Canada Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund
Canada is facing a heightened risk of natural disasters due to climate change and is therefore prioritizing investments in climate and community resilience through initiatives like the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF).
Launched in 2018, the DMAF is a national, competitive, merit-based federal program committing over USD 1.45 billion across 10 years to invest in structural and natural infrastructure projects. The objective is to strengthen the resilience of communities susceptible to infrastructure failures - mitigating risks to health and safety; preserving critical infrastructure functionality and ensuring uninterrupted essential services; minimizing economic activity disruptions, and reducing the escalating costs associated with recovery and replacement efforts. In Budget 2021, an additional USD 1 billion over 12 years was announced to renew the DMAF.
The DMAF funds both structural and natural infrastructure projects. Structural infrastructure projects improve the physical resilience of buildings or communities - such as sea walls and the enhancement of bridges. Natural infrastructure projects focus on solutions to enhance the natural ecosystems’ ability to buffer against disasters including natural wildlife barriers and setback levees. To receive funding, projects should target the reduction of socio-economic, environmental, and cultural impacts caused by disasters, while considering the current and potential future impacts of climate change.
A full list of funded projects can be found here.
The application period for the DMAF typically runs annually for a limited window. The most recent application period ran from January 19th, 2023, to July 19th, 2023. While the next application period has not yet been announced, U.S. companies should begin building partnerships in the market well in advance to build the strongest proposal. The specific dates for each cycle are announced by Infrastructure Canada on their website.
Projects must have a minimum of USD 720,000 in total eligible costs to be considered for funding. For U.S. companies to be eligible for this initiative, they must partner with one or more of the following entities referred to below:
- Canadian Government Entities: Provincial/Territorial governments or municipalities;
- Indigenous Communities: Indigenous governing bodies, Indigenous development corporations, and non-profits focused on Indigenous outcomes;
- Other Organizations: Canadian public or not-for-profit institutions delivering post-secondary education.
The complete list of additional program requirements can be found here.
U.S. exporters with expertise in wildfire prevention, flood protection, or climate risk modeling have the potential to offer unique solutions to support Canada’s natural disaster relief efforts. For more information on how the U.S. Commercial Service in Canada assists U.S. exporters visit www.trade.gov/canada or contact: Commercial Specialist Philipp Fortin