The City of Calgary will accept grant funding applications for a minimum of $5,000 up to a maximum of $25,000. Funds for each project will be allocated for a one-year term and projects must be delivered within the one-year timeframe.

This pilot program started in 2023 and will run through 2026. Total funding for each year is $150,000. There is no matching funding requirement. However, applicants are encouraged to have their own contingency funds available.

The Circular Economy Grant recipients may apply for subsequent years' funding with a different proposal if their awarded project has been completed before the grant application re-opens. Please note that the priority will be given to organizations that have yet to receive funding.

To be eligible for funding, applicants must be a not-for-profit organization or Society registered in Alberta, or extra-provincially registered in Alberta (e.g., if a Federal not-for profit) or a Business Improvement Area (BIA) established through a City of Calgary bylaw, and have the intent of providing the proposed project in Calgary and to Calgary residents.

Eligible non-profit organizations could include:

• Community Associations
• Community Organizations
• Registered Charitable Organizations
• Environmental Organizations
• Social Recreation Organizations (e.g., senior clubs)
• Business Improvement Areas (BIAs)
• Festival and Events' Organizers

For full details on eligibility requirements, please download the CEG Guidelines document.

The Circular Economy Grant will provide funding for projects to support community-based actions that have the potential to contribute to the circular economy in Calgary.

Objectives

Proposed projects should meet all the following Circular Economy Grant objectives:

• Promote understanding and knowledge of circular economy through innovative projects and programs.
• Reduce waste generation and encourage reuse.
• Help individuals, organizations, and/or communities that might otherwise be hard to reach and have limited access to programs.

Focus Areas

The proposed project must fall into one of the following Focus Areas:

• Share, Trade, and Donate
• Maintain and Prolong
• Reuse and Redistribute
• Refurbish and Upcycle
• Food and Organic Waste Reduction

Note: recycling and composting are important components of the circular economy, dealing with items that are no longer usable and beyond being recovered by other means. However, Circular Economy Grant prioritizes actions in the upper levels of the waste hierarchy: rethink/redesign, reduce and reuse. Therefore, recycling and composting are not considered focus areas of the grant program. Projects focused mainly on recycling and/or composting will not be eligible for the Circular Economy Grant.

For full details on eligibility requirements, please download the CEG Guidelines document.

Not sure the focus area of your project? Contact our team, we can assist you.

1. Review the eligibility criteria

Make sure your organization and project details align with the eligibility criteria.

2. Come up with a great idea!

We strongly recommend you reach out to our team and discuss your project ideas before submitting the application and/or attend one of the information sessions.

3. Join an information session

Join one of the following online info sessions to learn more about the grant application process and get your questions answered.

4. Check out the application and grant resources

• CEG Guidelines (updated November 1, 2024)
• CEG Application Form (for preview only)
• CEG Project Timeline and Activities Template (Excel document)
• CEG Budget Template (Excel document)

5. Submit the application

Applications will reopen on February 3, 2025.

Once the applications open, you will find an “Apply Now” button below. We encourage all applicants to draft and save their responses offline before copying them into the online form. If you have any issues with the online form, please contact research@calgary.ca.

It is important for applicants to keep a complete copy of their application for their own records should The City of Calgary have questions regarding the application.

6. What happens after you apply?

The Circular Economy Grant evaluation committee will review all applications based on the funding and eligibility criteria outlined in CEG Guidelines.

All applicants will be notified of final decisions. Successful applicants will receive a funding approval letter and will be required to sign a funding agreement. Applicants that are not successful will have the option to receive feedback and recommendations.

• Application open: February 3, 2025, 12:01 a.m.
• Application deadline: March 14, 2025, 11:59 p.m.
• Application decision notification: April 11, 2025 (latest date to notify)
• Circular Economy Grant projects begin: September 30, 2025 (latest date to begin)
• Circular Economy Grant projects complete: September 30, 2026 (latest date to complete)

Please note that dates may change – please check on the website for any changes.

Each grant recipient will be required to submit a midterm report and a final report as outlined in the funding agreement with The City of Calgary.

