Local Government Partnership Program

The Local Government Partnership Program has closed. Applications are no longer being accepted. All program funds have been allocated.

Providing funding to help regional districts and municipalities develop and update agricultural planning tools.

The Local Government Partnership Program (LGPP) provides funding to help regional districts and municipalities develop, update and implement agricultural planning tools.

This program funds the development and implementation of agricultural area plans in British Columbia.

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Program Overview

The Local Government Partnership Program is designed to:

Support the development of shared visions for agriculture in BC communities; and,
Encourage the integration of agricultural priorities into local government planning and decision making.

The desired outcome of the LGPP is for local governments to support the growth and economic viability of agriculture when making decisions about land-use planning and by-laws or regulations.

This program is a reprise of the Local Government Agricultural Planning Program, previously funded through IAF. Key changes in this new program include:

An increased focus on the implementation of agricultural area plans, including financial support for carrying out eligible activities in approved plans;
Evaluation criteria that will prioritize projects with a greater opportunity for success; and,
Increased requirements for the applicant to demonstrate that there is sufficient support in place to effectively carry out the project and post-project activities.

The program will provide up to $40,000 per recipient in non-repayable, cost-shared funding.

Applicant organizations must contribute at least 50% of the funding for their project.

Approved projects must be completed by December 31, 2022.

Eligibility

All projects and activities must directly support the development or implementation of local agricultural area planning tools.

We recognize that local governments across BC are in various stages of their agricultural area planning processes. As such, please be sure to provide adequate information in your application form about what steps have been taken to date and what the value of the proposed work is to your region.

Eligible Participants

To be eligible for funding under the LGPP, an applicant must:

be located in British Columbia;
be one of the following:
- Regional District
- Municipality
- Township
- Other local government
- First Nation
- Not-for-profit agricultural organization;
have an active Agricultural Advisory Committee (or equivalent) in place at the time of application;
have adequate staffing and political support in place for the proposed project activities; and,
be able to fund at least 50% of the cash costs associated with the project.

Eligible Activities

Eligible activities fall under one of three categories: pre-planning, planning and implementation.

Pre-Planning Activities

Inventory work to enhance the understanding of agricultural land use and farming activities (This should be developed with support of the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries’ GIS unit)
Survey of existing agri-businesses and the opportunities that exist in the area
Assessments for water, soil or nutrient needs (e.g. Agricultural Water Demand Models)
Evaluation of existing Agricultural Area Plans (AAP) to identify success factors and opportunities for improvement

Planning Activities

Development of Agricultural Area Plans (AAP)
Updates and addendums to existing AAPs
Regulatory review and determination of how agricultural planning does or can support other planning (e.g. OCPs)
Evaluation of the potential impacts of planning and regulatory proposals on agriculture

AAP Implementation Activities

Implementation of activities identified in an AAP
Operational plan for an approved AAP
Monitoring or evaluation activities of an existing AAP
Updating OCPs and by-laws to reflect AAP recommendations and outcomes
Review of progress to date on implementation and identification of barriers or further needs

Ineligible Expenses

Ineligible expenses include, but are not limited to:

On-going operational costs
Funding for staff positions to support the project or its related activities (e.g. a Project or Program Coordinator)
Staff wages not directly related to the implementation of project activities
Administration fees beyond 10% of total project costs
Capital expenditures and machinery costs
Land or vehicle purchases
Activities that do not directly support agricultural area planning
Legal fees
Permit or application fees
Costs related to activities that directly influence or lobby any level of government

Funding Model

The program will provide up to $40,000 per organization in cost-shared funding.

Cost-sharing

Local government organizations that are applying for the LGPP must be able to contribute at least 50% of the costs of the project. IAF funding is available to cover the remaining 50% of project costs, up to $40,000, for approved projects.

Sources of Funding

Applicants must clearly indicate all sources of funding for the project. Sources of funding can be comprised of cash contributions from other sources including those from:

The applicant (local government)
Not-for-profit organizations
Other levels of government
Industry/partners

For successful applications, all funding sources must be confirmed to IAF within 4 weeks of the application submission date.

Government contributions to projects, including funds provided by IAF, cannot exceed 100% of eligible costs.

Field of crops with a beautiful blue sky

Application Details

Applications will be accepted through IAF’s online portal until October 21, 2021.

Submitting an Application

Applicants are required to register through IAF’s online portal to determine whether they are eligible to apply for the program. After the eligibility screening, applicants will be required to answer questions about their organization and their project. They will then be required to complete an application form and project budget and upload these documents to IAF’s online application portal.

Any questions about eligible costs under the program or IAF’s online portal can be directed to funding(at)iafbc.ca.

IAF is now accepting applications until October 21, 2021 at 4:00pm Pacific.

All projects will have to be completed by December 31, 2022.

Appendices

Applicants may provide supplementary materials in support of their application. These appendices can be individually uploaded through the application portal. A maximum of five (5) appendices may be added to your application.

Suggested appendices include:

CV/Bio for Consultant selected
Work Plan/Proposal from Consultant
List and Brief Bio of Agriculture Steering Committee Members
Demonstration of political support for project and implementation (E.g. Letter of Support Mayor/Council, Meeting Minutes, Band Council Resolution)
Letter(s) of support from relevant project partners (e.g. Farmers Institute)

Application Assessment

After you submit your application, IAF will:

Acknowledge receipt of your application
Review and assess your application according to the program eligibility requirements and evaluation criteria

All applications will be assessed based on the following criteria:

Program Alignment & Project Benefits

Does the project align with the program objectives?
Is it clear how the project will support the agriculture industry?
Does the project address a current need or priority facing the agriculture industry?

Performance Measures & Work Plan

Are the project objectives well-defined and realistic within the project timeline and budget?
Do proposed activities and the communications plan support project objectives?

Strength of Planning Process

What is the intended use for the plan and how will it be implemented?

Will the plan align with and support other plans such as the Official Community Plan?

How well does the application provide valid anticipated outcomes: what will be measured, how will these be measured, and which performance indicators will be tracked?

Applicant Capacity and Partnerships

Does the selected consultant have the necessary experience and knowledge to undertake the work proposed?
Has the applicant demonstrated political support and necessary resources (staff, financial) to undertake the project?
Is there an Agricultural Advisory Committee or equivalent in place?
Is the applicant working with the provincial or other local governments?

Project Reporting & Payments

For funding recipients to obtain reimbursement for costs incurred, they are required to submit a signed invoice summary sheet to IAF in addition to a project outcomes report.

Application for Reimbursement of Costs

After funding decisions have been made, successful applicants will be sent a Contribution Agreement (CA) for their review and signature. The CA includes reporting deadlines that are unique to each funded project. In general, projects will receive program funding in three (3) installments:

25% upon signing of the Contribution Agreement;
50% upon submission and approval of a progress report, usually halfway through the project lifetime; and,
25% upon submission and approval of a final report.

Funding Acknowledgements

All projects will be required to acknowledge the funding provided to them in their communications materials. Pre-approval of these items is required before they can be published.

Program Timeline

Ready to Apply?

Applications are now open, and will be accepted until October 21, 2021 at 4pm Pacific

applications closed

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