National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP) - Terms and Conditions

The purpose of this document is to establish terms and conditions for the provision of funds under the Federal/Provincial/Territorial (F/P/T) Mitigation Contribution Component (MCC) of the National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP).

1. Authority

Paragraph 6(1)(c) of the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Act (S.C. 2005, c. 10) authorizes the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to make grants and contributions.

Paragraph 4(1)(m) of the Emergency Management Act (S.C. 2007, c. 15) authorizes the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to establish policies and programs with respect to emergency management.

2. Program Description

In recognition of increasing disaster risks and costs, Budget 2014 earmarked $200 million over five years to establish the NDMP as part of the Government’s commitment to build safer and more resilient communities. The NDMP addresses rising flood risks and costs, and builds the foundation for future informed mitigation investments that could reduce, or even negate, the effects of flood events.

Economic and Fiscal Snapshot 2020 extended the duration of the NDMP and earmarked an additional $27 million over two years beginning in fiscal year 2020-2021.

The NDMP fills a critical gap in Canada’s ability to effectively mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from, flood-related events foremost by building a body of knowledge on flood risks in Canada, and invest in foundational flood mitigation activities (e.g., risk assessments and flood mapping). Knowledge that is up-to-date and accessible will not only help governments, communities and individuals to understand flood risks and employ effective mitigation strategies to reduce the impacts of flooding, but will also further discussions on residential flood insurance.

The NDMP directly supports the mandate of Public Safety Canada (PS), which includes providing leadership at the national level over all matters pertaining to public safety and emergency preparedness.

3.  Aim and Objectives

3.1 The aim of the NDMP is to reduce the impacts of natural disasters on Canadians by: 1) focusing investments on significant, recurring flood risks and costs; and 2) advancing work to facilitate private residential insurance for overland flooding. 

4. Definitions

The following definitions apply for the purposes of this program:

“Flooding”: The overflow of natural drainage channels, natural shorelines and/or human-made facsimiles leading to partial or complete inundation from the overflow of inland or tidal waters, and/or the accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source.

“Flood Mapping”: The delineation of flood lines and elevations on a base map, typically takes the form of flood lines on a map that show the area that will be covered by water, or the elevation that water would reach during a flood event. The data shown on the maps, for more complex scenarios, may also include flow velocities, depth, other risk parameters, and vulnerabilities.

“Prevention/mitigation measures”: Proactive measures taken to eliminate or reduce the impact of natural disasters in order to protect lives, the property, the environment, and reduce economic disruption. There are two types of mitigation measures:

• Structural mitigation: Physical measures designed to mitigate the impact of hazards (e.g., channel improvement [construction of floodways and dykes], flow regulation (diversions, creating upstream storage), flood proofing measures (reinforcing or raising homes to minimize vulnerability to floods).

• Non-structural mitigation: Non-physical measures that incorporate the measurement and assessment of the risk environment and contribute to comprehensive, proactive risk reduction investments (e.g., floodplain mapping, risk assessments; insurance incentives; public awareness programs; regulating land use (building codes and enforcement); acquiring property on the floodplain and relocating structures; and reusable equipment used to undertake flood mitigation).

5. Eligible Recipients

5.1 Provincial and Territorial (P/T) governments are the sole eligible recipients.

5.2 Recipients may decide to collaborate with, and further distribute funding to, ultimate recipient entities at their discretion. The selection of ultimate recipients is under the complete control of P/Ts. Ultimate recipients can include but is not limited to:

1. A municipality and other local governments, including a “council of the band” within the meaning of Section 2 of the Indian Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. I-5) or a government or authority of an Aboriginal community (First Nation or Inuit) established by an act of Parliament or legislature.
2. A public sector entity that is established by or under provincial or territorial statute or by regulation or is wholly owned by a province, territory, municipal or other local government. 
3. Private sector entity that is incorporated and capable of entering into a legal agreement with the recipient, including for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, charitable organizations and private academic institutions.
4. International non-governmental organizations, including bodies associated/affiliated with organizations of which Canada is a member, which have as their purpose supporting public safety as a priority, and capable of entering into a legal agreement with the recipient.  
5. A combination of the aforementioned entities.