Review the reporting templates:
CEG Reporting Template – Midterm (Word document)
CEG Reporting Template – Final (Word document)

• Alexandra Community Health Centre – Market to Market Circular Economy Initiative ($24,951.5)

This project will embed “circular economy learning” into the Alex’s new produce market operation and food-related programs, which include setting up a refillery station in the market, piloting a “Scrappy Kitchen” program, and building a composting demonstration centre.

• Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Southern Alberta Chapter – Rewear and Repair, Outdoor Gear in a Circular Economy ($25,000)

This project will divert outdoor recreation material waste through organizing in-person school presentations and online workshops, outdoor gear repair events, an outdoor gear library and the ChangeMaker online hub.

• Diversecities Community Service Association – Newcomers DIY Workshops ($23,140)

This project will host hands-on workshops for newcomers on basic home maintenance and repair, educate them on when to call service technicians and teach them how to properly recycle household items. Workshop will be available in multiple languages and for participants as young as 16 years old.

• Elements Society – EcoCooks Community Food Waste Workshops ($25,000)

Elements will offer 10 workshops, both in-person and online, to educate the public on what food waste is, why it is such a problem, and how they can add simple actions into their routines to reduce or avoid food waste altogether.

• North East Family Connections Society – Food Recovery & Distribution ($5,000)
  

This project aims to reduce food waste by taking leftover food from community events, portioning it into meals, freezing it, and providing it to community members in need.

• Silvera for Seniors – Free Little Fibre Libraries and Community Knitting Hub ($14,500)

This project is a partnership between Silvera for Seniors and Free Little Fibre Libraries. The project will reuse and upcycle fibre and yarn through building Free Fibre Libraries in communities, setting up knitting thrift stores, and organizing knitting clubs.

• Temple Community Association – The Dump, Replace or Repair Project ($8,621)

Temple Community Association will acquire tools and supplies to repair and maintain tables and chairs at community buildings, as well as refurbish worn furniture.

• Calgary Flames Sports Bank  – Getting Kids in Gear ($25,000)

Getting Kids in Gear project aims to collect 20,000 pieces of new and gently used sports equipment through donation drives and collection locations. The usable equipment will be redistributed to over 4,000 children in families facing difficult circumstances, ensuring the gear continues to be used.

• Fresh Routes, Inc. – Fresh Routes Mobile Grocery Store – A Well-Choreographed Dance of Sustainability, Preserving the Quality of the Produce ($25,000)

This project will upcycle “imperfect” produce that a local grocery store couldn’t sell. Partnering with a caterer, it will prepare pre-made meals to be sold at affordable prices at Fresh Routes’ mobile market locations. The project aims to divert up to 10,000 lbs of produce from landfills and support nearly 4,000 individuals.

• Goodwill Industries of Alberta – Mend for Good – Upcycling Denim into Reusable Bags ($21,175)

This project will repurpose unsold denim from Goodwill’s retail locations into reusable bags, diverting textile waste from landfills and creating job opportunities for people with disabilities. This project is estimated to divert 1,500 pounds of textiles per year.

• Two Wheel View – Continuing Cycles ($9,029)

Continuing Cycles project will fix and refurbish bikes to keep them out of landfills and donate them to organizations supporting Calgarians in need. The goal is to refurbish 50-60% of the 500 bicycles Two Wheel View plans to distribute during the project year.

• The Arusha Centre – Circular Economy Waste Reduction Strategy and Implementation for the Calgary Housing Company and Norfolk Housing Society ($21,379.75)

This project will collaborate with partner organizations to develop policies, procedures, and events focused on increasing waste reduction rate within the affordable housing complex. The project will enable residents to lead activities like bartering, sales, repairs, and more, promoting a circular economy mindset.

• Youth Singers of Calgary – YSC Sustainable Style Showcase ($25,000)

YSC Sustainable Style Showcase project will repurpose and redesign old costumes, vintage clothing, and props from 35 years of stage performances. These items will be sold or auctioned, ensuring they stay in continuous use.