Grants, Opportunities, Events Update - June 2025
- info9972277
- Jun 6
- 12 min read
June 2025 update from the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation (JEDI)!
Events and Engagement Opportunities:
Ease of Doing Business Review – Government of BC:
Streamlining processes to reduce barriers, cut red tape, foster innovation and create a more supportive, business-friendly environment in B.C. are the goals as the Province launches an ease-of-doing-business review. Businesses are invited to share their ideas, challenges and suggestions through an online website portal until fall 2025. See June 5 news release for more information.
The EaseBiz BC submission form is for:
Entrepreneurs
Business owners and operators
Business organizations
Anyone looking to start, operate, or grow a business
Those dealing with:
regulatory processes
government services
competitive challenges
By involving entrepreneurs, business owners and business-sector partners in B.C., the Province will gain a clearer understanding of current on-the-ground challenges when establishing or growing a business. Information gathered throughout the review will help government establish a set of performance measurements to make it easier for companies and organizations of all sizes and sectors to do business in B.C.
To learn about the ease-of-doing-business review and submit feedback, visit: https://gov.bc.ca/easeofdoingbusiness
East Kootenay Employer Staffing Immigration Survey – Kootenay Employment Services:
East Kootenay Employers, we need to hear from you! Immigration enhances our communities, making them more diverse and vibrant places to live. Help us understand the employer perspective on hiring and retaining immigrant talent in our region - your insights will help identify where we can enhance services to better support our diverse workforce and strengthen our local economy.
Join the discussion by taking a quick 5–10-minute survey, where you can stay entirely anonymous, and help us drive positive change.
Take the survey at: https://kes.bc.ca/immigration-survey
If you have any questions, please contact Riley at rileyw@kes.bc.ca
KORE Rehub Gear Repair Tour 2025:
The Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise Society (KORE Outdoors) has launched a program that’s putting the Kootenays on the global map for outdoor gear repair and circular innovation. The KORE ReHub Program has rolled out the mobile outdoor gear repair tour offering free gear fixes and skill-building opportunities and will visit 12 events across the region from May to September 2025. Dates and locations include – details found here:
June 7-8, Sunfest, Castlegar
June 14, Farmers Market, Nelson
June 21, Farmers Market, Creston
June 28-29, KOREfest Localpalooza, Kimberley
July 4, Gravel Grind, Fernie
July 12, YXC Makerspace, Cranbrook
July 13, Wild Ultra, Kaslo
July 16, Summer Kicks, Golden
July 18, Farmers Market, Radium Hot Springs
July 19, Valley Appreciation Day, Invermere
September 13, Arts & Culture Fest, Rossland
Program Updates:
Agriculture:
Description: program aims to support the competitiveness, resiliency, and innovation of B.C.’s agriculture and food sector through facilitated knowledge and technology transfer.
Eligible applicants: Agriculture and food industry associations, Not for profits with the primary goal to support farmers and food processors, Municipalities and regional districts, Indigenous government, communities, economic development corporations and organizations and Seafood producer/processor associations or organizations
Deadline: Applications opened on March 19, 2025 (first come, first served) until funds are fully committed.
Funding amount: Funding is available up to $1,500 for expert speakers/presenters at conferences and AGMs, and up to $7,500 for hands-on events focused on skill development (e.g., workshops, field days).
Contact: Knowledge.Transfer@gov.bc.ca
Description: AgriStability is a low-cost program that helps farmers manage large income losses. When your income drops because of disaster, poor production, rising costs, or bad market conditions, we are here for you. Your farm’s unique history is used to create personalized coverage. You can feel secure knowing your farm has support when you need it.
Eligible applicants: Any farm in B.C. that earns income from the primary production of agricultural commodities can sign up. All AgriStability Participants are involved in the growing and harvesting of a crop or are in the process of rearing and selling livestock.
Deadline: July 31, 2025
Funding amount: Varies – see details here.
Contact: AgriStability@gov.bc.ca
Economic Development:
Description: The Regional Innovation Ecosystems program stream aims to create, grow and nurture inclusive regional ecosystems that support business needs throughout the innovation continuum, and foster an entrepreneurial environment conducive to innovation, growth and competitiveness.
Eligible applicants: Applicants must meet the following mandatory criteria:
post-secondary educational institutions
Business Accelerator and Incubators
angel networks
Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, Métis) organizations, including Indigenous-led not-for profit organizations and Indigenous-owned businesses
social enterprises
a group of eligible recipients such as an industry association or consortium
a municipality and all other municipal-type organizations
Deadline: Continuous intake
Funding amount: None specified.