5.3 If the proposed project is a submission for two or more P/Ts , one P/T would be the recipient for the funding, with the other(s) identified as project partners.

6. Eligible Projects

6.1   Contributions may be provided for the following types of mitigation projects:

1. new projects or existing projects that have been developed but have not been identified for funding; and
2. non-structural or small scale structural projects. Small-scale structural projects are limited to $1.5M in PS contribution to Provinces, and $2.25M in PS contribution for Territories.

7. Eligible Activities

7.1 The NDMP is a merit-based program consisting of four project streams, each stream informing the next. P/Ts may submit a project application at any project stream, but must demonstrate that they met the requirements of the preceding stream, as applicable.

7.2 Stream 1 (Risk assessments that support mitigation activities) is the fundamental building block for identifying: flood hazards, compounding hazards, community and infrastructure vulnerabilities, impacts and for informing future non-structural and structural flood mitigation investments.

7.3 Stream 2 (Flood Mapping) targets vulnerable areas identified in Stream 1, under risk assessments, by supporting the development and/or modernization of flood maps, including, but not limited to: the new acquisition of elevation data and mapping, plotting historical data and inundation mapping, modelling hydrological and hydrometric data and other geospatial, mapping and modelling activities.

7.4 Stream 3 (Mitigation Planning) builds on the risk information identified and mapped in Streams 1 and 2 by supporting mitigation planning that incorporates the community, First Nations, and other local stakeholders to address areas of flood vulnerability. This approach drives knowledge of, and responsibility for, flood risks and flood mitigation strategies to the community and individual level.

7.5 Stream 4 (Investments in Non-structural and Small Scale Structural Mitigation Projects) requires that proposals must meet the requirements of the first three streams. This stream covers non-structural measures and small-scale structural mitigation measures. Under certain conditions, P/Ts may submit non-structural projects for Stream 4 funding without having met the requirements of Streams 1 to 3. To apply directly for Stream 4 funding, projects must demonstrate that failure to meet the requirements of Streams 1 to 3 have little or no impact on the effective delivery of the proposed project.

7.6 The following activities will not be funded under the NDMP:

1. projects that are already funded by a P/T government; and/or
2. projects that have received a funding commitment from another Government of Canada program at any time. Should new sources of funding become available, the recipient must disclose this information immediately to PS.

8. Selection Process

8.1 NDMP will be administered by PS using a formal and well-established assessment and approval process to fund projects annually. The focus of the funding will be on projects that identify and reduce the risks associated with flooding. Criteria for assessing the risk and relative merit of the proposals being put forward are presented below.

8.2 Projects will be reviewed by a NDMP review committee chaired by PS, and made up of officials from federal departments and agencies responsible for flooding, appointed to the review committee by their respective departments.  Departments and agencies that will be part of the review committee will consist of, but not be limited to: Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, Environment Canada, Defence Research and Development Canada, Infrastructure Canada and Natural Resources Canada. 

8.3 The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness is the final authority regarding eligibility and approval of projects to the NDMP.

9. Application Requirements

To be eligible for funding, applications must meet the following requirements: 

1. Identification of the stream being targeted by the proposal.
2. A description of how the project(s) addresses high-risk communities and/or flood mapping.
3. A description of how the project would benefit the community and may be of interest to surrounding communities.
4. An explanation of how the project objectives contribute to:
   • Reducing the impacts of disasters on Canadians.
   • Reducing disaster related financial liabilities for all levels of government.
5. An explanation of how the project expected outcomes support each of its objectives.
6. Inclusion of a proposed budget that clearly outlines the categories of work and expenditures for which the financial contribution is being requested for each fiscal year, as well as other sources of revenue and in-kind support, where applicable.  
7. Inclusion of a clearly articulated work plan outlining all activities (i.e., tasks, deliverables, resources, timelines, etc.) for which the financial contribution is being requested for each fiscal year.
8. Identification of stakeholders/partnerships and a description of their level of engagement, as applicable.
9. Identification of potential project implementation risks that may impact the recipient’s ability to deliver on the project, and mitigation measures to address them.
10. Inclusion of a commitment to share information with the Government of Canada, such as:
    • risk information/data, including the completed risk assessment information template;
    • flood maps and associated data, based on the criteria established by PS, for inclusion in a national flood database; and
    • other relevant project information, such as lessons learned.
11. Inclusion of a commitment to publicly recognize the federal government’s contribution in any announcement. 
12. A description of the internal measures to conduct implementation monitoring and performance management.
13. Inclusion of a declaration required to prevent the risk of conflict of interest, including:
    • Disclosure of any apparent, actual or potential conflict of interest in compliance with Canada or the Province’s laws, regulations or policies, as the case may be, and disclosure of the involvement of any former public servants or public office holders subject to theValues and Ethics Code for the Public Sector,  the Conflict of Interest Act (S.C. 2006, c9), and the conditions of the Parliament of Canada Act (R.S. 1985, c. P 1-1.01).
    • Registrant as lobbyists as required under the Lobbying Act (applicants shall provide assurance that, where lobbyist are utilized, they are registered in accordance with the Lobbying Act and that no actual or potential conflict of interest exists nor any contingency fee arrangement).
    • Role of any Government of Canada official, if a Government of Canada official is to participate on an advisory committee or board.  Such involvement must not be seen to be exercising control on the committee or board on the use of funds.
14. In order to support PS’s obligations under Part VII of the Official Languages Act, an indication whether and how the needs of official language minority communities were considered, where appropriate (such as for proposed stakeholder engagement activities). 

10. NDMP Stream Requirements

10.1 Potential recipients can apply for funding under four different streams. Streams represent the various stages that a flood mitigation project may go through from development to implementation.

10.2 Stream 1 (Risk Assessments)

Stream 1 provides funding for the development and completion of risk assessment processes to inform flood risks. Risk assessments are the foundational step in natural disaster mitigation. These risk assessments may identify the specific flood hazards, compounding hazards, community and infrastructure vulnerabilities, the impacts and the overall flood risk profile for a community/municipality.

The program will fund the completion of a broad range of risk assessment methodologies. In order to facilitate the comparison of risk scenarios from across the country, the results of these assessments will have to be submitted to PS in the form of a risk assessment information template. The completion of this template will generate a risk rating which will be used throughout the NDMP assessment process for each of the other streams.

10.3    Stream 2 (Flood Mapping)

Stream 2 provides funding for the development and/or modernization of flood maps to address flood risk. Flood mapping involves a number of discreet phases including: the acquisition of elevation data and mapping, the plotting of historical flood data and inundation mapping, hydrologic and hydraulic information to calculate flood elevations for selected flood events and other geospatial, mapping and modelling activities. The proposed flood mapping projects will have to comply with relevant Government of Canada standards and guidelines.  

To be eligible for funding under Stream 2, NDMP applicants will have to demonstrate they have completed a risk assessment and complete the risk assessment information template for the geographic area of their proposal.

10.4 Stream 3 (Mitigation Planning)

Stream 3 provides funding for the development and/or modernization of mitigation plans to address flood risk. A flood zone is a complex system, and international best practices demonstrate that most flood mitigation plans require a comprehensive and complimentary series of mitigation solutions. Comprehensive mitigation plans allow applicants to develop more sustainable and resilient mitigation solutions.   

To be eligible for funding under Stream 3, NDMP applicants will have to:

• demonstrate they have completed a risk assessment and a flood map for the geographic area of their proposal; and
• complete the risk assessment information template.

10.5 Stream 4 (Investments in Non-structural and Small Scale Structural Mitigation Projects)

Stream 4 provides funding for non-structural and small scale structural disaster mitigation projects to address flood risk.

To be eligible for funding under Stream 4, NDMP applicants will have to:

• demonstrate they have completed a risk assessment, flood map and mitigation plan for the geographic area of the proposal; and
• complete the risk assessment information template.

In addition, any small-scale structural mitigation project will only be considered if P/Ts can demonstrate that the project cannot be funded under an existing Government of Canada program.

  As mentioned at Section 7.5, under certain conditions, P/Ts may submit non-structural projects for Stream 4 funding without having met the requirements of Streams 1 to 3. To apply directly for Stream 4 funding, projects must demonstrate that failure to meet the requirements identified in Streams 1 to 3 have little or no impact on non-structural projects. Examples of potential projects that can be submitted directly for Stream 4 funding are: communication projects focusing on education regarding general flood mitigation, development of databases for the collection and analysis of flood data and building community partnerships.

11. Process for Assessing NDMP Applications

11.1 Applications will be assessed using a two stage process:

1. application screening; and
2. application assessment.

11.2 Application Screening.  This is a simple verification to ensure that the proposal satisfies eligibility criteria, that it contains the appropriate topics and, if applying for Streams 2, 3 or 4, that previous stream information is included. Applications that fail the screening process will be returned to the applicant for modification(s) and re-submission as applicable.

1. Verification of Eligibility: The recipient and project eligibility will be reviewed in accordance with the provisions of Sections 5 and 6.
2. Verification of Topics: The application will be assessed to ensure that all topics required under the Application Requirements Section 9 are included.  How well each requirement is addressed will be evaluated under the assessment process.
3. Verification of Stream Information: While P/Ts may submit a project application for any project stream, if they apply for Stream 2, 3 or 4, they must provide evidence of having met the requirements of the preceding stream(s), as applicable,  and complete the risk assessment information template, with the exception of:
   • Streams 2, 3 and 4:  The risk assessment output from Stream 1 is not required (but will be accepted if submitted); only the completed risk assessment information template is mandatory.
   • Stream 4: Exceptions as outlined at Section 7.5 for non-structural projects.

11.3 Application Assessment.  Each proposal will be assessed against a set of general criteria that apply to all applications and then specific sets of criteria that apply to each stream.

1. General Criteria.  The Application Requirements outlined at Section 9 will be assessed with the exception of the following topics that do not lend themselves to evaluation:
   • information related to identification of the program stream (Section 9a); and
   • information related to commitments to the Government of Canada (Sections 9i and j).
   Topics from Section 9 that will be assessed and the criteria for their assessment will include the following:
   • Project Description: The evaluation of how the project is specifically focused on the priorities of the NDMP set by the Government of Canada.  The description should highlight how the proposed project is targeting flood related high-risk communities and/or flood mapping.
   • Community Benefits: The evaluation of how the proposed project and the activities to be undertaken would benefit the targeted community and be of interest to surrounding communities.
   • Project Objectives: An evaluation of the extent to which the project description and objectives, expected results and outcomes meet and advance the objectives of:
     • Reducing the impacts of disasters on Canadians.
     • Reducing disaster related financial liabilities for all levels of government.
   • Project Budget: An evaluation of the proposed budget and how the amount of funding requested and the expenses outlined in the proposal are eligible and reasonable and support the project description and objectives, expected results and outcomes. This information should be provided for each fiscal year of the project, as well as other sources of revenue and in-kind support, where applicable.
   • Project Work Plan: An evaluation of the project activities and the related tasks, deliverables, resources, timelines, etc., for which the financial contribution is being requested, for each fiscal year.
   • Stakeholders/Partnerships: An evaluation of the degree of involvement of the applicant, the level of support, including financial, of P/Ts, federal department and agencies, other stakeholders and partners relevant to the project.
   • Project Risks: An evaluation of potential project implementation risks and their key components, which include: risk identification (relevant risks, their probability and impact), assessment of severity, risk response planning and risk monitoring.
   • Performance Management:  An evaluation of how the proposed project will monitor, measure and assess its progress based on the expected outcomes identified in the work plan and budget. 
   • Conflict of Interest: An evaluation of conflict of interest disclosures as to how they will prevent the risk of conflict of interest with respect to the involvement of prospective recipients who are subject to theValues and Ethics Code for the Public Sector,  the Conflict of Interest Act (S.C. 2006, c9), and the conditions of the Parliament of Canada Act (R.S. 1985, c. P 1-1.01).
   • Official Languages: An evaluation of how the needs of official language minority communities are considered, where appropriate (such as for proposed stakeholder engagement activities).
   • Additional Criteria: At the discretion of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, additional criteria may be used to assess NDMP project proposals. These would be communicated to the P/Ts prior to the request for proposals.
2. Stream Criteria
   1. Stream 1 - will be assessed based on the following merit criteria:
      • Methodology: Risk assessments will be assessed on the proposed methodology based on the capacity/capability of the community/region.
      • Stakeholder Engagement: Project proposals will be evaluated on the diversity of stakeholders which have agreed to participate in the risk assessments process.
      • P/T Priority Rank: As part of the application process, each P/T will assign a rank to its risk assessment priority projects. This rank will assist in triaging the relative priority assigned to each proposal.
      • Project Summary: As part of the application process, each NDMP applicant will have the opportunity to provide a qualitative project summary for each Stream 1 criterion.
   2. Stream 2 - will be evaluated on the following merit criteria:
      • Risk Rating: Having completed a risk assessment, NDMP applicants will be required to complete the risk assessment information template that will generate a risk rating for their proposal area. This rating will help assess the highest risk communities, which most urgently require flood mapping.
      • Existing Flood Maps: The age and format of existing flood maps in an applicant community are important considerations for prioritizing which flood maps require modernization.
      • P/T Priority Rank: As part of the application process, each P/T will assign a rank to its flood mapping priority projects. This rank will assist in triaging the relative priority assigned to each proposal. 
      • Project Summary: As part of the application process, each NDMP applicant will have the opportunity to provide qualitative project summary for each Stream 2 criterion.
   3. Stream 3 - will be evaluated on the following merit criteria:
      • Risk Rating: Having completed a risk assessment and a flood map, NDMP applicants will be required to complete the risk assessment information template to generate a risk rating for their proposal area. This rating will help assess the highest risk communities which most urgently require flood mitigation planning. 
      • Stakeholder Engagement: Proposals will be evaluated on the diversity of stakeholders which have agreed to participate in the mitigation planning process.
      • P/T Priority Rank: As part of the application process, each P/T will assign a rank to its mitigation plan priority projects. This rank will assist in triaging the relative priority assigned to each proposal.
      • Project Summary: As part of the application process, each NDMP applicant will have the opportunity to provide a qualitative project summary for each Stream 3 criterion. 
   4. Stream 4 - will be assessed on the following merit criteria:
      • Risk Rating: Having completed a risk assessment, a flood map and a mitigation plan, NDMP applicants will be required to complete the risk assessment information template, as appropriate, to generate a new risk rating for their proposal area. This rating would help assess the highest risk communities which most urgently require investments to implement flood mitigation measures.
      • Stakeholder Engagement: Proposals will be evaluated on the diversity of stakeholders which have agreed to participate in the non-structural/small-scale structural mitigation process, as appropriate.
      • Return on Investment (ROI): A primary consideration for the implementation of small scale disaster mitigation projects is the estimated ROI for the proposed project(s). 
      • Disaster Mitigation Plan Alignment: NDMP applicants seeking to implement non-structural and small scale structural disaster mitigation projects will be required to demonstrate the degree of alignment with their disaster mitigation plans, as appropriate.
      • P/T Priority Rank: As part of the application process, each P/T will assign a rank to its disaster mitigation priority projects. This rank will assist in triaging the relative priority assigned to each proposal.
      • Project Summary: As part of the application process, each NDMP applicant will have the opportunity to provide a qualitative project summary for each Stream 4 criterion.
   5. Projects that are submitted to Stream 4 for funding under the conditions articulated in Section 7.5 above, will be assessed concurrently with other Stream 4 proposals. The criteria that will be used to assess these proposals will be based on the same criteria being used for normal Stream 4 proposals, with the exception of the completion of the risk assessment information template. Assessments will be based on a relative scale with respect to the remaining criteria.
   6.  P/Ts are strongly encouraged to establish collaborative arrangements with eligible entities when developing project proposals. The degree of stakeholder engagement with eligible entities in project design will be assessed at each stream. While collaboration with other entities is desired as set out under the Eligible Recipients (Section 5.2), proposals that include partnerships with First Nations communities are encouraged, and may be evaluated as part of the stream assessment.

  12. Eligible Costs

12.1 Eligible expenses for NDMP funding include the following measures:

1. Non-structural measures contributing to mitigation investments during the eligible period. Eligible costs related to the following activities include, but are not limited to:
   • New research and data collection.
   • Flood mapping and forecasting.
   • Flood resistant construction techniques.
   • Hazard mapping and forecasting.
   • Professional services support (e.g., site visits, technical evaluations and development of recommendations).
   • Purchase of equipment used to undertake mitigation and/or support the implementation of permanent structural mitigation measures, including life costs associated with the equipment.
   • Building community partnerships for the purpose of disaster risk reduction.
   • Consultant fees.
   • Hazard, impact, risk, vulnerability and assessments.
   • Development of disaster mitigation plans.
   • Public awareness and education.
   • Building standards and enforcement.
   • Non-structural retrofitting.
   • Land use planning controls.
   • Planning and feasibility activities for structural mitigation investments.
   • Land purchases (e.g., to permanently relocate residents at high-risk of recurrent flooding).
   • Other non-structural mitigation measures implemented or undertaken during the eligible time periods may be considered eligible at the discretion of PS.
2. Non-structural measures that will enhance proactive whole-of-community flood mitigation measures and resilience to associated hazards and risks (e.g., measures to help understand and meet the actual needs of the whole community, engagement and empowerment of all parts of the community to define their needs and provide ways to meet them, and measures to strengthen what already works well in the community on a daily basis to improve resiliency and emergency management outcomes). Eligible costs related to the following activities include, but are not limited to:
   • Community-based surveys to assess community needs and actions
   • Research to identify and build on community best practices
   • Community workshops and sessions to promote mitigation measures and receive feedback
   • Outreach activities and public communications
3. Small-scale structural flood mitigation measures are also eligible for P/Ts who can demonstrate that the foundational non-structural measures are in place through having met the requirements of  Streams 1 to 3. However, small-scale structural mitigation projects will only be considered if it can be demonstrated that the proposed project cannot be funded under existing federal government programs. PS will work with other departments or agencies on screening proposed submissions to avoid potential funding exclusions and overlaps. 

Eligible costs include, but are not limited to, physical measures designated to mitigate the impacts of flooding, including:

• Construction of new permanent structural measures designated to mitigate the impacts of flooding (e.g., channel improvement, floodways and dykes, flow regulation/diversion, creating upstream storage, flood protection measures, reinforcing or raising homes to minimize vulnerability to floods and others).
• Improvement or modernization of existing permanent structural measures.
• Post-flood finishing costs for measures undertaken within the eligible period.
• Consultant fees.
• Measures taken to protect primary residences only.
• Other permanent structural flood mitigation measures and costs related to post-flood finishing measures implemented or undertaken during the eligible time periods.
4. The incremental costs incurred by P/Ts that directly support the implementation of permanent structural and non-structural flood mitigation measures within their respective jurisdictions during the eligible time periods, and that are not a part of regular operating costs (e.g., ongoing salaries for existing personnel, routine flood forecasting).  As such, eligible costs for consideration include, but are not limited to:
   • Exceptional salary costs, benefits and incidentals.
   • Exceptional administrative costs.
   • Materials.
   • Facilities.
   • Exceptional transportation costs.
   • Other costs incurred by provinces or territories that are directly attributed to the implementation of permanent structural and non-structure flood mitigation measures in their respective jurisdictions during the eligible time periods that are not a part of regular operating costs.

12.2 Funds may be used only for expenses directly related to the activities of the project identified in a budget approved by PS. PS may consider reimbursement of eligible pre-execution expenditures incurred prior to the signing of the Contribution Agreement on an exceptional basis. Such exceptional basis entails the potential loss of critical project resources(s), or the delivery of the project will be jeopardized.

  The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness will not pay for any eligible expenses incurred by a Recipient prior to the date of approval of the Proposal/Application, as per the Delegated Financial Signing Authority Matrix. The Minister shall not reimburse an Applicant for costs incurred should the Agreement not be executed.

12.3    For the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2020 and ending March 31, 2021, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness may consider cost-sharing eligible expenditures incurred for eligible activities for projects that were under a valid funding agreement on March 31, 2020. A new funding agreement would be entered into with recipients, authorizing reimbursement of pre-execution expenditures incurred during the period between April 1, 2020 and the date of signature of the new agreement.

12.4    For the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2021 and ending March 31, 2022, for newly approved projects resulting from a call for proposals, eligible expenditures for cost-sharing purposes will be those incurred from the date a funding agreement is fully executed, subject to the applicability of section 12.2.

12.5 The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness is the final authority regarding eligibility of costs and expenditures, and amounts of payments to be made through this program.

13. Ineligible Costs

13.1 The following specific expenses are not eligible for NDMP funding:

1. Costs relating to events and equipment which are considered to be the routine responsibility of provincial ministries or first responder agencies such as police, fire and ambulance.
2. Ongoing operating and maintenance costs for NDMP initiatives following completion of the project.
3. The value assigned to data that was procured or collected prior to the establishment of the project Contribution Agreement.
4. Administrative costs which are not directly related to a specific NDMP project. Each recipient is expected to absorb the routine costs of doing business. Examples such as regular salaries and benefits, audit costs, office furniture, equipment, office supplies, committee work, administration and supervision of NDMP, are not to be cost-shared. It is recognized that certain proposals incur extraordinary administrative expenses, which are incremental to the routine costs of providing government services; these expenses can be considered for cost-sharing and shall be clearly identified in detail at the proposal stage.
5. Hospitality costs.
6. Mitigation project that would yield only temporary measures (e.g., use of sandbags).
7. Mitigation projects that would create ongoing need for funds from the federal government or from its recipient that cannot be absorbed in their current budget.
8. Any expenditures related to a project already started prior to application for funding and prior to approval.
9. Damages and interests resulting from any action or omission causing harm to a third party for which the Recipient is held civilly liable by a Court and has to pay; or fines under any municipal, provincial, territorial or federal legislation resulting from a transgression by the Recipient, or any amount resulting from any settlement entered into by the Recipient, or imposed by a Court, including an Arbiter, to the Recipient in relation with the funded NDMP project.
10. Taxes other than the PST or provincial part of the HST.
11. Projects that address needs that are not related to prevention/mitigation.
12. Costs reimbursed under another Government of Canada program.

14. Internal Recipient Reporting

14.1 The funding recipient must submit a project progress report that will indicate the project implementation status, results achieved in accordance with its own Performance Management Framework, project risk information update, and the financial expenditure against the intended use and in accordance with eligible expenses.  The detailed requirements and the frequency of the reporting will be included in the Contribution Agreement with each P/T.

14.2 A recipient administering multiple projects may, following PS’s approval and guidance, submit consolidated financial and non-financial progress reports. The requirements and the frequency of the reporting will be included in the Contribution Agreement with each P/T.

15. Stacking

15.1 The maximum level of total Canadian government funding authorized for a project’s eligible costs are:

1. 50% for projects in provinces; and
2. 75% for projects in territories.

However, projects undertaken by private sector businesses in the territories will be cost-shared at 50%. In the event that actual total federal government funding to a recipient exceeds the stacking limit, it will be necessary for PS to adjust its level of funding to ensure the stacking limit is not exceeded. 

15.2 On a case-by-case basis, PS may allow on-Reserve First Nations to utilize Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) mitigation funding to contribute to the P/T portion of the NDMP project.  In these cases, the federal contribution, through CIRNAC and NDMP, could be up to the maximum of 100% of the project cost.    

16. In-Kind Contributions

16.1 Other sources of funding may be in the format of in-kind contributions. In-kind contributions involve non-cash transactions (e.g., securities, land, buildings, equipment, use of facilities, labour and goods) that are provided by interested parties such as recipients, stakeholders, departments or other government bodies, in support of a federally approved transfer payment project or initiative. 

