Ontario municipalities are under growing pressure to renew aging infrastructure, support housing growth, strengthen climate resilience and enhance the community facilities residents depend on every day. However, limited municipal resources and increasing competition for funding can make it challenging to advance essential projects.
Over the past decade, CIMA+ has helped Ontario municipalities turn infrastructure priorities into successful funding applications, securing more than $125 million in provincial and federal support for projects valued at more than $400 million. These investments have advanced vital municipal infrastructure, including water and wastewater treatment facilities, pumping stations, storage systems, linear works and other essential community assets.
Experience across a wide range of funding programs
Our recent successes span several major provincial and federal programs, including:
- Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF)
- Health and Safety Water Stream (HSWS)
- Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund (HEWSF)
- Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF)
- Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP)
- Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF)
- Small Communities Fund (SCF)
Drawing on these programs, CIMA+ has supported projects that address critical health and safety needs, infrastructure renewal, environmental protection, climate adaptation and housing-enabling capacity.
CIMA+ actively monitors current and emerging investment opportunities to help clients position projects for success, particularly as programs increasingly reward measurable community benefits, project readiness, climate resilience and alignment with broader government priorities. Ontario funding programs continue to create opportunities for municipalities to strengthen core assets and expand housing-enabling services. Recent federal programs have also supported green infrastructure, public transit, community and recreation facilities, and rural and northern infrastructure.
More than completing an application
A successful funding submission begins well before the application window opens.
CIMA+ supports municipal clients throughout the project lifecycle, from early condition assessments and needs identification through planning, design, approvals, procurement and commissioning. This seamless continuity strengthens the financial feasibility, technical case and funding narrative with credible evidence, helping align each submission with the objectives of the applicable program.
Our approach typically includes:
- Assessing project eligibility and strategic fit
- Reviewing program guidelines and submission requirements
- Defining clear project objectives, outcomes and performance measures
- Developing realistic budgets, schedules and implementation plans
- Preparing technical schedules, business cases and supporting documentation
- Coordinating municipal approvals, resolutions and stakeholder support
- Writing a clear and compelling application narrative
- Supporting responses to follow-up questions from funding agencies
The early work of assessing and planning is especially important given the time and detail required by most funding applications. CIMA+ can help applicants carefully review program requirements so that they can then collect available studies, condition assessments, financial documents and technical reports at the start of the process.
Connecting technical need with community impact
Strong applications do more than describe the infrastructure to be constructed. They explain why the investment matters. Reviewers need to understand the risks of inaction and the measurable benefits that funding will create. Depending on the project, those benefits may include:
- Protecting public health and the environment
- Improving water or wastewater system reliability
- Supporting new housing and economic development
- Reducing flooding and climate-related risks
- Renewing infrastructure at the end of its service life
- Improving energy efficiency and operational resilience
- Expanding access to recreation and community services
- Reducing the financial burden on municipal ratepayers
CIMA+ helps translate complex engineering needs into clear, outcome-focused narratives targeted to both technical and non-technical reviewers. Our funding specialists focus on the purpose and impact of a project, not simply the proposed construction activities.
Building on our most recent success
CIMA+ helped two neighbouring municipalities develop an innovative joint funding application for wastewater treatment and conveyance upgrades. By working across jurisdictional boundaries, the municipalities advanced a shared vision: enabling more housing across the region while protecting the watershed. This coordinated approach secured approximately $26.1 million in provincial funding toward a joint program with eligible costs of approximately $35.75 million. The approved upgrades to wastewater treatment, pumping and conveyance infrastructure will increase system capacity and reliability while helping unlock approximately 1,900 new housing units.
This watershed-based approach recognized that both wastewater systems discharge treated effluent to the same river system. By coordinating infrastructure planning and investment, the municipalities were able to present a stronger regional case, one that addressed housing-enabling capacity, reduced cumulative pollutant loading, improved climate resilience and protected water quality. The success demonstrates how inter-municipal collaboration, clear shared outcomes and project readiness can strengthen a funding application and deliver broader benefits than a single municipality could achieve on its own.
A trusted municipal funding partner
Securing infrastructure funding is rarely the result of a single document. It requires technical knowledge, strategic positioning, careful coordination and a clear understanding of what funding agencies are looking for.
With more than $125 million secured for municipal clients over the past decade, CIMA+ has a demonstrated record of helping Ontario municipalities turn priority projects into compelling, fundable investments.
As governments continue to invest in housing-enabling infrastructure, climate resilience, core municipal services and community facilities, CIMA+ is ready to help municipalities identify opportunities, prepare stronger submissions and move essential projects toward implementation.
