Fraser Valley Flood Mitigation Program

Looking for On-Farm Funding?!

You can access Fraser Valley Flood Mitigation funding for BMPs (at a 90% cost-share!) by applying through the Beneficial Management Practices program (BMP).

Visit BMP for more details.

Working with Indigenous and local communities, the program will provide funding to agricultural producers at high-risk of flooding for solution-focused flood mitigation projects including riparian and ecosystems/habitat restoration.

The Fraser Valley Flood Mitigation Program (FVF) is a multi-year, up to $20M program funded by the Government of BC through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (AF) and delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAF).

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Overview

Approach

Eligibility

Application

Prioritization

Resources

Program Overview

Flooding is a common hazard on British Columbia farmland because of heavy rainfall, snowmelt, and/or ice jams. When a watercourse overflows its banks, floodplains store the water until it can move downstream or until it can be absorbed into the ground. Working with Indigenous and/or local communities, the program will provide funding to agricultural producers and/or organizations at high-risk of flooding for solution-focused flood mitigation projects including riparian and ecosystems/habitat restoration.

Program Objectives

To reduce farmers’ and community’s direct costs for infrastructure required for flood mitigation in the Fraser Valley.
To restore riparian areas, ecosystems, and water quality as a co-benefit of flood mitigation.
To encourage collaboration between Indigenous Groups, First Nations, local communities, and agricultural producers.

Program Goal

The goal of the program is to increase BC’s food security through environmental conservation and improved flood resiliency in the Fraser Valley.

Approach

Stream 1 – Mitigation Planning and Community Mitigation Projects

On June 20^th, IAF will open an Expression of Interest (EOI) to eligible organizations, First Nations, municipalities, and Regional Districts to gauge the level of readiness and partnerships are already in place for Stream 1 Funding. Once the August 1st EOI deadline has passed, IAF & Technical advisors will review each EOI against the priorities. Eligible applicants / projects will be notified with an Invitation to Apply and be invited to complete a full application by August 31^st.

Full applications must be submitted by September 28^th, 2023 to be considered for funding. All final funding decisions will be communicated to applicants by October 30, 2023. All project activities can start on or after November 1, 2023 and must be completed by or before December 2025.

Stream 2 – On-Farm Mitigation Projects

Stream 2 funding is targeting on-farm flood resiliency projects for farmers located within the high-risk flood zones in the Fraser Valley. To simplify the application process for producers, the Fraser Valley Flood Program Stream 2 funding can be accessed via the BMP application; meaning if you are eligible for FVF on-farm funding, your eligible BMP costs will automatically bump up to a 90% cost-shared ratio up to the funding caps shown.

Program Structure

Funding is available to industry through two funding streams:

Funding Stream	Project Funding Limits	Cost-Shared Ratio
Stream 1: Mitigation Planning and Community Mitigation Projects	Mitigation Planning: $10K-$300K Community Mitigation Projects: $200K – $5M	100%
Stream 2: On-Farm Mitigation Projects	$10K – $200K	90%

Funding limits will not exceed the amounts listed above. Project length and annualized funding limits per project vary by stream. Specific details on eligible costs and reimbursement are provided in the sections to follow. If applying for funding to more than one stream under FVF, a separate application must be submitted to each stream.

Stacking

Stacking of funds from other government programs is allowed up to 90% except for select programs delivered by IAF, including (but not limited to): Agricultural Water Infrastructure Program, Farmed Animal Disease Program, Food Processing Growth Fund Program, and Perennial Crop Renewal Program. (Note: this list will expand as more programs become available.)

Eligibility Criteria

STREAM 1: Mitigation Planning & Community Mitigation Projects

Eligible Participants

To be considered eligible for this stream, an applicant must be located in the Province of British Columbia, and must be a non-profit enterprise, including food/agriculture industry associations, Indigenous groups and organizations, and local governments.

Community projects participants will need to have completed a planning initiative, through this program, or through a comparable process. Projects will require at least one letter of support from a food/agriculture industry association, First Nation and/or another local group.

Applications will be considered according to Prioritization Criteria. For additional details see below.

