Community Facility Enhancement Program Small (CFEP Small)

Community Facility Enhancement Program Small (CFEP Small) is sponsored by Government of Alberta. This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.

Community Facility Enhancement Program Small | Alberta. ca Preparing and applying for grants Community Facility Enhancement Program Small Community Facility Enhancement Program Large Cultural Heritage Initiatives Program Other Initiatives Program CIP Organizational Development and Collaboration Grant To submit an application for Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) Small, your organization will require a Front Office account.

As per CFEP Small Program Guidelines, it is recommended to register for a Front Office account no later than 10 business days for an application intake deadline. Front Office registration forms submitted within a few days prior to an intake date are not guaranteed to be processed.

The Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) Small provides up to $125,000 in financial assistance to upgrade, expand, purchase or build arts, cultural, heritage, recreational, sport or other related public-use community facilities. CFEP has 2 funding streams. If you would like to apply for financial assistance over $125,000, see Community Facility Enhancement Program Large.

There are now 2 distinct program guidelines for each CFEP stream: Large and Small. The guidelines on this page are for CFEP Small only. The review and decision-making process takes approximately 6 months.

The application and notification periods for the CFEP Small funding stream are as follows: Annual application deadlines Notification dates January 15 July (for January 15 intake) May 15 November (for May 15 intake) September 15 March (for September 15 intake) Projects must be completed within 18 months from the date the payment is received by the organization.

Notification is sent by email to the contacts listed in your organization’s application. To ensure that the CFEP Small funding is allocated to projects that have the greatest impacts on our communities, the following eligibility criteria must be met. For more detailed information and examples, refer to the CFEP Small Program Guidelines section 3.

Alberta-based community non-profit organizations or charities registered under one of the provincial or federal acts as stated in the CFEP Small Program Guidelines section 3. 1. First Nations and Metis Settlements.

Note: Extra-provincial corporations must have an Alberta-based address regularly monitored by an active member.

Organizations that primarily support a private sector, rather than the public interest Universities, colleges and institutes as defined under Alberta’s Post-Secondary Learning Act Private schools (including K to 12, universities, colleges and institutes) Organizations not registered under one of the specified acts as stated in the CFEP Small Program Guidelines section 3. 1.

Organizations with overdue/incomplete grant reporting relating to any previously awarded ministry grant Reference the CFEP Small Program Guidelines section 3. 3 for more detailed information. CFEP Small funding provides financial assistance to upgrade, expand, purchase, or construct arts, cultural, heritage, recreational, sport or other related public-use community facilities and green spaces.

Projects that are a stand alone purchase of equipment that support public-use community facility or green space, including unlicensed motorized vehicles, appliances, equipment and furniture may also be considered. Examples of eligible public-use community facilities: Community halls, parks, playgrounds, natural areas, outdoor spaces (for example, sports fields, campsites).

Eligible project activities: New construction, facility purchase, retrofitting, renovations, equipment purchases and planning/design fees. Only one project per application will be considered and each facility can only receive one capital grant per fiscal year (April to March). Reference the CFEP Small Program Guidelines section 3.

4 for more detailed information. Private and/or restricted use facilities Private or commercial facilities, facilities with restricted or extremely limited public use, private residential or group housing, places of worship or church sanctuaries.

Gaming-related facilities Projects involving gaming activities, gaming equipment, or upgrades to facilities that provide gaming activities (for example, bingo halls, casinos, horse racing tracks).

Core/essential facilities and utilities which are the responsibility of the municipality, First Nation or Metis Settlement: Administration buildings, roads, sidewalks, emergency and rescue services including fire and ambulance, and facilities that receive regular provincial or federal capital support (for example, hospitals, national parks) Provincially regulated educational facilities: School or post-secondary infrastructure for academic purposes or facilities offering provincially regulated programs/services.

Purchase of land as a stand-alone project Projects that are constructed on land outside of Alberta or equipment that will be moved or used outside of Alberta CFEP Small funding is only approved on a matching basis. The applicant must contribute an amount equal to or exceeding the grant request towards the eligible expenses of the project.

For more detailed information and examples, refer to section 5 of the CFEP Small Program Guidelines. Eligible sources of matching Matching funding may be in the form of grants, cash, donated labour, equipment, or materials/services, all of which must be specifically related to the project. Note that the donation matching valuations have changed as follows and does not align with the published program guidelines.

Valuation of donated resources: Unskilled labour: $20/hour Skilled labour: $40/hour (for example, ticketed electrician or plumber) Heavy equipment (with operator): $120/hour Donated equipment, materials and professional services: verified fair market value Actual hours must be reported, and supporting documentation for donated resources must be kept for accounting purposes.

