Ontario Community Environment Fund

How not-for-profit organizations, municipalities, schools, colleges, universities, conservation authorities, as well as First Nation and Métis organizations and communities can get government grants for local projects to help protect and restore the environment.

About the fund

Ontario is committed to protecting human health and the natural environment.

As part of our Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan, we are:

committed to holding polluters accountable through penalties
strengthening enforcement tools to ensure compliance with environmental laws

Communities can access funding for projects that help restore the environment. In 2021, we are making $900,000 available for the Ontario Community Environment Fund (OCEF).

These funds are collected from environmental penalties and can be used for local projects that support the restoration of areas impacted by the effects of pollution.

How it works

We may issue environmental penalties when either:

industrial facilities don’t follow Ontario’s environmental rules
a spill occurs
an environmental impact occurs

The Ontario Community Environment Fund uses money collected from these penalties to support projects that improve the environment in the region(s) where the violation or environmental impact happened.

Projects that are eligible for support focus on:

increasing environmental restoration and remediation activities which repair environmental harm
resilient communities and local solutions to environmental issues

Applicants must demonstrate that their project will have a direct environmental benefit to protect or restore the environment.

We will evaluate applications for the respective project’s technical merit and potential to benefit the environment and community.

Who can apply

The fund is open to:

First Nation and Métis communities and organizations
schools, colleges and universities
conservation authorities and conservation foundations
municipalities
incorporated not-for-profit organizations
incorporated community-based groups

Eligible regions and grant amounts

To qualify, your project must be based in a region where environmental penalties were collected. Check the interactive map and list below to confirm how much funding is available for your area.

Please type in your address and press the Search button to find out your MECP region:

Region	2021 grant amount
Southwest	$306,151.65
West-Central	$43,298.00
Eastern	$62,864.40
Northern	$475,009.52
Central	$0 - funding is not available in 2021

Eligible projects

Funding is available for two different kinds of environmental improvement projects. These include projects that focus on:

Increasing environmental restoration and remediation activities which repair environmental harm. For example:
- planting trees, shrubs or plants to help mitigate and adapt to climate change
- rebuilding fish habitat and creating fish spawning beds
- stabilizing stream banks and creating buffer strips to reduce nutrient run-off
- restoring streams to improve habitat and water quality
Resilient communities and local solutions to environmental issues. For example:
- improving the resilience of natural ecosystems by restoring wetlands and preserving areas of significant environmental and ecological importance
- installing rain gardens to reduce the risk of flooding and help communities adapt to climate change

The minimum funding request is $5,000.

How to apply

Step 1: review the application guide.

Step 2: all applications must be submitted electronically through Transfer Payment Ontario. Applicants must have a Transfer Payment Ontario account to apply.

Step 3: follow the guide and complete the application form through Transfer Payment Ontario.

Step 4: provide supporting documents. If you feel that the evaluation of your proposal would be improved by any of the following documents, please attach them to your application in Transfer Payment Ontario:

detailed budget (Excel spreadsheet) including all project costs and funding sources – mandatory attachment
a map or sketch of the project location – mandatory attachment
signed letters from key organizations or individuals (such as, landowners, funders and project partners)
organizational chart
copies of required permits, approvals or permit applications
a copy of your organization’s purchasing policy
Band Council resolution, or motion, or letter of support from the Chief

Questions

If you have any questions about the Ontario Community Environment Fund, you can:

Call the Public Information Centre:

1-800-565-4923
1-800-515-2759(for people with hearing disabilities)

Contact the Ontario Community Environment Fund Project Manager:

647-620-5572
OCEF@ontario.ca

For help and assistance with Transfer Payment Ontario contact the Transfer Payment Ontario Customer Service, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST (Eastern Standard Time) at: