will benefit from the projects approved in our Coastal, Columbia and Peace regions. Some projects will result in immediate benefits to species, others will fill important data gaps that will help define future conservation actions, and some are multi-year projects that build on work and results year-over-year. Regardless, all projects support our vision of thriving fish and wildlife in watersheds that are functioning and sustainable.

How are grant applications evaluated?

How are grant applications evaluated?

All grant applications go through a three-stage review process that ends with a decision by our three regional boards.

Stage 1: review by FWCP office

  • Project eligibility: Does the proposed project align with our project eligibility criteria?
  • Proponent status: Is the project proponent in good standing with FWCP? If applicable, are past project deliverables complete?
  • Completeness: Have all grant application requirements been fulfilled?

Stage 2: review by technical committees and First Nations Working Groups

Fish and wildlife technical committees in each region review each grant application for technical merit. In our Columbia and Peace regions, First Nations Working Groups also evaluate grant applications.

Results from the technical committees (all regions) and First Nations Working Groups (Columbia and Peace regions) reviews are provided to each board to assist in their review and decision-making in stage 3.
During this stage, our technical committees (all regions) will be evaluating grant applications for:

  • Alignment with the priority action(s) and the intended outcome (see priority action table in each action plan): Are there clear objectives that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound?
  • Technical design: Are the methods and approaches for the proposed project acceptable and appropriate? Are there direct benefits to fish and/or wildlife?
  • Urgency: What are the implications if the proposed project is approved, or is not approved?
  • Budget: Are the charges for fees and expenses appropriate? Is there a demonstrated good value for the money?
  • Relevant credentials and experience of the team members, and roles of individuals on the project: Does the project team have the skills, expertise, and capacity to carry out the project? Are the right people in the right roles?
  • Community engagement: Does the project include a community engagement component (e.g., project involves volunteers, an outreach event, etc.)?
  • Overall quality of the grant application: Is it a clear, easily understood grant application and project proposal with strong linkages to the priority action(s) and intended outcome(s)?

During this stage, our First Nations Working Groups (Columbia and Peace regions) will be evaluating grant applications for:

  • Inclusion of Indigenous knowledge.
  • Incorporation of First Nations cultural values and perspectives.
  • Approach to sharing project results with First Nations communities.
  • Engagement of First Nations in the proposed project, where appropriate.

Stage 3: review by board members

The three regional boards review each grant application for projects proposed in their region. The boards consider the results of all stage 1 and stage 2 evaluations and make decisions on which grant applications will be approved with conditions. The regional boards evaluate the grant applications and are responsible for all project and funding decisions in each region.
During this stage, our regional boards will be evaluating grant applications for:

  • Alignment with the FWCP’s vision, mission, and any applicable regional guidance.
  • A clear and well-defined approach that aligns with the priority action, as stated in the relevant action plan(s).
  • A strong linkage between the proposed project and the intended outcome(s) as stated in the relevant action plan(s).
  • First Nations engagement is part of the review and evaluation of all grant applications. We recognize engagement may not necessarily result in First Nations involvement, but you will be required to document your engagement efforts in your grant application and provide a rationale why you may not have First Nations involved in your proposed project.
  • Community engagement: Does your proposed project include a community engagement component? Demonstrated effort to engage with First Nations, stakeholders, and other communities of interest.
  • Partnerships: The FWCP values partnerships and encourages grant applicants to identify and involve project partners and/or funding partners to leverage FWCP funds. Inclusion of project and funding partnerships other than FWCP.

Who decides what projects get FWCP funding?

We fund projects that align with our Action Plans, which reflect regional conservation priorities and priority actions. An independent Board in each region reviews all grant applications and project funding decisions. Our Boards include representatives from BC Hydro, the Province of B.C., Fisheries and Oceans Canada, First Nations and public stakeholders.

To learn more about our grants and projects we fund, sign up for our newsletter at fwcp.ca/subscribe.

How do I apply for a grant?

When are grant applications due?