Eligible Projects

Project activities need to be in the one of the following electoral geographical areas:

Fraser Valley Regional District
- BC Electoral Areas B-H
- Hope
- Kent
- Harrison Hot Springs
- Chilliwack
- Mission
- Abbotsford
Township of Langley

AND

Be located within the designated areas identified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food depicted in blue on this map

download flood map

The following projects are eligible for funding under Stream 1:

Project Planning: Development of project proposals for the indicated area that addresses water management, flood resilience, and/or habitat conservation.
Project Inception: Processes related to the creation and submission of documentation required for permitting or bids.
Project Implementation: Projects that include, but are not limited to, crop selection / diversification, conservation covenants, floodwater mitigation (swales, berms, wetlands), floodgate / culvert improvements, embankment stabilization / naturalization, removal / redesign / replacement of infrastructure.

Eligible Activities

The following are types of project activities and costs that are eligible for funding under Stream 1:

Project Planning: Planning and execution of site visits, consultation with technical experts, and workshops for the purpose of project proposal development.
Project Inception: Production of assessments, plans, or reports as needed by qualified professionals.
Project Implementation: Payment of consultants, contractors, equipment, infrastructure, training, and payments to landowners for ecosystem services.

Ineligible Participants

Individual businesses cannot be the applicant/holder of funding but can be beneficiaries through projects completed on their land through a community project.

Ineligible Activities

Responsive / emergency planning activities and integrated flood mitigation planning (e.g., local government plans and planning for the full scope of flood risks to a community and inclusive of larger-scale flood infrastructure) though a community-scale initiative could be pursued as part of a sub-component of a broader integrated planning initiative.
Flood recovery activities that would be eligible for support through insurance, disaster assistance or Agri-Recovery.

Funding Details

Funding Limits:
- Mitigation Planning: $10K-$300K
- Community Mitigation Projects*: $200K – $5M
Cost Shared Ratio: 100%
Funding Reimbursement: 25% upon signing contribution agreement, 25% after year 1 reporting competed, 50% when final report completed.

*Planning projects cannot be a standalone activity and must be completed together with inception/implementation projects.

Information Session

IAF recently held a webinar about Stream 1 – Community Mitigation Projects. Watch the recording to find out more about eligible participants, activities, funding amounts and more.

STREAM 2: On-Farm Mitigation Projects

Eligible Participants

To be considered eligible for this stream, an applicant must be located in the Province of British Columbia and must be a commercial agricultural producer or primary processor.

Operations need to be in the following electoral geographical areas:

Fraser Valley Regional District
- BC Electoral Areas B-H
- Hope
- Kent
- Harrison Hot Springs
- Chilliwack
- Mission
- Abbotsford
Township of Langley

AND

Be located within the designated areas identified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food depicted in blue on this map.

download flood map

Eligible Activities

The following project activities and costs are eligible for funding under Stream 2:

Flood Mitigation-related activities eligible under the Beneficial Management Practices Programs.

BMP Program

Ineligible Participants

Non-commercial farms

Ineligible Activities and Expenses

Flood recovery activities that would be eligible for support through insurance, disaster assistance or Agri-Recovery.
Projects that shift flood risk to others.

Funding Details

Funding Maximum (per BMP code): $10,000 – $100,000
Cost Shared Ratio: 90%
Funding Reimbursement: When project and final report are complete.

Applications

Important Dates

Stream 1: Community Mitigation Projects:

Organizations, First Nations and Local Government will be invited to submit at EOI for the Community Planning & Project Implementation stream. IAF will host a webinar to explain project parameters and answer questions. Applicants will be provided with support to submit their EOIs. EOIs may be evaluated by a Technical Advisory Group if technical expertise is required.

June 20 – EOI intake opened.
June 27 – IAF hosted a webinar to outline the EOI guidelines and project parameters.
August 1 – Deadline to submit an EOI.
August 31 – Submissions open for applications with a successful EOI.
September 28 – Deadline for submission of application.
October 30 – Funding decisions made, and applicants notified.
November 1 – Contribution agreements are signed.

Stream 2: On-Farm Mitigation Projects:

IAF will invite applicants to apply for Stream 2 through the Beneficial Management Practices Program. Provided eligibility requirements for FVF are met, producers applying for select flood mitigation activities within the Beneficial Management Practices Program will be automatically funded by the FVF program at the higher cost-shared ratio. Intake will begin in July 2023.

Application Process

Applicants will apply through the IAF Client Portal. The application process and required documents are specific to each funding stream. Do not wait to start this process – it can take up to two business days to validate your organization! The application process will generally consist of:

Create an Account and Register Organization

REMINDER: Do not wait to start this process – it can take up to two business days to validate your organization!

