Active Transportation Fund — Step-by-Step Guide for Planning Projects Application Form

PDF Version

Active Transportation Fund
Step-by-Step Guide for Planning
Projects Application Form
(PDF Version)

Table of Contents

How to Submit an Application to the Active Transportation Fund

Introduction

  • Applicants must register for an Infrastructure Canada (INFC) Applicant Portal Account. Registering for an Applicant Portal Account will provide access to the online application portal, including the planning and capital project application forms, step-by-step guides and applicant support services.
  • By accessing your Applicant Portal Account through the INFC Applicant Portal, you will be able to create, save, edit, and submit applications to the Active Transportation Fund (ATF), as well as view your organization’s list of submissions through “My Dashboard”.
  • Applicants who are unable to apply through the INFC Applicant Portal are asked to reach out to the Active Transportation Fund Team at atf-fta@infc.gc.ca.
  • Applicants that already have an INFC Applicant Account can skip to Step Two.

Step One: Register for an Infrastructure Canada Applicant Account

  • Enter the INFC Applicant Portal. Please use the most recent version of the following supported web browsers to access the INFC Applicant Portal:
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Apple Safari
    • Google Chrome
    • Mozilla Firefox
    • Internet Explorer (not recommended)
  • Click New User.
  • Confirm you have read the Privacy Notice Statement
  • Register your account by:
  • providing a valid e-mail address
  • creating a username and password
  • Activate your account by logging out after saving and returning to the sign in page

Passwords must contain characters from at least three of the following four classes: uppercase, lowercase, digit, and non-alphanumeric.

Create your organization’s profile

Have you previously applied to an Infrastructure Canada program?

For applicants who have previously applied to an INFC program, your organization’s profile has already been created using information provided in previous applications. You can find your profile by searching the Existing Organization Name list. Once you find your organization’s profile, review the information provided and ensure that it is up-to-date. Please edit your organization’s profile if necessary. In the event that your organization is not found, you can proceed to create a New Organization profile.

How do I edit my organization’s profile?

You can edit your organization’s profile once you have made an INFC Applicant Portal Account

by clicking on Profile.

  1. Once you enter your Profile page, click on Manage Organizations. Here, you will be able to locate your organization.
  2. Edit as needed and click Save.

Are you a New Applicant to an Infrastructure Canada program?

  1. If you are a new applicant, create your organization’s profile by clicking New Organization.
  2. Fill in the required fields including:
    • the organization’s full legal name
    • contact information
    • organization address
    • organization type
  3. Click Submit.
  4. Once you have created your organization’s profile, find your organization from the Existing Organization Name
  5. Enter the name and contact information for your organization.
  6. Click
  7. Sign out by clicking on your name in the top right corner, selecting Sign out and sign back into your INFC Applicant Account.

Step Two: Managing your Infrastructure Applicant Account

With your INFC Applicant Account within the INFC Applicant Portal, you are able to apply to the ATF. The INFC Applicant Portal is the place to access your organization’s dashboard, application forms, and online resources.

Managing Permissions - Account Administrator/Owner

If you are the first person in your organization to register for an INFC Applicant Portal account, you will automatically be the primary contact for your organization’s account and also be assigned the role of Account Administrator/Owner.

As Account Administrator/Owner, you will be responsible for:

  • Reviewing and approving (or declining) requests from other members of your organization to access the INFC Applicant Portal and the ATF Application Form.
  • Determining whether an approved team member(s) has “read only” capabilities or “update” (populating an application) capabilities.
  • Determining whether an approved team member(s) can Attest to and/or Submit project applications.
  • Determining whether an approved team member(s) can be your “delegate”, which permits them to have the same account privileges as you and undertake the above-noted actions on your behalf (as the team Account Administrator/Owner).

How to grant access to the Active Transportation Fund application to members of your organization

In order for other members of your organization to access the INFC Applicant Portal and work on the ATF Application Form, you must grant them permission through your Profile page. It is only after you have made your INFC Applicant Portal Account that other members of your team can proceed to make their own INFC Applicant Portal accounts and start an application.