Our annual grant intake period is closed on Monday, October 30, 2023. We’re carrying out our three-stage evaluation of each application.

Next year’s grant intake will open in August 2024. Subscribe and follow to stay informed.

How do I apply for a grant?

Follow these steps:

1.    Review our regional action plans

Our regional action plans identify the priority actions eligible for FWCP grants (see the action tables in each action plan). Your proposed project must align with one or more priority action(s) in any of our regional action plans.

Our regional managers can help you align your project idea with a priority action(s) in our action plans.

2.    Develop a project idea to fulfil an action

Develop a project idea that aligns with one or more priority action(s) in any action plan(s) that will achieve the intended outcome(s). Be sure you have selected an OPEN or OPEN/DIRECTED priority action.

REMINDER!

Review relevant project reports and outcomes

Before developing your grant application, review our project report list for relevant work already completed. If there is a relevant project report, consider how, or if, the work you propose in your grant application will build on past work. The FWCP has posted more than 500 final reports on provincial databases, making our project results and data available to anyone. A searchable spreadsheet for all final project reports is available at http://fwcp.ca/results/.

You may also wish to review relevant provincial databases for projects not funded by the FWCP to identify recommendations or reports that could support your grant application.
Species Inventory Database
EIRS: Environmental Information Resource System
EcoCat: Ecological Reports Catalogue
CLIR: Cross-Linked Information Resources

3.    Review our regional guidance documents

Each of our three regions—Coastal, Columbia, and Peace—are unique, and the requirements for grant applicants vary by region. To help with your grant application, we prepare updated guidance documents annually for each region.

4.    Start your online grant application

Our annual grant intake closed on Monday, October 30, 2023. Next year’s grant intake will begin in August 2024.

5.    Complete all mandatory sections of the grant application

Be sure to complete all sections of the online grant application and fulfil all mandatory requirements. These requirements vary by region.

6.    Submit your online grant application by the application deadline

We suggest you avoid submitting your application immediately before the deadline in case you need to make corrections or additions. We only review grant applications received by the deadline. The next grant intake will open in August 2024.

We suggest you avoid submitting your application immediately before the deadline in case you need to make corrections or additions. Grant intake closes on Monday, October 30, 2023 at 4 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. MT. We only review grant applications received by the deadline.

Tips for completing grant applications

  • You can save your grant application and return to it anytime.
  • The grant application is organized by key sections (see tabs in the online grant application), and you can complete the grant application in any order.

Tips for multi-year grant applications

  • If your project spans multiple years, you must apply for funding annually. Approval of annual FWCP funding for a multi-year project does not guarantee FWCP funding in future years.
  • If you are in year two or more of a multi-year project, you can save time by contacting our Environmental Project Coordinator, Melissa Fiel de Sousa (Melissa.FieldeSousa@bchydro.com or 604-528-8136), to request a copy of your previous application. This copy can be used to start the current year’s grant application.
  • If you are beyond year one of your multi-year project, your grant application must identify achievements and challenges encountered in previous year(s).

Who can apply for an FWCP grant?

Eligible grant applicants include: First Nations, communities, and businesses; consultants, agencies, non-government organizations, individuals, and academic institutions.

All successful grant applicants must be able to provide:

  1. a WorkSafe BC clearance letter; and
  2. proof of commercial general liability.

What's in a grant application?

This section provides an overview of our grant applications and what information you’ll be asked to provide.

Description

Project summary: Project title, project summary statement, and project urgency

Project details: Species that will benefit, detailed project description

Applicant information

Applicant information: Organization, project contact, signing authority, collaborators, project supporters, and project volunteers

Project information

Project location information: Map, location description, project coordinates (latitude and longitude)

Alignment with action plan(s): Primary action plan, sub objective, action type, alignment with priority action and intended outcome(s), and optional alignment with secondary action plan

Single or multi-year project: Project duration, provide overview of project achievements and challenges for ongoing multi-year projects

Project phases: Start-up, field work, data entry and analysis, community engagement, draft reporting, and final reporting

Benefits: Benefits to fish and/or wildlife

Ongoing maintenance: Is ongoing maintenance required to sustain benefits?