Contact: Corey.Kanzig@pacifican.gc.ca
Infrastructure:
Description: The Union of BC Municipalities has launched the 2025 intake for the Strategic Priorities Fund under the Canada Community-Building Fund agreement. This program supports large-scale, regional, or innovative infrastructure and capacity-building projects that align with national objectives such as economic growth, environmental sustainability, and strong communities. Eligible capital infrastructure stream categories include: Public Transit, Local Roads, Bridges and Active Transportation, Community Energy Systems, Drinking Water, Solid Waste, Wastewater and Stormwater, Regional and Local Airports, Short-Line Rail, Short-Sea Shipping, Broadband Connectivity, Brownfield Redevelopment, Resilience, Tourism Infrastructure, Cultural Infrastructure, Recreation and Sport Infrastructure and Fire Halls and Fire Trucks
Eligible applicants: All local governments outside of Metro Vancouver.
Deadline: September 12, 2025
Funding amount: Up to 100% of net eligible costs of approved projects up to a maximum federal Canada Community-Building Fund contribution of $7 million.
Contact: ccbf@ubcm.ca
Description: This fund is a $3.3-billion investment to build more than 20,000 affordable rental homes for people with moderate and low incomes by 2031-32. This fund supports the development and operations of mixed-income rental housing for individuals, couples, families, seniors, and people with disabilities, capable of living independently without on-site support services.
Eligible applicants: The primary applicant must be a non-profit society, housing co-op, municipal housing provider legally incorporated in Canada or First Nation. Public/private partnerships are allowable if they work with one of these groups, and that group is the primary applicant.
Deadline: July 31, 2025; This is a rolling RFP, meaning project proposals will be accepted on an ongoing basis, with no fixed deadline, until CHF funding is fully allocated.
Funding amount: See guidelines for details.
Contact: BuildingBC@bchousing.org
Community Development:
Description: The goal of the PlanH Program is to support Indigenous and local governments, including health authorities, to advance policies, programs and strategies aimed at improving health equity, and well-being. The Community Connectedness funding stream offers grants of up to $5,000 each for projects that foster relationship-building among community members and create long-lasting social networks. The Healthy Public Policy stream provides grants of up to $15,000 each for projects that seek to develop new or amend existing policies to improve the health and well-being of community members. Projects for both streams must use an equity lens to ensure their outcomes benefit those historically excluded from local decision-making processes, or whose needs have not been adequately met by existing policies and programs.
Eligible applicants:
First Nations Bands
First Nations Tribal Councils
Métis Chartered Communities
Municipalities
Regional Districts
Self-Governing First Nations
Deadline: July 7, 2025
Funding amount: up to $15,000
Contact: grants@bchealthycommunities.ca
Description: Established in 2021, the BC Residential School Response Fund supports lead communities to develop and implement strategies and procedures for the ongoing research, identification, documentation, commemoration and protection of residential school and Indian hospital sites in search of the burial locations and unmarked graves of the Indigenous children who never came home.
Eligible applicants: The fund is open to all First Nations or Tribal Councils with a former Indian Residential School or Indian Hospital site located in or near their community and who have been identified as the lead community or coordinating body to undertake site-specific work. B.C. will work collaboratively with communities on a site-by-site basis to assess needs and provide the necessary supports. This could include exploring other funding opportunities that may be available to advance projects not eligible for the BC Residential School Fund.
Deadline: There is no application deadline. MIRR will work with lead communities on an ongoing basis to make sure resources are available to support site-specific work when ready.
Funding amount: The fund is available to support activities on the sites of former Indian Residential Schools and Indian Hospitals. Up to $475,000 is available for each site.
Contact: residentialschoolsresponse@gov.bc.ca
Description: With funding provided through the Province, SPARC BC launched the Homelessness Community Action Grant program. This program is designed to support local action and knowledge about homelessness and its causes, increase public awareness and respond to gaps in services for people experiencing homelessness.
Eligible applicants: local, regional and First Nations governments, community-based agencies including housing and service providers, as well as demonstration projects and initiatives proposed by persons with lived experience.
Deadline: none specified.
Funding amount:
Smaller projects: Projects requiring a small one-time investment of between $5,000 and $10,000 and that are likely to be completed within 6 to 12 months;
Mid-size projects: Projects requiring an investment of between $10,000 and $25,000 and that are likely to be completed within 12 to 18 months; and,
Larger scale projects: Established partnerships and projects that have demonstrated results and that have achieved impact and where an additional investment of $25,000 to $50,000 over 12 to 24 months would allow for greater impact.