Go to IAF’s Client Portal

Create a personal profile (name and email)

Provide organization information, including:

Name
Contact details
Type of organization
BC ID / CRA numbers
Primary contact
And more

Stream 1: Expression of Interest & Apply for Project Funding

Step 1: Complete Expression of Interest (Stream 1 Only)

The purpose of the Expression of Interest (EOI) is to determine the eligibility of your organization for funding and the eligibility of the project concept.

Select Fraser Valley Flood Mitigation Program EOI to provide the following information:

Funding stream and project type.
Project location.
A concise project description.
An indicative project cost.
A list of project partners.
Proposed impacts.
and more.

Step 2: Apply to FVF Program for Project Funding

Eligible applicants will be invited by email notification to submit a full application. The purpose of the full application is to solicit all information required for funding decision.

Complete the new ‘Full Application’ section on the EOI to provide:

Project start & end dates,
Detailed project description, issue(s), and project objectives,
Provide description of key activities / outcomes, who will undertake work and timeline.
Intended benefits / impact.
Partnerships and communications plan.
Funding request / detailed project budget.
And more

Stream 2: Applying for On-Farm Project Funding

Applications for Stream 2: On-Farm Mitigation Projects will be done via the IAF Client Portal using the application(s) for the Beneficial Management Practices Program (BMP) or Emergency Weather Preparedness in Agriculture Program (EWP). Select the BMP or EWP application from Funding Opportunities and provide the required information, such as:

Start Date
End Date
Project Budget
Project objectives & project description,
And more

NOTE: If you are eligible for FVF on-farm funding, you will automatically receive the 90% cost-shared ratio rather than the BMP or EWP cost-shared ratio(s).

Applicants may also be required to provide supplementary materials in support of their application (e.g., budget, map, purchase order, confirmation of ownership/lease, workplan, images or similar). These documents can be uploaded through the IAF Client Portal as attachments to the application.

IAF staff are available to answer questions regarding eligible activities, costs and/or the application process. IAF may also contact applicants for additional information or clarification to assess or strengthen their application.

Applicants may contact fvf(at)iafbc.ca with any questions about the program or to receive support in developing their application.

Applicants are encouraged to include only activities they are confident will be completed on time and within budget limits.

Need help with IAF’s Client Portal?

We’ve created a number of tutorials and FAQs about the IAF Client Portal to help you navigate this resource successfully.

learn more

Review and Adjudication

Stream 1:

IAF will review all EOIs for organization and project eligibility on an on-going basis. Applications will be notified about the status of their EOI within 30 days of EOI intake deadline.

Only eligible applicants / projects will be invited to complete a full application. An invitation to apply will be sent by August 31, 2023.

Applications must be submitted by or before September 28, 2023, to be considered. Funding will be awarded based on prioritization criteria provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, subject to available funds. Applications that best align with the prioritization criteria will be offered funding first.

All final funding decisions will be communicated to applicants via email by or before the end of October. All adjudication decisions are final.

Stream 2:

IAF will accept eligible applications, review, and adjudicate on a first-come-first-serve basis, subject to available funds as part of the Beneficial Management Practices (BMP) program applications. All applications received prior to the relevant BMP intake deadline will be reviewed by IAF for eligibility and completeness.

Eligible applications may be reviewed by a professional agrologist/technical expert to confirm activity eligibility.

Notifications & Obligations

Funding Notifications & Contracts

If the project is approved, IAF will inform the applicant of the details of the decision and any associated terms and conditions. The applicant then enters into an agreement with IAF which outlines the obligations of each party.

Funding is application and project-specific and must be used for the approved project and related expenses. Funds are non-transferable.

Stream 1 Projects funded in 2023 may begin on or after November 1 and must be completed according to the stream specific project timelines. No retroactive project reimbursements are eligible.

If the project is not approved, the applicant will receive a written response from IAF.

Stream 1 Only: Project activities requiring financial resources from the program cannot commence until the contribution agreement has been signed by both the applicant and IAF.

Stream 2 Only: Project activities requiring the financial resources from the program cannot commence until project approval is received via email.

Changes to Contracted Projects

If you are not able to complete your project according to the approved workplan, please inform the IAF Team as soon as possible using the IAF Client Portal. No project activity changes are eligible for Stream 2; project extensions may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Funding Acknowledgement

This program is funded by the Government of BC, as such acknowledgement of funding is required when publicly communicating about a project and/or funding. To ensure appropriate acknowledgement, all communications and marketing materials, including public announcements or social media posts, must be pre-approved by the IAF Communications Team. Materials can be submitted via the IAF Client Portal. For more details, please visit the project resource hub.