Community engagement: What are your plans to share results and engage with First Nations, stakeholders, and others?

Permits and approval: BC Hydro-owned lands, proximity to BC Hydro facility, landowners, required permits, and approvals

Funding: Is this a resubmission of a previously “not approved” application?

Project budget

Budget:

  • Labour expenses, materials, equipment, transportation, and field expenses
  • Project administration costs
  • GST section
  • Additional revenue (i.e., other funding sources, in-kind and volunteer contributions)

Notes:

  • For materials and equipment, the FWCP does not provide funding to purchase non-consumable items (e.g., GPS units, cameras, electronics, boats, tents, etc.). Rental rates for non-consumable items are acceptable.
  • How GST is claimed depends on your organization type. There are three options:
  1. Not-for-profit, government, and CHUMS (charities, hospitals, universities, municipalities, and schools) organizations would be expected to incur some GST on their inputs. The FWCP can be responsible for the net amount of GST after the organization’s rebate percentage (i.e., if you get a rebate of 75% of your GST, FWCP can cover the remaining 25%). The remaining GST needs to be entered as part of the project cost and within the line items.
  2. Consultants and registered businesses (which don’t receive a GST rebate) would be expected to incur GST and claim a full input tax credit on their inputs. The estimated GST that would apply to the total FWCP contribution needs to be split out from the project cost and line items and entered in the GST section of the budget along with the organization’s GST number.
  3. If you don’t have a GST number or prefer to use FWCP funding to pay for the GST portion of your project, estimate the cost(s) with GST and enter it as part of the project cost and within the line items.
  • Travel expenses (meals and mileage) need to align with accepted standardized rates:

Per diem meal rates: breakfast = $18; lunch = $20; dinner = $34

Mileage: highway = $0.68/km; 4×4 (when mode required) = $0.95/km

  • Total FWCP contribution towards administration costs (telephone charges, photocopies, printing, mailing/courier, etc.) is not to exceed 5% of the total FWCP contribution for project expenses for government and 10% for non-government. Administration costs should not be specified for consultants whose rates normally include administration costs.
  • The total project cost includes funding from all sources, including, but not limited to, the FWCP, other funders (if any), the total value of all in-kind contributions (if any), and applicable taxes.
  • For the additional revenue section, in-kind and volunteer contributions should be expressed as $250/day for skilled labour and $100/day for unskilled labour for a standard day of eight hours. For professionals, use standard charge-out rates.

Proposals

A six-page (maximum) project proposal is required for all Large Grant applications only. A proposal is not required for Seed Grant applications.

Optional letters of support

Letters of support for your project are optional in our Columbia Region, but they can be used to strengthen your grant application. If you choose to submit letters of support along with your grant application, please ensure the letter author(s) clearly indicate their support for your proposed project and specify their involvement (i.e., actively involved, engaged in project planning and/or delivery, providing in-kind and/or cash support, or supporting the project in principle). A letter of support should come from an organization, First Nation, or government agency, and it should demonstrate how the support is relevant to your project.

Experience

Project contact experience: It is mandatory to include the experience and credentials of the project contact. We encourage you to provide the credentials and experience of key team members so we can properly evaluate your grant application.

Where are the action plans?

Our action plans guide FWCP investments in fish and wildlife projects, and are referenced annually by our regional Boards to track progress toward implementation, set annual priorities, and guide decision-making in setting out and approving the annual operating plan for each region. Actions in our action plans are eligible for FWCP funding and align with our vision, mission, and geographic scope.

Coastal Region Watershed Action Plans

Columbia Region Action Plans

Peace Region Action Plans

What about FWCP grants?

What grants are available?