First, have your team members create their own INFC Applicant Portal Accounts. When asked to identify the Lead Applicant Organization, ensure that they “link” themselves to your organization by selecting it from the Existing Organization List. It is only through this process that they will be linked to your organization and be able to access your organization’s ATF Application. Once your team members have created their accounts, you will receive an e-mail notification titled: “Your action required”.

Next, go to your Profile page. Click on Manage Permissions. Here, you will see a list of individuals who are requesting access to the INFC Applicant Portal and ATF Application Form.

  1. Click the drop-down menu located next to their name and account information.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Answer the questions as prompted:
    • Enable Portal Access
    • Portal contact role
      • Update
        • Enable updating of application contents
        • No ability to modify the organization’s contact and account information
        • No ability to attest and/or submit the Application Form
      • Read
        • Read-only mode
      • Status
      • Can Attest
      • Can Submit
      • Is Delegate

Once you have assigned roles to your team members and saved this information, they will be able to see your ATF Application Form in their own accounts under My Dashboard. Any changes that are made and saved to your Application Form by your team will be visible to all accounts linked to the Application Form.

My Dashboard

Your dashboard will list your ongoing and completed application forms at INFC. Use the dashboard to navigate to your application form(s) and keep track of the progress and status of your application(s). You do not need to complete your online application in one attempt. The application can be saved and edited as many times as necessary before the submission deadline.

Apply for Funding

To apply, you will find a link to the application form on the Apply for Funding tab. There is no limit on the number of applications that can be submitted by an eligible Applicant. Each project can be submitted as its own application. Alternatively, projects can be bundled into a single application.

An application, regardless of bundling, must describe how the project(s) will support the objectives of the ATF and satisfy the ATF’s merit criteria.

Release Notes

The Release Notes tab is where INFC officials will make general announcements pertaining to the application process. Check back in this tab from time to time to see if there is any news and/or updates.

Help

While using the Applicant Portal, applicants will have access to support services at any stage of the application process. To contact support services, click on “INFC support” in the bottom left corner of any page within the Applicant Portal. If at any time your account is inaccessible, please email the support team at crmsupport-soutiengrc@infc.gc.ca.

Applicant Guides

You will find links to the Applicant Guide as well as the Step-by-Step Guides for both Capital and Planning Projects.

Step Three: Apply for Funding

After creating and confirming your organization account, to access the ATF Application Form:

  • Click Apply for Funding
  • Click Apply for the Public Transit Funds (PTF)
  • Click Apply for the Active Transportation Fund (ATF)
  • Select the program stream (Planning Projects or Capital Projects) you are applying for based on your organization type. Applications will be accepted through a combination of timed intakes (i.e., with an open and close date), and rolling intakes with continuous assessment.
Projects from Indigenous applicants will be accepted through rolling intakes and continuous assessment.
  • Confirm the “Privacy and Eligibility” Statements
    • Read the Privacy and Third Party Notice Statement and confirm that you have read the statement by selecting “Yes”.
    • Read the Organization Eligibility Self-Assessment and confirm that your organization meets all of the eligibility requirements for funding under the Active Transportation Fund and that you are duly authorized to submit this application on behalf of the Organization by selecting “Yes”. Refer to the ATF Applicant Guide for details on organization eligibility.

Step-by-Step Guide for Planning Projects (Grant Program)

Important tips when preparing your application

All applicants are encouraged to prepare their application in an external document and then copy and paste their answers into the fields within the application.

To edit or delete information that is displayed in table format, click on the below icon icon and select either edit or delete.

Unless otherwise noted, the maximum character count for questions requiring a narrative answer (text box) is 2,000 characters.

Frequently, click Save to save your answers. This allows you to pause and resume work on your application without losing any information.

Questions marked with a red asterisk (*) are required and will need to be completed to validate and submit your application.

Once you have completed all questions in a section, click Validate. In addition to saving your work, this will verify that you have submitted all of the required information, and the tab at the top of the page will turn green.

All sections must be validated in order to submit your application to INFC.

Apply for Funding

Project Title

Using the text box provided, please provide, in 300 characters or less, a concise but meaningful title and the location of the project (e.g., “New Bike Lanes in Village-Creek, Province of XX”).

Note that if your project is approved, this project title will be used for public announcements, for the funding agreement and for public reporting. INFC will be responsible for the translation of your project title in both official languages.

