Overview

The Direct Delivery stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund will provide $6 billion over 10 years, starting in 2026-27, to support regionally significant projects, climate adaptation, and community infrastructure.

Funding

Eligible recipients under this stream consist of provinces, territories, municipalities, and Indigenous communities. Private sector entities are eligible if they are working in collaboration with an eligible public sector entity (province, territory or municipality) or Indigenous recipient.

Eligible assets under this stream include large building retrofits, climate adaptation, and community infrastructure.

Under this stream, regionally significant projects will need to consider private sector investment, including through the Canada Infrastructure Bank, to maximize public investment capacity and reduce pressure on government budgets.

Projects will be identified by the federal government through various channels, including those named in Budget 2025, pipelines of projects within existing programs, consultations, and future open project intakes.

Expression of interest

The Government of Canada is moving quickly to build the infrastructure our country needs. Eligible project proponents can send their initial expressions of interest for shovel-ready projects to canadastrong-canadafort@infc.gc.ca.

Eligible project proponents should provide the following:

• Applicant information: legal name, recipient type (i.e., not-for-profit, municipality, Indigenous recipient), and contact information;
• Project description, objective, estimated costs, anticipated federal funding share requested, and class estimates; and
• Estimated construction start date.

The Build Communities Strong Fund emphasizes momentum and rapid delivery. Funding will be prioritized for shovel-ready projects that can start over the next 12 months and have Class C estimates at a minimum.

More detailed information on next steps and priority investment areas will be provided in the coming weeks. Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada will contact applicants whose submissions are shortlisted for next steps.

(Information courtesy of the Government of Canada’s Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities)