Grant Guide

FULL PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The BCCC Community Cycling Grant will promote cycling as transportation throughout the province of British Columbia. Cycling is booming in BC, yet in many places the infrastructure to support safe riding is lacking.  This grant will help promote cycling as transportation at the provincial level, in keeping with the BCCC’s Active Transportation Platform. 

The four-year grant program will support small scale regional/community-based projects that may include advocacy, education or outreach relating to Highway/Roadway safety, Motor Vehicle Act Reform, Cycle Tourism, Active Transportation, and Infrastructure Improvements.

The grant may also be used to defray campaign expenses including staffing or related administrative and organizational capacity building tasks.

The program provides up to $30,000 of grant funding per year, with a maximum of $5,000 per project. For this intake, year two of the program, funding is available to successful applicants for projects taking place from January 1, 2023 through October 31, 2023. Project activities outside this time frame will not be considered. 

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The program grant assists regional or community-based BCCC organizational members. The intent is both to increase the size, geographic distribution, and capacity of BCCC member organizations to improve provincial cycling advocacy, and to help smaller geographically based cycling advocacy organizations to further objectives shared in common with BCCC.

Eligible Organizations

To be considered eligible for this Program, applicants must be:

  • An organizational member of the BCCC 

  • A regional / community non-profit (priority given to communities with a poplulation less than 30,000) or First Nations/Indigenous  Peoples’ organization or group 

  • Listed with https://orgbook.gov.bc.ca/en/home  

  • An organization with no paid staff/volunteer run. Exceptions will be given for organizations who have paid for contract work in the present or past. Please provide details in the application.

  • An organization where the stated purpose is to promote cycling as transportation or to further cycling education.

  • Have a bank account in the name of the organization.

Eligible / Ineligible Activities 

Eligible activities may be used only to defray the hard costs associated with an event, activity, or campaign which is directed at education, outreach, advocacy, or infrastructure development. 

Examples of eligible activities include:

  • Travel costs for key volunteers to attend conferences, meetings or education opportunities

  • Costs associated with hosting a community open house or event promoting cycling

  • Costs associated with producing campaign materials 

  • Within the discretion of the BCCC, the small grants fund may also be used to provide matching funds to organizations engaging in fundraising campaigns for projects that align with BCCC’s Active Transportation Platform.

Ineligible activities include projects that are not directly focused on advocacy, education, outreach, or infrastructure development relating to Highway/Roadway safety, Motor Vehicle Act Reform, Cycle Tourism, Active Transportation Policy, Road Use Equity, and Infrastructure Improvements.

APPLICATIONS

Applicants must schedule project activities within the program funding cycle: May 1, 2024 to October 31, 2024. Applications are evaluated using a competitive process and all applicants will receive a funding decision by mid-April, 2024.

Application and Project Dates and Deadlines

There will be one annual application window.  Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.  

Applicants are encouraged to include only activities they are confident will be completed on time. Funding will not be given for activities conducted outside the funding period.

The dates and deadlines for the 2024 fiscal year are as follows:

  • Application Window: March 1, 2024 – April 1, 2024

  • Application Deadline: April 1, 2024 @ 12:00pm PST

  • Successful application notification: April 7 to 14, 2024

  • Project Start Date: May 1st, 2024

  • Project Completion Date: October 31st, 2024

Application Process and Forms 

All applications received by the deadline will be collectively reviewed and evaluated based on merit and alignment with the stated criteria. Please review the material in this guide, especially the evaluation criteria.  Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

During the application window, BCCC staff are available to answer any questions regarding the process, and eligible activities and costs. Please send any inquiries to admin@bccycling.ca

After the application window has closed, the BCCC team will meet to review applications and make funding decisions. Rest assured your application will be considered by knowledgeable cycling advocacy peers. The decision of BCCC is final.

Note: Only top scoring applications will receive funding and project funding is capped at $5,000 per project.  

All applicants will be notified of the BCCC’s decision by the end of December. 

Application Evaluation Process 

Selection Criteria - Preference will be given to:

  • Projects that align with BCCC vision: Active Transportation in British Columbia is safe, accessible, practical and enjoyable for everyone.

  • Projects that clearly demonstrate alignment with the BCCC Community Cycling Grant objectives

  • Projects that support grassroots organizations around cycling issues, aligned with BCCC’s strategic goal “to develop relationships with and support the activities of active transportation advocacy organizations and groups across the province”

  • Projects promoting equity, diversity and inclusion.

  • Projects resulting in measurable improvements in cycling as transportation.

  • Projects that will be completed in the timeframe of the funding cycle

  • Projects with matching funds (desirable but not required)

Application Evaluation Rubric

All submitted applications will be assessed as follows:

  • Eligibility and alignment with BCCC’s purpose and objectives (40%)

  • Strength of the project framework (40%)

  • Resources to execute the project effectively - including matching funds (20%)

NOTIFICATIONS & OBLIGATIONS
Funding Notifications & Contracts

If the project is approved, BCCC will inform the applicant of the details of the decision and any associated terms and conditions. The applicant will then enter into an agreement with BCCC which outlines the obligations of each party.

Funding is application and project-specific and must be used for the approved project and related expenses.  Funds are non-transferable. 

Project activities requiring financial resources cannot commence until the program grant agreement has been signed by both the applicant and BCCC.

Communication materials funded by the program must be pre-approved by the BCCC communications team.  Items not pre-approved by BCCC Communications will not be funded.

Projects funded in the 2024 intake may begin on or after May 1, 2024 and must be completed by September 1st 2024. No extension to project terms beyond the original funding period will be considered. 

Unsuccessful applicants will receive a written response from BCCC.

Program Execution Changes

Once the contract with BCCC is in force, requests for changes to program activities must be made in writing to BCCC. BCCC must approve the changes for expenses to be deemed eligible.

The funding recipient may have opportunities or situations arise which make it difficult to proceed with a pre-approved project/activity. Should this happen, immediately contact the BCCC general manager or executive director.

Project Reporting

Program participants are required to submit informal project updates and a formal final report to the BCCC. A template for final reporting will be provided by BCCC.