Lead Applicant

The lead applicant will be prefilled from your Account Profile within the Applicant Account.

Eligible Organization Type

Using the dropdown menu please select the organization type:

  • Province
  • Territory
  • Municipal, Local or Regional Government
  • Public sector body
  • Indigenous governing body
  • Indigenous development corporation
  • Not-for-profit mandated to improve Indigenous outcomes/serve Indigenous communities
  • Registered not-for-profit organization

Academic institutions are considered public sector bodies.

Indigenous Group

If you selected either Indigenous governing body, Indigenous development corporation or not-for-profit mandated to improve Indigenous outcomes/serve Indigenous communities as your Eligible Organization Type, you will need to identify the Indigenous Group. Using the dropdown menu please select from:

  • First Nations
  • Inuit
  • Métis
  • Multiple Indigenous/Other

If “Multiple Indigenous/Other” is selected, using the textbox provided, please specify.

Applicant Identification

Lead Applicant

Legal Name

The legal name will be prefilled from your Account Profile within the Applicant Account.

Lead Applicant Organization Type

The organization type will be prefilled from your Account Profile within the Applicant Account. Click on the “>” to view information prefilled from your Applicant Profile.

Mailing Address

The mailing address will be prefilled from your Applicant Account.

Updates to the mailing address for the lead applicant, can be made on the Profile page (click on your name in the top right corner of the page).

Lead Applicant Contacts

Primary

Please provide the name of this application’s primary contact using the search button (magnifying glass icon). The search will be limited to those users registered under the organization profile.

This individual will be the contact that INFC will reach out to with any questions regarding this application and/or this project.

Secondary

Please provide the name of this application’s secondary contact using the search button. The search will be limited to those users registered under the organization profile.

Applicant Details

Are you partnering with other organization(s) to deliver the project?

Using the “Yes” or “No” checkboxes, please indicate if you are partnering with other organization(s) to deliver the project.

If “Yes” is selected, please complete the “Partner Organizations” section.

If your organization is a registered not-for-profit organization or a not-for-profit mandated to improve Indigenous outcomes/serve Indigenous communities, to validate and submit your application, you must:

  • Complete the “Partner Organizations” section, identifying the ultimate eligible recipient (another eligible recipient).
  • Provide a letter of support from the ultimate eligible recipient confirming the partnership authority between the lead applicant and the ultimate eligible recipient. The letter should identify the name of the project and clearly express their eligible recipient’s organization’s support for the project.

Please refer to section 3.0 in the Applicant Guide for a list of eligible recipients.

Partner Organizations

For each partner, you will need to select “Add” and enter the information below. If there is more than one partner organization, please list each partner and describe their role.

Legal Name of Partner Organization

Search for and then select the legal name of partner organization. The Organization Type and Mailing Address for the partner will be prefilled. If the partner organization does not already exist within the INFC Applicant Portal, the applicant may create a new account for the partner organization by selecting “New” from the “Lookup Records” pop up box. After creating the new organization, please select it as a partner organization.

Role of the Partner

Using the text box, please describe the role of the partner on this project.

Project Location

In this section, you must provide information about where your project will be located. In some cases, this may differ from where your organization’s office is located. Select “Add” and enter the information below.

Project Province(s)/Territory(ies) targeted by the planning project

Select the Province or Territory where the project is located. A minimum of one must be selected to submit.

Project community(ies) targeted by the planning project

Select the City or Municipality where the project is located. A minimum of one must be selected to submit.

Project Details

Project Identification

Project Title

Your project title will be prefilled based on your submission from the “Apply for Funding” section.

Project Description

Using the text box provided, in 4,000 characters or less, please:

  • Describe the work that will be done for the proposed planning project and the expected product(s) to be delivered/developed.
  • Explain why you are undertaking the planning project (e.g., to prepare a capital project application, to educate/promote active transportation in your community).
    • o   If relevant, please describe the existing situation and how the planning project will help grow/improve/increase access and/or awareness to active transportation in your community.
  • Describe the planning project’s objectives (i.e., expected outcomes and results).
  • Describe who will benefit from the planning project (e.g., specific vulnerable populations or communities, residents of a particular area or neighbourhood, organizations who support those communities).
  • If you are submitting multiple planning projects, you may include a rational for prioritizing the projects. However, INFC will evaluate each project using a merit-based approach to ensure that selected projects support the ATF's objectives. Please note that Infrastructure Canada does not guarantee that projects ranked higher by applicants will be selected for funding.