16.2 The maximum amount of in-kind contribution may not exceed 15% of the partner contribution. The maximum for in-kind contributions can be modified at the discretion of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, on a case-by-case basis.

17. Maximum Amount Payable and Duration

17.1 The maximum amount of contribution payable for agreements will be limited by the vote appropriated for this purpose and will not exceed $208.8.8 million over seven years, starting in fiscal year 2015-2016 and continuing through to the end of fiscal year 2021-2022. The maximum amount payable for an individual project submitted by a P/T shall not exceed the identified level of funding for any given fiscal year or stream.

17.2 P/Ts may put forward projects under any stream they choose, provided that they meet the eligibility requirements for that stream. This allows P/Ts to direct funding to specific streams, leverage existing investments in flood risk assessments, mapping and mitigation planning, and also utilize NDMP funding to undertake projects.

17.3 Depending on the time frame of an initiative, single year or multiyear funding agreements may be used. The maximum length of time that a contribution shall be approved for the same project shall not exceed 24 months, and not exceed the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

18.   Method Used to Determine the Amount of a Contribution

18.1     Contribution amounts will be determined based on the recipient’s planned activities and budget submissions. The availability of program funds and the number of successful applicants will also be used to determine the amount that the recipient may receive.

19. Method and Timing of Payment

19.1 Progress Payments will be issued to reimburse the recipient for incurred expenditures and will be based upon receipt and acceptance by the department of interim financial (cashflow statements and/or financial statements) and non-financial progress reports.

19.2 Where advance payments are required, they will be issued based on cashflow requirements of the recipients, as well as the receipt and acceptance by the department of interim financial (cashflow statements and/or financial statements) and non-financial progress reports.

19.3 A final payment (holdback) will be made only upon receipt and acceptance of final financial (cashflow statements and/or financial statements) and non-financial progress reports.

19.4 The department reserves the right to audit and/or review any project or contribution agreement.

20. Third Party Independence

20.1 If a Recipient redistributes funding to one or more individuals or entities:

1. The Recipient has independence in the choice of those persons or entities, with minimal guidance from PS, and will not be acting as an agent of the government in making distributions.
2. The Recipient funding agreement will address the provisions in Appendix G (27-34) of the Directive on Transfer Payments.

21. Performance Measurement Strategy

21.1 A comprehensive Performance Measurement Strategy has been developed for PS to manage the NDMP expected results, namely:

1. using risk assessments to identify and mitigate flood and flood related risks;
2. reduce disaster-related financial liabilities and mitigation knowledge gap; and
3. advance work to develop a residential flood insurance market.

22. Expected Results and Performance Measures

23. Intellectual property

23.1 If a funded project produces intellectual property, the recipient retains copyright for any work produced by its project. PS will encourage the recipient to transfer within the emergency management community, knowledge acquired or developed through NDMP projects.

23.2 However, in situations where PS wishes to use the intellectual property produced by a specific project, the Department's Legal Services Unit will be consulted on a case-by-case basis to obtain from the recipient a non-exclusive license for the Crown to have the right to use, or to confer to a third party the right to use, the intellectual rights acquired or developed through the project.

24. Official Languages

24.1     An official languages impact analysis has been undertaken.  This initiative has taken into account, and is in compliance with, all the applicable obligations under the Official Languages Act, and its related regulations and policies.  As projects under the NDMP will be undertaken with provinces and territories, any communications with and/or public awareness activities undertaken will be in accordance with PS’ obligations under section IV of the Official Languages Act.  

24.2     As the Official Languages Act and its related regulations and policies apply to federal government institutions, provinces and territories are not obligated to comply with them, but will be required to follow the language legislation or policies of their own jurisdictions. To help PS fulfill its obligations under the Official Languages Act, P/Ts are encouraged to consider sharing material with the federal government and other provinces and territories (e.g., for the National Risk and Resilience Repository) in both official languages, and to consider the needs of official language minority communities during their stakeholder engagement activities.  Official languages undertaken for provinces and territories should be described in project’s descriptions and would be referred in related contribution agreements and adapted to the specific official languages risks raised by the projects funded.

Date modified:

2021-01-18