1.    Seed Grants

Use our Seed Grant to grow your idea. Seed Grants are aimed at helping you explore the feasibility of your project idea and could be the first step towards developing a larger project. Up to a maximum of $5,000 is available from the FWCP for project ideas that align with our regional action plans.

Seed Grants are intended to offset costs to fill information gaps, explore project feasibility, and prepare technical information to support a Large Grant application in a subsequent year. 

2.    Large Grants

If you are ready to implement a proposed project that aligns with our regional action plans, apply for a Large Grant.

You will be asked to submit a written project proposal (maximum six pages) with a budget as part of your online grant application.

What projects are eligible for an FWCP grant?

What projects are eligible for a grant?

Each FWCP region has a set of action plans that identify the priority actions eligible for FWCP grants (see the action tables in each action plan).

We fund five types of projects and our action plan tables identify priority actions by project type:

  1. research and information acquisition;
  2. habitat-based actions;
  3. species-based actions;
  4. monitoring and evaluation; and
  5. land securement.

Your proposed project must align with one or more priority action(s) in any of our regional action plans.

Each priority action is identified as OPEN, OPEN/DIRECTED, or DIRECTED.

DELIVERY METHOD
OPEN                           Eligible for a grant. Go ahead and apply!
OPEN/DIRECTED       Eligible for a grant. Go ahead and apply!
DIRECTED                    Not eligible for a grant. Do not apply for a grant for this action. Our regional boards will address DIRECTED projects through other funding mechanisms.

What does the FWCP fund?

We fund and support the following types of actions, which are consistent with our mandate:

  • Fund actions to create, restore, or otherwise improve the function of ecosystems that have been impacted by BC Hydro activities.
  • Fund actions to create, restore, or otherwise improve the function of alternate ecosystems that provide a better opportunity for investment.
  • Participate as a team member in species of interest planning.
  • Fund specific management actions for species of interest as identified by recovery teams and action/implementation groups.
  • Fund baseline inventory that contributes to the development of habitat- or species-based actions within action plans.
  • Fund monitoring programs designed to measure the effectiveness of FWCP-funded habitat- and species-based actions.
  • Contribute to all aspects of managing co-operatively managed conservation lands.

What does the FWCP NOT fund?

We do not fund or support the following activities, which are beyond our mandate:

  • Fund core activities of government or non-government agencies or programs.
  • Lead the development of species recovery goals.
  • Fund, co-ordinate, or lead national recovery teams for species at risk.
  • Develop policy related to land or wildlife management.
  • Administer government regulations.
  • Engage in enforcement and compliance activities, except in relation to co-operatively managed conservation lands.
  • Fund programs designed exclusively to address government objectives.

Why does FWCP offer fish and wildlife grants?

What is the FWCP?

The Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) is a partnership between BC Hydro, the Province of B.C, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, First Nations, and public stakeholders to conserve and enhance fish and wildlife in watersheds impacted by existing BC Hydro dams.

Why does FWCP fund projects?

The FWCP was established to compensate for impacts to fish, wildlife, and their supporting habitat, resulting from the construction of existing BC Hydro dams.

BC Hydro has water licence obligations in the Columbia and Peace regions, and has made voluntary commitments to address the impacts of dams in the Coastal Region. BC Hydro fulfils the applicable obligations through the work of the FWCP.

The FWCP is funded annually by BC Hydro. The FWCP directs those funds towards projects that address priority actions across its three regions to fulfil its mission, and work towards its vision of thriving fish and wildlife populations in watersheds that are functioning and sustainable.

How is the FWCP funded?

The Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) conserves and enhances fish and wildlife in watersheds impacted by BC Hydro dams. The FWCP is funded annually by BC Hydro. The FWCP directs those funds towards priority actions across its three regions to fulfil its mission and work towards its vision of thriving fish and wildlife populations in watersheds that are functioning and sustainable.

By funding projects to support fish and wildlife populations in our Coastal, Columbia and Peace Regions, the FWCP is fulfilling BC Hydro’s applicable water licence obligations and voluntary commitments to compensate for fish and wildlife impacts.