Please note that this information may be used by Infrastructure Canada for public reporting.

Activity Type

Please select all the applicable activities:

  • Research, including case studies, data collection initiatives, mapping of walkability and bikeability, community audits/assessments;
  • Public and/or stakeholder engagement and outreach, education programs;
  • Policy development, including drafting objectives/actions for inclusion in community land use and/or transportation plans;
  • Feasibility studies, business cases, and detailed costing estimates relating to the design of a project or program;
  • Projects which support the implementation of Canada’s National Active Transportation Strategy, such as events for awareness raising and advocacy;
  • Other.

If “Other” is selected, using the text box please specify.

Project Schedule

Forecasted Start Date

Using the calendar function or inputting the date in the M-D-YYYY format, please provide the date on which you anticipate beginning the planning project.

Forecasted End Date

Using the calendar function or inputting the date in the M-D-YYYY format, please provide the date on which you anticipate completing the planning project.

Additional Project Information

Has there been or will there be any public and/or Indigenous consultation and/or participation as part of the planning project?

Using the “Yes” or “No” checkboxes, please indicate if there has been or will be any public and/or Indigenous consultation and/or participation as part of the planning project.

If “Yes” is selected, using the text box, please describe the consultation process.

Economic Benefits

The Government of Canada is aiming to increase the mobility of people and goods through:

  • Reduced traffic congestion;
  • Household transportation savings through vehicle trips avoided, particularly in high-needs households which are more likely to use active transportation out of need instead of choice;
  • Increase tourism from active travelers and growth of active tourism and economy;
  • Increase spending at active transportation-related businesses; and
  • Increase foot traffic at businesses through the implementation of active transportation projects.

Using the “Yes” or “No” checkboxes, please provide INFC with additional information about the economic benefits of your project.

Is the planning project in support of a new or existing official and/or land use plan, active transportation plan/strategies, community plans/reports for your community?

If “Yes” is selected, using the text box, please specify which strategic document(s) will be supported by the planning project.

Will the planning project address, evaluate, and/or research how active transportation can support economic benefits to your community?

If “Yes” is selected, using the text box, please describe.

Will your planning project be followed by an active transportation capital project?

If “Yes” is selected, using the text box, please describe.

If your planning project envisions a subsequent capital project, please note that receiving funding for the planning project does not guarantee receiving funding for the subsequent capital project.

Environmental and Climate Benefits

The Government of Canada is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality resilience by increasing the modal share for active transportation through the implementation of active transportation projects.

Using the “Yes” or “No” checkboxes, please provide INFC with additional information about the environmental and climate benefits of your project.

Will the planning project evaluate/research/lead to the consideration of any of the following?

If “Yes” is selected, please select the following that apply:

  • Environmental best practices;
  • Use of low-carbon or recycled materials;
  • Opportunities to retain existing vegetation and/or plant additional vegetation;
  • Potential environmental innovations.

Using the text box, please describe how your project will consider those selected.

If “No” is selected, using the text box, please describe why environmental considerations will not be incorporated in the planning project.

Will the planning project result in emission reductions?

If “Yes” is selected, using the text box, please describe.

If “No” is selected, using the text box, please identify if the planning project will encourage/lead to the adoption of more sustainable transportation practices (i.e., increase of active transportation over personal vehicle use)?

If the planning project will not encourage/lead to the adoption of more sustainable transportation practices, using the second text box, please explain why the adoption of more sustainable transportation practices is not included in the planning project.

Is the active transportation activity that is the subject of the planning project exposed to the impacts of climate change (e.g., flooding, severe weather, wildfires)?

If “Yes” is selected, using the text box, please explain.

If “No” is selected, using the text box, please explain how/why the subject of the planning project is not exposed to climate impacts.

Will the planning project seek to increase the resiliency of any current or future active transportation activities to the impacts of climate change?

If “Yes” is selected, using the text box please explain.

