Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program - News and FAQ

The program will fund up to 50% of Total Project Costs up to a maximum per technology, as follows:

NRCan’s contribution through this Program will be limited to a maximum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) per project.

Funding is in the form of a contribution, not a grant or a subsidy. Contributions are subject to performance conditions (progress) that are specified in a contribution agreement.

Eligible expenditures are reimbursed based on the receipt and approval of claims for payment. During the project, the applicant will be required to submit quarterly payment claims and progress reports to NRCan summarizing project progress and expenses incurred. 

NRCan’s contribution is conditionally repayable for a period of up to 10 years after the project completion date if the project generates profit.  The repayment is calculated annually and based on the percent of funding provided to a project.

Note that exceptions to the repayment requirement include instances where the contribution is under $100,000 or made to non-profit organizations, Indigenous organizations, Crown corporation, post-secondary institutions, municipal, provincial or territorial government entities.  In this case, these organizations would enter into a non-repayable contribution agreement with NRCan.

Total funding from all levels of government (federal, provincial/territorial or municipal) cannot exceed 75% of the Total Project Costs, unless the proponent is an Indigenous business or community, a not for profit organization, a provincial, territorial or municipal government or their departments or agencies in which case the stacking limit is 100% of Total Project Costs.

OPEN RFP: For more information please refer to the Applicant’s Guide (section 1.6).

Applicants must demonstrate secured funding of their share of the total project costs. Contributions to the project from non-NRCan sources can be from the applicant and/or from other contributors.

An applicant’s contribution to a project can be in the form of cash or NRCan approved in-kind contributions. In-kind contributions are not eligible for reimbursement.

OPEN RFP: For more information on Eligible Expenditures and In-Kind Support please refer to the Applicant’s Guide (section 5.2 and section 5.3).

Projects proposals are selected through a competitive process and evaluated against  mandatory and merit criteria.

PRE RFP:  Program criteria and an Applicant's Package will be available at the launch of each request for proposal.

OPEN RFP: For more information on Project selection criteria please refer to the Applicant’s Guide (section 2).

The program expects to launch RFPs each year (until 2027). 

Expenditures incurred prior to the Letter of Conditional Approval cannot be reimbursed and will not be considered towards the Total Project Cost.

Expenditures incurred between the date of the Letter of Conditional Approval and the date that Canada signs a contribution agreement are not incurred during the eligible expenditure period and, although they may count towards total project costs, they are not eligible for NRCan reimbursement. It is important to consult with the program during this period prior to incurring expenditures.

In all cases, until both parties sign a contribution agreement there is no commitment or obligation on the part of NRCan to make a financial contribution to any project, including any expenditure incurred or paid prior to the signing of such a contribution agreement and proponents are not permitted to publicly disclose project funding information.

OPEN RFP: For more information please refer to the Applicant’s Guide (section 1.11).

The applicant must demonstrate they own the lands, have access to the lands or demonstrate that they have the capacity to obtain access to the sites where the project will be built. 

If the applicant owns the sites, they must provide proof of ownership. The name of the owner on the document should match the name of the Applicant. Include a copy of at least one of the following: title deeds; most recent assessment roll; or most recent property tax bill.

If the applicant is not the owner of the sites, they must provide proof of access to the sites. Proof must indicate name of the parties, duration, civic addresses and the responsibilities of both parties. Include a copy of at least one of the following: lease contract; legal agreement; or memorandum of understanding dated no more than 6 months prior to the application date.

OPEN RFP: For more information please refer to the Applicant’s Guide (section 3.6).

In order to be considered for funding, projects must:

• Be an eligible technology;
• Be located in Canada;
• Be a permanent installation;
• Be new and purchased equipment (not leased);
• Be for a new installation or expansion of an existing installation (not for the replacement of an existing installation);
• Be certified for use in Canada and be commercially available.

PRE RFP: Further information regarding the type of technology, charging connectors and project infrastructure minimum requirements will be defined in each request for proposal. 

OPEN RFP: Information regarding the type of technology, charging connectors and Project infrastructure minimums is available in the Applicant’s Guide (section 1.4 and 1.7).

NRCan wants to ensure that the proposed projects have already met an advanced state of readiness. Applicants of successful projects will have three (3) months after the date of the Letter of Conditional Approval to sign a Contribution Agreement. NRCan will assess project readiness through merit criteria as outlined in the request for proposals.

OPEN RFP: For more information please refer to the Applicant’s Guide (section 4.4).

During the RFP process, the program staff is not at liberty to discuss project specifics. Questions can be sent to the program mailbox and will be answered within five (5) business days.

The program will also be hosting a webinar to inform on the program’s RFP best practices.