Ineligible sources of matching Other Government of Alberta funding may not be used as a matching resource, and maximum funding from the Government of Alberta cannot exceed 50% of the total project cost. Any project expense deemed as ineligible for funding as stated in the CFEP Small Program Guidelines section 3. 5.

Donation in kind of small power tools or hand tools (hammers, screwdrivers, sanders, saws, etc.) Wages and salaries associated with the regular, ongoing operations of the organization. Volunteer travel time or mileage for picking up materials. Volunteer time related to fundraising, preparing grant applications, attending meetings, or planning activities related to the project or organization.

Learn more about the application process below and register for an upcoming webinar in the Upcoming webinars section. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. All decisions on grant applications are final and no appeals will be considered.

Step 1. Read the guidelines CFEP Small Program Guidelines Is your organization eligible? (sections 3.

1 and 3. 2) Is your project eligible? (sections 3.

3 and 3. 4) Are your project expenses eligible? (sections 3.

5) Are your matching funds in place and eligible? (section 5) Step 2. Register for a Front Office Account You must have a Front Office account to apply.

If you already have an active Front Office account and login credentials skip to Step 3. Important: Due to the high volume of registration requests, please register for a Front Office account no later than 10 business days before an application intake deadline. Download and complete the Registrant Form .

Select Community Grants as the program area Email the completed form to [email protected] Once processed, each user will receive an email with login credentials and instructions for accessing the Front Office portal. For help, read the Front Office User Guide , and watch our Front Office tutorial videos at: Preparing and applying for grants. Need help logging in or resetting your password?

Contact us at: [email protected] . Step 3. Prepare supporting documents to upload in Front Office There will be additional documents requested to complete your application in Front Office.

Your documents should include: a list of board members including executives with their contact information recently approved and signed financial statements: most recent fiscal year financial statement with 2 signing authority signatures on the Statement of Financial Position the signed Grant Agreement – must be signed by the board president chairperson or treasurer estimates, supplier quotations or sources of estimates donated in-kind details, including letters from donors, for donated labour, materials and/or equipment the Application for Electronic Payment (AEP) and a void cheque.

See the AEP Sample for assistance in filling out the form. current bank statement(s) (when applicable) letter of support from the titleholder (when applicable) third party letter (when applicable) copy of a lease agreement and/or user agreement (when applicable) letters of support (optional) The grant agreement and application for electronic payment form will be available for download in the online application within Front Office.

Step 4. Complete an application for funding in Front Office Preview the application questions before logging into GATE Front Office: CFEP Small Sample Application During the review process, organizations may be contacted for information by program staff. Notification of funding decisions will be sent to the contacts listed on your organization’s application approximately 6 months after the intake deadline.

Let the Community Grants office know if project contact information changes. Applicants may begin incurring project-related costs from the date of their application submission. Note that organizations do so at their own risk as funding approval is not guaranteed.

Expenses incurred before the application submission will not be eligible for reimbursement. Organizations declined for funding may submit a new application for the same project if expenses have not been incurred prior to the submission of the new application. There are currently no scheduled webinars.

Check back for new sessions. Grant information sessions CFEP grant information sessions were recorded and are provided below. The sessions cover program criteria, notification timelines, answers to questions and tips on submitting your application.

General program information This video provides an overview of the CFEP program, and recent updates to the program guidelines. How to apply – Information session This video features an in-depth walk-through of how to complete your CFEP Small application in GATE Front Office. For additional support in using Front Office, watch our tutorial videos: Preparing and applying for grants .

If you have questions regarding CFEP Small or Front Office, contact Community Grants staff at 1-800-642-3855 or [email protected] . Projects must be completed and accounted for within 18 months from the date the grant payment was received. If your application was submitted through Front Office (as of January 15, 2025) You must complete your financial accounting for the CFEP Small grant using the Front Office Portal .

See section 9 of the guidelines for details. This video covers the basics of submitting your Final CFEP Accounting Reporting through GATE Front Office.

For grant recipients that applied to any application intake before and including September 15, 2024 Financial reporting must be: completed using the Final CFEP Accountability Report (FCAR) submitted to program staff within the periods specified in the guidelines unless an extension of the reporting date has been approved Additional accounting requirements are outlined in the CFEP Guidelines .

Contact our accounting team at [email protected] about reporting requirements or project completion issues. Find previous grant recipients in the Grant Payments Disclosure database . Find approved applicants from Intake 3 (September 15, 2025) in the table Intake 3, 2025-26 Approved Applicants .

Connect with the Community Grants office: Hours: 8:15 am to 4 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays) Toll free: 1-800-642-3855 Preparing and applying for grants Community Facility Enhancement Program Large