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Loblaw Water Fund 2017 Guidelines Introduction

The Loblaw Water Fund was established in 2013 to give Canadians the opportunity to help WWF-Canada achieve its goal of having all freshwater in Canada in good health by 2025. The objective of the Loblaw Water Fund is to support projects that will result in positive improvements to the health of freshwater ecosystems across Canada through direct, on-the-ground initiatives. Freshwater ecosystems include lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and riparian habitat.

WWF is working to complete the first Canada-wide assessment of the country’s watersheds, focusing on 4 indicators of river health and 7 key threats. To date, 75% of the watersheds across Canada have been assessed through our Watershed Reports. Our Watershed Reports to date indicate that our watersheds are facing significant threats across the country, and the majority of watersheds are experiencing “High” or “Very High” overall threat levels. There is a pronounced lack of available and accessible data on the health of the watersheds that we have tried to assess. Even in some of Canada’s most densely populated and highly developed watersheds, such as the Great Lakes watershed, we don’t know the health of the rivers that underpin our wellbeing and our economies.

The Loblaw Water Fund will support action oriented projects that relate to the indicators used in the Watershed Reports. The fund will support activities from across the country that aim to improve any of the 4 indicators of ecosystem health, reduce one of the 7 threats to ecosystem health, and/or collect data for long-term monitoring initiatives that contribute data used in the reports.

This program is supported in partnership by WWF-Canada and Loblaw Companies Limited.

Deadline and Contact Information

Proposals must be submitted via the online application form on or before 5pm E.S.T. December 16th, 2016. Applications must be received before the cut off time and must not contain any additional appendices or attachments. Once an application has been submitted, an email confirmation will be sent. If you do not receive an email, please contact us at waterfund@wwfcanada.org. Applications that fail to adhere to the guidelines will not be accepted.

For questions regarding the Loblaw Water Fund, please contact:

Emily Giles, Senior Specialist, Species Conservation Email: waterfund@wwfcanada.org

Proponents will be notified of the outcome of their proposal by March, 2017.

2017 Funding Availability

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For the 2017 grant cycle, a total of $250,000 is available to distribute between selected projects across the country. A maximum of $25,000 is available for an eligible project. The Loblaw Water Fund will not fund 100% of project expenses. Proponents must demonstrate availability of at least 25% matching funds.

Priority Regions

The Loblaw Water Fund will prioritize projects that are geographically located within a list of priority areas defined by WWF-Canada. A project falls within a priority area if it is found in one of the sub-watersheds listed in Appendix 1a (restoration priority regions) and Appendix 1b (monitoring priority regions). Priority regions were selected based upon WWF-Canada’s Watershed Reports. Projects from outside of these sub-watersheds will still be considered for funding. The onus is on the proponent to demonstrate the need for support outside the identified priority areas.

Eligible Activity Categories

The Loblaw Water Fund will support practical, applied work that aims to meet one or more of the following objectives: 1. Restoration Activities to improve health and/or reduce threats: Activities directly related to restoring,

rehabilitating, or recovering the health of freshwater ecosystems, and/or reducing and preventing current or potential threats. These activities should aim to mitigate one or more of the 7 key threats, and/or improve one or more of the 4 indicators of river health as identified in WWF’s Watershed Reports.

2. Monitoring: Activities that contribute to the 4 health indicators as identified in WWF’s Watershed Reports, and must contribute data to provincial, territorial, and/or national databases and/or long-term collaborative studies.

Note: Preference will be given to projects that engage local communities in the project work. Project examples include, but are not limited to: Restoration Activities:

• Stream or wetland creation to reduce habitat loss or restore habitat connectivity • Placement of spawning gravel in streams to improve fish health • Construction of in-water habitat for aquatic species to improve fish and benthic health • Restoring stream connectivity to improve water quality, improve natural flow, and reduce habitat

fragmentation • Restoring natural flow regimes to improve water quality and improve connectivity • Installation of structures to facilitate fish (or other aquatic species) passage to improve river connectivity

Monitoring:

• Collection of fish data that contributes to a long-term monitoring effort • Collection of benthic invertebrate data that will be submitted to Environment Canada’s CABIN program,

and/or Ontario Benthos Biomonitoring Network • Invasive species monitoring programs that contribute to long term eradication efforts. Data can be

submitted to EDDsMaps for most provinces in Canada. • Projects that aim to develop or expand standardized monitoring efforts on a wide scale (e.g.

