The three phases focus on community support, conservation planning, and long-term stewardship of new protected areas.
Overview
The BC Conservation Fund empowers Indigenous peoples and British Columbians to protect and restore priority land and freshwater areas. Through collaborative, long-term investment, the Fund supports projects that strengthen biodiversity, climate resilience, and community-led conservation across three focused funding streams.
We are accepting expressions of interest (EOIs) on a rolling basis for Stream 1 - Phase 1, 2 & 3 projects. We review EOIs twice a year. Note, the next submission deadline will be February 2026. The Conservation Fund plans to have three funding streams. Stream 2 and 3 are still under development.
We continue to welcome expressions of interest for Stream 1: Area-Based Conservation Initiatives. Stream 1 expressions of interest will be accepted on a rolling basis, with reviews happening two times per year.There are 3 phases flowing along a pathway, as outlined below. Each phase has its own unique set of desired results/impacts, criteria to evaluate projects, funding priorities, and eligible activities. Applicants can submit a proposal at any phase that aligns with their current efforts—there is no need to start at a specific phase.
Stream 1 expressions of interest will be accepted on a rolling basis,
with reviews happening two times year. The next review submission deadline is February, 2026.
Projects building a community vision, mandate, capacity and partnerships to conserve areas, and not yet in formal government-to-government planning discussions.
Projects that have an internal mandate, capacity and partnerships, and are ready or have started government-to-government planning or conservation agreements.
Projects where new conservation areas have been or are soon to be designated, ready for long-term stewardship, restoration (where required), including sustainable economic opportunities aligned with conservation.
Before you apply, please check out our Guide to BC Conservation Funding for Stream 1 – Area-Based Conservation Initiatives. This includes important information on our funding priorities, desired results, eligible activities, and the criteria and key considerations we will use to assess grant applications. You can find out more information about the application and granting process below.
Prior to developing an application, please ensure your project/initiative and your organization is eligible for funding. If you have any questions regarding eligibility, please contact us at info@bcconservationfund.ca.
Grant applicants must be a qualified donee. As such, grants will be open to any non-profit organization or community contribution company (C3) working on conservation or land/water use issues in BC. For BC Conservation Fund purposes, qualified donees may include:
• First Nations
• Charities and societies
• Non-government organization (NGOs)
• Universities and collegesTrade associations
• Local and Regional Governments
If you are not a qualified donee and interested in applying for a Phase 1-3 grant, particularly a First Nation applicant, please contact us for assistance at info@bcconservationfund.ca.
We encourage and will prioritize applications from First Nations or delegated organizations in phases 1-3. Non-Indigenous organizations can apply where First Nation support is demonstrated (i.e. through a letter or other form of support from the Nation), or in the case of a Biodiverse Area Identification project. We will not accept applications from individuals or for-profit companies in this stream.
Before being invited to complete a full funding application for review, an expression of interest must be completed and reviewed by the BC Conservation Fund. This will help applicants avoid spending unnecessary time on applications. The Fund will advise EoI applicants if they are welcome to submit a full application. Please visit the 'Apply' page to continue.
Application templates will be made available once an Expression of Interest (EOI) has been reviewed and the proponent has been invited to complete the full application. These templates are tailored to the specific phase you are applying for and will build upon your EOI submission.
You may be asked to provide additional details, such as more comprehensive work plans and budget information.We welcome the opportunity to work with proponents who are invited to complete their applications.
There are two Stream 1 intakes per year:
Current intake:
Expressions of interest deadline: July 4, 2025.
Invitation to apply: Early September.
Full application deadline: End of October.
Following intake:
Expressions of interest deadline: Early February 2026.
Invitation to apply: Early April.
Full application deadline: End of May.
Investments will be awarded for a wide range of projects and therefore the amount of funding given will vary depending on the funding stream (and phase), the type of work/activities, the project location and size, and the number of partners and funders involved.
We anticipate that for smaller, more community-based initiatives in phase 1, grants will tend to range up to $100K, while more complex, multi-year projects will likely range up to $250K. Larger investments may also include contributions to tenure relinquishments, private land purchases and endowment funds for long term stewardship and restoration.
Projects will be reviewed by the BC Conservation Fund Oversight Committee using a consistent set of criteria and considerations. The Oversight committee is an independent committee that provided funding recommendations to the BC Parks Foundation Board.
All projects will be asked to meet accountability requirements and provide regular reporting on outcomes.