Contact: lcopas@sparc.bc.ca
Workforce Development:
Description: United Way BC’s Work Experience Opportunities Grant provides program participants on income or disability assistance with essential skills and hands-on paid work experience at non-profits to improve their employability preparing them for in-demand jobs. This province-wide grant stream supports BC non-profit organizations to deliver paid work experience placements while enhancing community benefits for program participants and for the programs offered by non-profit organizations.
Eligible applicants: non-profits.
Deadline: Opens June 2, closes July 15, 2025
Funding amount: None specified. $7.7 million is available over two years to create work opportunities.
Contact: none specified.
Webinar:
June 9, 1:30-2:30PM PST – Register here
June 12, 10:30-11:30AM PST – Register here
Description: This program helps strengthen the Early Childhood Educator (ECE) workforce by providing a training wage to ECE Assistants (ECEAs) and certified ECEs, employed by licensed child care facilities in the Basin, to support them to complete and/or upgrade their ECE qualifications.
Eligible applicants: Licensed non-profit and for-profit child care providers in the Basin region with the following designations are eligible to apply on behalf of eligible ECEAs and ECEs employed at their facility: Group Child Care, Multi-Aged Child Care, Preschools, Family Child Care, In-Home Multi-Age Child Care.
Deadline: Applications are accepted on a first-received, first-served basis and are assessed as they come in and continue until all funding for the program has been committed.
Funding amount: see Program Guide
Contact: ecewagesubsidy@ourtrust.org
Description: Full-time students employed in BC agriculture, food, beverage, or seafood processing, fishing, and aquaculture sectors during the summer season are eligible to apply for a bursary of up to $3,000.
Eligible applicants:
16 years old or older before the first day of the summer season (May 1, 2025)
Be enrolled in full-time studies in the current academic year and intend to return to full-time studies in the fall¹
Enrolled in a designated educational institution²
Legally permitted to work in Canada
Deadline: June 9, 2025
Funding amount: up to $3000
Contact: ssb@iafbc.ca
Description: The Science & Technology Internship Program (STIP) - Green Jobs provides funding to eligible employers across Canada to hire, train, and mentor youth in the natural resources sector, including in energy, forestry, mining, earth science, and clean technology.
Eligible applicants:
Employers:
· Organizations in the natural resources sector who can offer youth full-time (minimum 30 hours per week, some exceptions may apply) quality employment or skills training opportunities for up-to-12 months
· Legal entities incorporated or registered in Canada, including for-profit and not-for-profit organizations
· Indigenous organizations (including Band Councils, Tribal Councils and self-government entities)
· Provincial, territorial, regional, and municipal governments and their departments and agencies
Students:
· Must be 15 to 30 years of age
· Eligible to work in Canada
· Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or have refugee status
Deadline: none specified.
Funding amount: Various delivery organizations.
Contact: Various delivery organizations.
Description: The B.C. Employer Training Grant provides funding to small, medium and large enterprises to support skills training for their workforces, including prospective new hires. The intent of this program is to help British Columbians access the skills training required to adapt to the labour market’s changing job requirements, while also encouraging employer involvement in skills training. Training must result in increased job security or a better job for a current employee once training is completed, or a job for an unemployed person.
Eligible applicants: see eligibility criteria here.
Deadline: none specified.
Funding amount: Employers can apply as often as they need and receive 80 per cent of the cost of training up to $10,000 per employee, with a maximum annual amount per employer of $300,000.
Contact: ETG@gov.bc.ca
Natural Resources:
Description: The Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund is excited to launch the second year of the Targeted Call for Clean Energy Innovation! $12.3M has been committed to this call over a three-year period. The ICE Fund Targeted Call supports the development and deployment of BC-based innovative clean energy technology solutions.
Eligible applicants: Any Canadian legal entity is eligible to be an applicant and submit an application for funding of projects under this fund. The ICE Fund may, in its sole discretion, determine whether an entity is eligible or ineligible.
Deadline: June 17, 2025
Funding amount: Anticipated to be between $500,000 and $2,500,000 per application. For the 2025 Call, between $5-$9M total is expected to be awarded over two fiscal years.
Contact: icefund@gov.bc.ca
Description: Founded by TD Bank Group in 1990, the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) is a national charity that funds environmental projects across Canada.
Eligible applicants:
Registered Canadian charities with a Charitable Registration Number (CRN)
Educational institutions (primary/secondary/post-secondary)
Municipalities
Indigenous groups/communities
Deadline: July 15, 2025
Funding amount: Funding requests are needs based, and there is no set minimum or maximum amount for which you can apply. However, the majority of TD FEF grants are between $2,000 and $8,000.
