Downtown is the economic and cultural heart of Calgary. It’s our central hub for business, innovation and creativity. What happens downtown has a direct impact on all Calgarians. Calgary needs a strong core to:

• Grow our economy
• Create jobs, and 
• Fund the City services we rely on every day. 

Projects eligible for funding must be within the Greater Downtown Plan boundary, as shown on the map below. Projects in the Downtown Core or Downtown West are encouraged and will be prioritized.

Eligible applicants include:

• Not-for-profit organization in good financial standing
• Academic institutions and researchers
• Neighbourhood groups with a proven track record of delivering successful projects
• Individuals with proven experience in placemaking and with a public portfolio (e.g., registered architects, landscape architects, engineers, artists, etc.)
• Private landowners in the greater downtown
• Business owners in the greater downtown
• Government or public entity

Applications for 2024 will be accepted on a rolling basis from until December 31, 2024 at 11:59 pm MST OR until all funding is committed. Projects granted funding in this cycle must be completed by March 31, 2025. 

All applications will undergo a consistent review process. Proposals will be screened by our Downtown Strategy team. Other experts, including external community interest groups, may be consulted as needed.

Applications will be assessed in the following areas:

• Application is received by the deadline with all fields complete.
• Applicants meet eligibility requirements.
• Proposals align with the criteria of this fund, including eligible expenses.
• Proposal satisfies the evaluation criteria as determined by the Downtown Strategy team. See Appendix A in the application guidelines for the Evaluation Matrix.

Yes. Priority will be given to projects that leverage additional funding sources and partnerships.

Congratulations and thank you for applying!

Applicants will be notified on the outcome of their proposal within 60 days of submission. The Downtown Strategy team will try to review applications by the requested date for projects with shorter timelines. All applications will be screened for eligibility and evaluated by our Downtown Strategy team, along with other experts as needed.

Applicants may also be asked to submit additional documents or answer follow up questions to support the review and decision process.

Successful applicants will be required to execute a funding agreement with the City of Calgary.

Funding will be allocated to a maximum of $250,000 per project. 

Please email your questions to downtownstrategy@calgary.ca.