If “No” is selected, using the text box, please explain how/why the planning project will not seek to increase the resiliency of current/future active transportation activities.

Social Inclusion Benefits

The Government of Canada is aiming to improve mental and social health, as active transportation infrastructure:

  • Makes people more likely to meet physical activity guidelines, which helps to reduce the risk of diabetes, obesity, and other related health issues;
  • Increases public space for social connectedness;
  • Improves access to amenities, health, education, and social services; and
  • Increases access to transit options to promote improved safety for vulnerable populations.

Using the “Yes” or “No” checkboxes or drop-down lists, please provide INFC with additional information about the social inclusion benefits of your project.

Will the proposed planning project intend to increase access to active transportation to vulnerable, underserved, higher needs, and/or other populations within your community?

If “Yes” is selected, please select which of the following groups will benefit from the project. Select all that apply:

  • Racialized people
  • Indigenous peoples
  • Youth
  • Persons with disabilities
  • Seniors
  • Linguistic minorities
  • Newcomers to Canada (Immigrants, Permanent Residents, Refugees)
  • Women
  • Persons experiencing poverty
  • Persons experiencing homelessness
  • LGBTQ2+
  • Other

If “Other” is selected, please describe using the text box.

If “Yes” is selected, using the text box, please describe how the planning project will benefit the group(s), selected above, within the community.

If applicable, have you consulted any of the vulnerable, underserved, higher needs, and/or other populations selected above?

If “Yes” is selected, using the text box, please describe.

Consultation records may be attached in the uploaded documents section.

If applicable, do you foresee the planning project resulting in adverse impacts to vulnerable, underserved, higher needs, and/or other populations?

If “Yes” is selected, using the text box, please describe and include potential mitigation strategies.

Will the planning project address safety and/or security issues for active transportation in your community?

If “Yes” is selected, using the text box, please explain how.

Is the purpose of your planning project to identify ways to increase accessibility to active transportation by expanding the network and/or increasing connections between destinations (e.g., employment centres, schools, public transit, residential neighbourhoods, urban centres)?

If “Yes” is selected, using the text box, please describe.

Project Financials

Project Financials

The Active Transportation Fund utilizes grant agreements for planning projects, and will fund up to 100% of eligible project costs to a maximum of $50,000.

Information on Eligible Project Costs can be found in section 6.2 of the Applicant Guide.

Using the text boxes provided, please provide the following information regarding project costs and funding, rounded to the nearest dollar.

Please note, project expenditures will only be eligible as of project funding approval, except for expenditures associated with Climate Lens assessments and Indigenous Consultation. These costs are retroactively eligible dating back to one year prior to the submission of the application. However, these expenses can only be reimbursed if and when project funding is approved and a funding agreement has come into force.

INFC will provide an approval letter which includes the date of project approval.

Total Active Transportation Fund Amount Requested (A)

+

Applicant’s Share of Estimated Eligible Costs (B)

+

Total Other Contributions (C)

≤

Total Estimated Eligible Project Costs (D)

Please note:

Total Estimated Project Costs

The estimated overall cost of your project, including eligible and ineligible costs.

Total Estimated Eligible Project Costs (D)

The sum of all your estimated eligible costs.

Total Active Transportation Fund Amount Requested (A)

The amount of funding you are seeking from Infrastructure Canada’s Active Transportation Fund.

Active Transportation Fund %

The percentage will be automatically generated using this formula multiplied by 100:

Total Active Transportation Fund Amount Requested / Total Estimated Eligible Costs

Applicant’s Share of Estimated Eligible Costs (B)

The amount of the funding your organization will be contributing to the eligible costs of the project.

Sum of all Contributions towards Estimated Eligible Costs

This field will be automatically generated based on the information you provide.

Other Contributors

In this section, please provide information about funding towards all eligible project costs other than the amount of funding requested from the Active Transportation Fund and your organization’s contribution. If you are receiving funds from another federal department for eligible expenses related to this project, please include this information here.

For multiple other contributors, please use “Create” to provide information specific to each contributor.

Contributor

Select the name of the organization from the list of available within the INFC Applicant Portal.

Other Contributor

If you cannot find the organization, enter the name of the organization in Other Contributor.

