Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change Program

💡What Is This Program?

🎁What Benefits Are Offered?

Financial and technical support for farms and community pastures to adopt Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) that reduce environmental risks, enhance environmental benefits, cut GHG emissions, and aid climate change adaptation.

📋What Are the Application Steps & Timeline?

📝Steps to ApplySource

• Read and follow the Submission Guidelines carefully
• Follow the instructions in the Proposal Funding Application Form
• Submit two hard copies of your proposal to the FUND
• Submit a copy of the proposal by electronic media or email
• Ensure the proposal arrives by the deadline

🌐Application PortalSource

https://novascotia.ca/fish/funding-programs/

📤Submission MethodSource

mail

📅Key DatesSource

March 1Proposal Submission Deadline

March 15 to April 1Review Period

April 1 to March 1 of the following yearProject Duration

🔄Intake TypeSource

fixed-deadline

📄What Documents Are Required?

✅Required DocumentsSource

• Completed application form
• Environmental Farm Plan (EFP)
• Parcel Identification Number (PID)
• Proof of financial activities for community pastures (if applicable)
• Long-term lease or rental agreement (for leased land)

📎Optional DocumentsSource

• Letters of support from partners

📐Format Requirements

PDF only, max 10MB

✉️Supporting LettersSource

Letters of support from partners are recommended.

💰What Expenses Are Eligible?

🧾Eligible ExpensesSource

• Equipment modifications to reduce soil compaction
• Frost protection measures
• Installations of weather stations
• Acquisition and installation of physical anti-insect barriers
• Acquisition or modification of mechanical weeding equipment
• Implementation of biosecurity measures
• In crop non-chemical weeding practices
• Water mobile tanks for spray applications
• Insect and disease monitoring equipment
• Extensive wintering site pasture management
• Acidification of liquid dairy or liquid swine manure
• Anaerobic digestion of liquid manure
• Composting of manure and deadstock
• Construction of impermeable base and roof for livestock pen areas
• Manure storage construction
• Dewatering systems
• Solid-liquid separation systems for manure
• Improve silage storage
• New or improved on-farm closed transfer system for pesticide storage
• Fuel storage improvements
• Chemical storage improvements
• New or improved on-farm storage for agricultural waste
• Development and relocation of infrastructure to protect species at risk
• Adapting livestock buildings to limit thermal stress

🚫Ineligible ExpensesSource

• travel expenses
• administrative/general overhead
• buildings/building modifications
• in-kind contributions
• operating expenses/existing staff wages/salaries
• small hand tools
• HST

📏Expense CapsSource

Program funding up to 50% of eligible expenses, to a maximum of $20,000

💳Payment ModelSource

reimbursement

⏪Retroactive Expenses EligibleSource

No

🤝Is Matching Funding Required?

🔀Matching RequiredSource

Yes

📊Matching RatioSource

50%

🏦Eligible Matching SourcesSource

• cash
• in-kind

📚Stacking Rules

Not specified

🛡️Proof of Matching RequiredSource

Proof of payment for each invoice – e.g. e-transfer confirmation, debit slips, cleared cheques, or credit card/bank statements.

📊What Are the Reporting Requirements?

🗓️Reporting FrequencySource

annual

📑Reporting RequirementsSource

• Progress reports must be submitted on a regular basis
• A financial statement will be required at the end of each fiscal year
• Two copies of a final report must be produced and submitted to the FUND within two months of the end of the FUND involvement

🔍Audit RequirementsSource

Evaluation and audit of projects may be carried out by the Department of Agriculture, Government of Canada, or other parties chosen by the Department of Agriculture

📢Branding RequirementsSource

The proponent must give the FUND appropriate credit and acknowledge the FUND’s financial contribution in any product or any publicity

🗄️Record Retention PeriodSource

7 years