Contact: Mandip.kharod@td.com
Emergency Management:
Description: The Small Community Wildfire Readiness Support program helps small and First Nations communities in the Basin plan and prepare for wildfires through wildfire prevention planning/assessments, training and equipment.
Eligible applicants: Eligible applicants include First Nation communities, legally incorporated society-run fire departments and brigades, and local governments representing small and remote communities (populations typically less than 2,500)
Deadline: October 29, 2025
Funding amount:
Up to 100 per cent of total project costs can be requested from the Trust for training, equipment and planning assessments contingent upon the costs being incremental to provincial or federal program funding.
Up to 50 per cent of total project costs can be requested from the Trust for capital purchases or improvements (no more than $7,500) contingent upon the costs being incremental to provincial or federal program funding.
The application should clearly demonstrate that at least 50 per cent of total capital purchases or improvement costs will be received from sources other than the Trust.
The typical maximum amount of Trust funding for any one project is $70,000
Contact: wildfire@ourtrust.org
Arts, Culture and Heritage:
Description: The Government of British Columbia is now accepting applications for the Provincial Funding for French Language Services program. This initiative supports non-profit organizations in delivering services and programs to French-speaking residents across B.C.
Eligible applicants: Non-profits
Deadline: June 20, 2025
Funding amount: $250,000 available
Contact: FA-AF@gov.bc.ca
Description: The Heritage Legacy Fund supports a financial assistance program for Heritage Awareness, Heritage Conservation, and Heritage Planning. Program funds are used for community initiatives that conserve and increase the understanding and appreciation of heritage resources. Four streams:
Heritage Conservation: for the preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration of heritage resources. Contributions up to $50,000
Heritage Awareness: for the research, documentation, presentation, and publication of information about heritage and heritage resources. Contributions up to $10,000
Heritage Planning: for the creation of planning documents to assist with heritage conservation and awareness. Contributions up to $5,000
Indigenous Partnerships: for initiatives to further reconciliation with Indigenous peoples through collaboration. Contributions up to $7,500
Eligible applicants: Registered societies including non-profits and charities, local governments, First Nations governments and organizations, and school boards may apply for funding. Religious organizations that own heritage assets may be considered if they can demonstrate an active role in regular, broad-based, and inclusive community-supported programs or services.
Deadline: August 15, 2025
Funding amount: As above, up to $50,000
Contact: grants@heritagebc.ca
Webinar: June 11, 2025, at 12:00 PM (PST) – register here
Description: A partnership between Creative BC and the BC Arts Council, The Interactive Fund supports the creation of high quality, original interactive digital media projects that support diversity in artistic expression, demonstrate clear connections between art and technology, and provide opportunities for access, dissemination, and engagement with audiences and within the B.C. arts and culture sector.
Eligible applicants: Applications will be accepted from individuals, incorporated companies, not-for profit organizations or collectives that work primarily in or demonstrate a commitment to the arts and culture sector.
Deadline: June 16, 2025
Funding amount: up to $50,000
Contact: nklassen@creativebc.com
Description: Supports independent media artists with the creation of specific projects. Projects and works must be independent of commercial industries for film, video, and gaming.
Eligible applicants: Individuals with an established independent media art practice.
Deadline: June 18, 2025
Funding amount: $25,000
Contact: Paneet.Singh@gov.bc.ca
Description: Early Career Development supports immersive and highly impactful opportunities, with measurable learning outcomes, for Emerging and Early Career Practitioners to: Develop their artistic or administrative practice. Participate in knowledge transfer, skill sharing, and reciprocal learning in the sector. Expand their career experience, professional networks, and exposure. Build capacity in their identified community(ies) (for example, geographic, cultural, area of practice).
Eligible applicants: Individual emerging and early career artists in all disciplines who meet the basic training requirements.
Deadline: June 25, 2025
Funding amount: $30,000
Contact: Breanna.Fabbro@gov.bc.ca
Description: This program supports immersive and high-impact opportunities for Emerging and Early Arts Practitioners to develop their artistic or administrative practice, participate in learning opportunities and knowledge transfer, and expand their career experience.
Eligible applicants: Arts and Culture Organizations, Indigenous Governments, Indigenous Community Organizations, and Book Publishers.
Deadline: June 25, 2025
Funding amount: $30,000
Contact: Michelle.Benjamin@gov.bc.ca
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