Community Based Environmental Monitoring Network).

Non Eligible Activities

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• Projects or studies that are required by law • Activities that relate to marine or estuary environments

Eligible Applicants

• Registered Charities • Other listed Qualified Donees – Please visit http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/chrts-gvng/qlfd-dns/qd-

lstngs/menu-eng.html to confirm that your organization is a listed Qualified Donee • Not-for profit organizations

Previous Loblaw Water Fund grantees are eligible to apply and can be awarded funding pending submission and approval of the 2016 reporting requirements by March 31st, 2017. Only one application can be submitted per organization.

Eligible Costs:

a. Human resources costs: includes wages and mandatory benefits (as required by law) for human resources that will be directly involved in the implementation of the project, including professional and technical personnel, project assistants and consultants.

b. Equipment costs: includes the lease and/or rental of equipment required for the completion of the project. In some cases, equipment purchase may be considered with proper justification.

c. Field and supplies costs

d. Travel expenses and vehicle rental fees: includes travel costs, (e.g. fuel and mileage*), accommodations, and meals.

e. Documentation of results: includes preparation/design/printing of reports associated with the project, photographs and /or video footage of restoration/monitoring process.

f. Communications costs: includes press releases or public notices in newspapers and magazines, and distribution costs.

g. Administrative overheads: up to a maximum of 12.5% of total budget.

*for use of an automobile, the mileage rate should not exceed $0.44/km. The Loblaw Water Fund will not fund 100% of project expenses. Proponents must demonstrate availability of at least 25% matching funds. Matching funds can include in-kind donations such as donated services, equipment, materials, and volunteer time.

Non-Eligible Costs:

a. Large capital expenses, such as buildings and vehicles. b. Costs of purchasing or leasing property, including municipal service fees and property taxes. c. Rental fees for research facilities or office space (where relevant the proponent organization is

expected to provide, without charge to the Loblaw Water Fund, research and office space and facilities. These items can be counted as matching funds).

d. Costs incurred or paid prior to, or after the project term.

Assessment Criteria:

All projects will be assessed using the following criteria. Following each criterion is a list of considerations that the Loblaw Water Fund Advisory Committee members will consider when evaluating each proposal.

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• Project Location - Is the project located within one of the priority sub-watersheds listed in Appendix 1a or 1b? What is the current state of the watershed/river/project area of focus? Does the watershed contain species at risk, and/or features which are of national or global significance?

• Community Engagement - Will the work engage the local community in the project? Have key stakeholders in the watershed been actively engaged in the project? Do strong relationships, coordination and support exist among key players?

• Overall quality of project - How and to what extent will the activities contribute to the improved status

of the health of the freshwater ecosystem? What is the likelihood of success?

• Communications Plan - Will this work and the results be communicated in an engaging, thought and action-provoking manner? Can the results be translated into a broader conservation message? What makes this work relevant to key audiences?

• Proven achievements - Does the applicant(s) have a strong record in conservation related endeavours,

or practical conservation experience? Does the applicant have unique contributions or qualifications?

• Project relevance – Have concrete goals and objectives been identified that meet the objectives of the Loblaw Water Fund? Have concrete, measurable results been identified for the period of the project? Are the project objectives practical, appropriate and scientifically sound?

• Budget - Is the budget appropriate for the proposed activities? What level of resources will the project proponent or other contributors provide? Have appropriate matching funds of at least 25% (including in kind support) been secured?

Notification

All proponents will be notified of project selection in writing in March, 2017. Proponents should not proceed with a project on the expectation that it will be selected. Proponents of selected projects should not proceed until a written agreement has been signed by both the proponent and WWF-Canada. Any activities conducted before an agreement is signed will not be funded. Proponents will have from April 1, 2017 until March 31, 2018 to complete projects and reporting requirements.

Permits

Successful proponents are responsible for identifying and obtaining any permits, licences or other approvals required in order to begin and/or complete the project.

Terms of Reference

This call for proposals is not intended to be a formal legally-binding procurement process.

WWF-Canada reserves the right to seek clarification and supplementary information from any proponent.

WWF-Canada may elect not to consider a proposal containing misrepresentations or any inaccurate, misleading or incomplete information.

Once a project proposal has been submitted, it cannot be modified or changed.

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Appendix 1a: Restoration Priority Regions

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Appendix 1b): Monitoring Priority Regions