Contribution Amount

The amount of funding the Contributor/Other Contributor will provide to the project.

Funding Secured?

Use the dropdown menu to select “Yes” or “No”.

If “No” is selected, in the text box provided, please indicate what further steps are required to secure the funding.

Sum of Others Share of Estimated Eligible Costs (C)

This field will be automatically generated based on the information you provide in the section above. Click “Update Contributors” after you have completed the Other Contributors section.

Are all other sources of funding secured for the total project costs?

Use the “Yes” or “No” checkboxes, please indicate if all other sources of funding are secured for the total project costs.

The intention is to confirm that you have secured funding for the total project costs.

Federal Share Cash Flow

Provide the breakdown of the INFC contribution that your organization will be claiming per fiscal year (April 1 to March 31) from INFC.

The Government of Canada’s fiscal year begins April 1 and ends on March 31. Please specify the amount of funding for eligible costs you will be claiming from the Active Transportation Fund for each fiscal year of your planning project’s implementation. All projects receiving funding must be completed by March 31, 2026.

Note that this is not necessarily the year in which you will be incurring costs, but rather when you will be submitting them for reimbursement to INFC. For example, if expenses for your project are expected to be incurred in February/March, those expenses should generally not be included in your forecast for the fiscal year ending March 31, but rather in the next fiscal year, starting on April 1, when you would claim the expenses for reimbursement.

Using “Create”, please provide numerical figures in the text boxes for the fiscal years that you will be seeking reimbursement:

  • 2021-2022
  • 2022-2023
  • 2023-2024
  • 2024-2025
  • 2025-2026

A minimum of one fiscal year must be completed to submit your application.

Non-competitive Contract

Recipients will ensure that contracts are awarded in a way that is fair, transparent, and competitive. If you are planning on awarding non-competitive contracts (sole source) as part of your planning project, you must receive the authorization from the Government of Canada prior to their signature for these costs to be deemed eligible for a federal reimbursement. Additional information will be required, and approval delays are anticipated.

Will non-competitive procurement be required for the project?

Select “No” if your organization will be using a competitive procurement process for the project.

If “Yes” is selected, use “Create” to provide the following information regarding each non-competitive contract in the text boxes provided.

Please include all non-competitive procurement, regardless of municipal or provincial/territorial policies, including contracts where only one person or entity is capable of performing the work and small value contracts.

Name

Use the name of your organization.

Currency

Select Canadian Dollar.

Amount of Contract ($)

The total value of the contract represented as a numerical figure.

Nature of Work

Describe the work to be completed the company/consultant on the project.

Rationale

Describe why non-competitive procurement will be required for this project, including why the company/consultant will be used on the project.

Email Address

The email address of the organization who will receive the contract for work on this project.

Name of Company/Consultant

The legal name of the organization who will receive the contract for work on this project.

Uploaded Documents

Required Documents

Please indicate if the following documents have been attached:

  • Not-for-Profit organizations whose mandate is to improve Indigenous outcomes and for-profit recipients must provide a letter of support from another eligible recipient – if applicable
  • Letter of support for Not-for-profit organizations when submitting application on behalf of an ultimate eligible recipient – if applicable
  • Other (please identify and attach document)

To upload a document:

  • Select “Add note”
  • Include a short description of the file in the “Note” text box (e.g., “Consultation Records for New Bike Lanes in Village-Creek, Province of XX”)

The Government of Canada reserves the right to request additional documentation to supplement the application.

Attestation

Validation Status

Each section of the application requires validation before submission to INFC. Once validated, the following sections will turn green:

  • Applicant Identification
  • Project Details
  • Project Financials

If there a section that remains red, please go back to that section and confirm all required information is present and select “Validate”.

Please confirm that you hereby attest that the information provided in this submission has been reviewed and declare that it is accurate and based on reliable data and the best available science, that it complies with the general guidance provided in the Active Transportation Fund Applicant Guide, and that the project will comply with all applicable legislation.

Please indicate “I confirm” by checking the attestation box.

Read the “Privacy and Third Party Notice Statement” and select “Attest”.

If you wish to modify your application before submitting, select “Cancel attestation”.

Select “Submit” to send your application to INFC. At this point you will no longer be able to make modifications to your application.