Reporting Requirements

Successful applicants must complete project reporting prior to receiving final payment from the program. For multi-year projects, an interim activity and financial report is required on an annual basis; funding payment will be subject to the project progress and expenditures as reported. It is important that reports are submitted on time and with all required information. Please retain all invoices and receipts, you may be asked to submit some or all receipt/invoices following a review of your report(s) by the IAF Team. Expenses will be reimbursed based on audited receipts, financial report, and the approved project budget. Depending on the scope of your project activities, a site visit or inspection may be required. All reporting will be completed via the IAF Client Portal.

Prioritization Criteria

Stream 1: EOI Prioritization Criteria

Organizations, First Nations, and Local Government will be invited to submit at EOI for Stream 1. Applicants will submit their EOIs which will then be evaluated by a Technical Advisory Group, who will then advise which projects will go forward to full application. The following prioritization criteria will be used to evaluate EOIs:

1. Geographical: Priority is given to projects located in high-risk zones:

1A. Priority is given to projects located in the following areas of high interest for flood risk and agriculture:

- Sumas River/Prairie (Abbotsford and Chilliwack)
- Hatzic Lake (Mission and Fraser Valley Regional District)
- Clayburn Creek (Abbotsford)
- Nicomen Island (Fraser Valley Regional District)
- Glenn Valley (Township of Langley)

1B. Projects from other areas subject to flood risk, depicted in blue on this map.

2. Risk of flooding: The project is located in an area that flooded in 2021.

3. Impact on Agriculture:

Types of farms in the project area.
Area (in ha) impacted by the project.
Value of infrastructure impacted by the project.

4. Project Partners:

Partnerships including First Nations.
Partnership with other non-profit enterprise(s).

Stream 1: Application Prioritization Criteria

1. Geographical: Priority is given to projects located in high-risk zones:

1A. Priority is given to projects located in the following areas of high interest for flood risk and agriculture:

- Sumas River/Prairie (Abbotsford and Chilliwack)
- Hatzic Lake (Mission and Fraser Valley Regional District)
- Clayburn Creek (Abbotsford)
- Nicomen Island (Fraser Valley Regional District)
- Glenn Valley (Township of Langley)

1B. Projects from other areas subject to flood risk, depicted in blue on this map.

2. Impact on Agriculture:

- Types of farms in the project area.
- Area (in ha) impacted by the project.
- Value of infrastructure impacted by the project.

3. Cost/Benefit and Technical Analysis.

4. Cost/Budget of project. Preference will be given to larger scale project the demonstrate impact on agriculture.

5. Permits in place or applied for.

Ready to Apply?

Applications Closed

The EOI intake closed on August 1, 2023. Applicants with successful EOIs were invited to submit a full application by September 28, 2023.

Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by October 30th, 2023.

IAF client portal

Resources

FAQ

How long does it take to register my organization? Is this included in the deadline?

Your organization must register through the IAF Client Portal to apply to IAF programs. Please note, if you have not already registered, this process can take up to 2 business days and must be completed before the application deadline.

Will retroactive applications be accepted?

Retroactive costs will not be considered. All projects must receive IAF approval before starting activities or incurring any project costs. Earliest project start dates for Stream 1 fall on or after November 1, 2023.

When will payment(s) be received?

IAF provides payments by EFT (direct deposit). To get your EFT information set up to ensure timely delivery of your payment(s) please follow the directions provided here to update your client portal.

For Stream 1, successful applicants must complete one or more activity and financial reports to receive payment from the program. Payment schedules will be provided in the Contribution Agreement executed with the project proponent.

For Stream 2, payments will follow the standard process of the BMP/EWP programs.

How long can I take to complete my project?

For Stream1, there is a maximum of 24 months to complete your project. All projects must be completed by December 2025.

For Stream 2, timelines will follow the standard timelines as the BMP/EWP programs

What if my project requires a permit?

Please provide the status of the permit and any supporting documentation at the time of application.

All recipients are required to comply with all necessary laws and regulations.

Is GST an eligible cost as part of my project expenses?

No, GST is not eligible for reimbursement.

Have a Question?

Contact the IAF Team

contact

Information Session

IAF recently held a webinar about Stream 1 – Community Mitigation Projects. Watch the recording to find out more about eligible participants, activities, funding amounts and more.

view