Funding for Community-based
Environmental Projects

Funder: Ontario Community Environment Fund
Locations: Southwest, West-Central or Northern Ontario

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) is currently accepting applications for the Ontario Community Environment Fund (OCEF). The Ontario Community Environment Fund directs money collected from environmental penalties, back into community-based environmental projects in the region where violations and environmental impacts happened.

More than $2,900,000 is available for projects in three of the five regions identified by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’ regions. Please visit the OCEF webpage to see if your project proposal would fall within one of the following eligible regions:

• Southwest Region: $1,602,577.85
• West-Central Region: $721,425.00
• Northern Region: $585,875.32
• Central Region: $0 – no funding available
• Eastern Region: $0 – no funding available

Not-for-profit organizations, municipalities, schools, colleges, universities, as well as Indigenous organizations and communities, can apply to access this government funding. During the competitive evaluation process, applicants must demonstrate that their project proposal is well designed, will lead to community and environmental benefits, and will support one, or both of the following goals:

1. Increased environmental restoration and remediation activities which repair environmental harm. Project examples may include, but are not limited to:
   1. Planting native trees, shrubs, or plants to restore natural habitats and help mitigate and adapt to climate change.
   2. Rebuilding fish habitat and creating fish spawning beds.
   3. Controlling invasive species that disrupt local ecosystems.
   4. Stabilizing stream banks and creating buffer strips to reduce nutrient run-off.
   5. Restoring streams to improve habitat and water quality.
2. Resilient communities and local solutions to environmental issues. Project examples may include, but are not limited to:
   1. Improving the resilience of natural ecosystems by restoring and preserving areas of significant environmental and ecological importance.
   2. Installing rain gardens to reduce the risk of flooding and help communities adapt to climate change.
   3. Environmental monitoring that provides data to understand and support the protection and conservation of the natural environment.

The application deadline through the Transfer Payment Ontario portal is September 24, 2025, at 5:00 PM (EDT). Please review the program application guide for guidance on applying. Successful applicants will be notified via email: projects may begin by Spring, 2026.

Need more information? Please register via Eventbrite to attend a webinar to learn about the program and application process:

• August 12, 2025 –10:00AM – 11:30AM
• September 9, 2025 – 2:00PM – 3:30PM

Meeting details, including a link to the Microsoft Teams meeting, will follow via email prior to the sessions.

If you have any additional questions, please email OCEF@ontario.ca

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