Planning, Technical Assessments or Engineered Designs BMPs
Extreme Weather Plans & Designs still accepting applications!
Don’t miss out! Apply for your FireSmart™ BC Farm & Ranch Assessment or Fill Pad Plan/Design today.
The Beneficial Management Practices (BMP) category Planning, Technical Assessments, or Engineered Designs provides funding for basic plans such as irrigation system assessments or design (2901) and water management plans (2902), as well as complex plans like engineering or technical design or assessments – water/riparian (1102).
To learn more about the BMP program, other BMP categories, program eligibility criteria, and/or notifications & obligations, please visit the BMP page.
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Category Details
| Category | Cost-Share Ratio | Maximum Funding | Project Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Plans | 100% | Varies by plan (see below) | 90 days from project approval or by January 31, 2027, whichever is first. |
| Complex Plans | 80% | Up to $10,000 | 90 days from project approval or by January 31, 2027, whichever is first |
| Complex Designs | 80% | Up to $20,000 | 90 days from project approval or by January 31, 2027, whichever is first |
| Biogas Feasibility Studies | 80% | Up to $50,000 | 90 days from project approval or by January 31, 2027, whichever is first |
| Extreme Weather: Plans & Assessments | 80-100% | Varies by plan (see below) | 90 days from project approval or by January 31, 2027, whichever is first |
NOTE: If you require a specific timeframe to complete your project (example: soil testing in a Nutrient Management Plan must be completed in October), please request specific start & end dates when you apply. IAF staff are happy to accommodate start and end dates provided they fit within the program constraints.
For details on Basic Plans, Complex Plans and Designs and Biogas Feasibility Studies, please review the BMP Program Guide. Only the Extreme Weather details are provided below.
Extreme Weather: Plans & Assessments Activities
FireSmart™ BC Farm & Ranch Assessment | 3601
FireSmart™ BC Farm & Ranch Assessment completed by an approved Local FireSmart™ BC Representative (LFR) or Wildfire Mitigation Specialist (WMS) with FireSmart™ BC Farm & Ranch Training.
Cost-share ratio: 100%
Funding amount: Up to $2,000
Completed by: All qualified professionals must have completed the FireSmart BC Farm & Ranch Training Course (developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food) and hold a valid certificate of completion. They must also be included on the 2026 List of Verified/Approved EWP Farm & Ranch FireSmart Assessors prior to conducting any assessments.
Connected to:
- Extreme Weather Preparedness project code 3602 – FireSmart™ BC Farm Building Retrofits
- Extreme Weather Preparedness project code 3603 – FireSmart™ BC Critical Farm Structures
- Extreme Weather Preparedness project code 3604 – FireSmart™ BC Addressing Vegetation & Combustible Materials
Additional Resources:
Planning & Design of Fill Pad for Farm Buildings | 3704.1
Consultative services for planning, design, and authorizations of fill pad to raise existing farm structures (livestock barns, indoor aquaculture facilities, equipment storage, feed and crop storage, greenhouses) above 200-year flood level.
Cost-share ratio: 80%
Funding amount: Up to $15,000
Plan must include:
- Declaration of pre-existing farm structure
- Stamped fill design plans
- Approval from ALC or confirmation that the project fits the criteria outlined in ALC Information Bulletin 07
Ineligible costs:
- Any costs or works related to the acquisition or placement of fill
- Any permit or application fees
Note: New residences in a floodplain (if allowed) are often required by local government building bylaws to be placed on a fill pad. Your local government staff will be able to tell you if they have such requirements in your area, if any permitting is involved, and what qualifications are needed to design/implement fill pads in your area (they may also have a list of contractors that meet those qualifications). Placing fill in the ALR will require either a ‘Notification’ if it meets specified criteria, or an ‘Application’ if it does not meet those criteria (both require extra time to allow the process to be completed). Depending on the location and size of your proposed fill pad, it may also affect the interests/mandates of other government agencies. For these reasons, it is a requirement that any fill projects be planned and designed by a Qualified Person before applying for funding for the on-farm work.
Connected to:
- Extreme Weather Preparedness project code 3704.2 – Fill Pad for Farm Buildings
Additional Resources:
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible Applicants
Applicants must have:
- A valid Environmental Farm Plan (EFP)
- Applicants applying for the Extreme Weather Preparedness category and associated plans and designs are not required to have an EFP.
- EFPs are valid if they are less than 5 years old and reflect the current farm or ranch operation.
- Please renew your EFP if it is more than 5 years old, or if there have been changes made to the farm/ranch that could have impact on environmental risk.
- Farm Status. Be a primary production agriculture business whose primary purpose is the production and sale of agricultural products and must be a BC registered business entity (including sole proprietor, partnership, corporations, cooperatives, Indigenous economic development corporations, and band-owned businesses).
- Premises ID, if livestock and/or poultry is raised.
- GST and CRA business number. Participants must be a taxable entity (e.g., individual, corporation, or trust), limited partnership, commune, cooperative with GST & business number, or First Nation Band.
- Main farmstead locatedin BC and file farm income tax (form T2042 or T1273) under the Income Tax Act in BC.
- Licensed Aquaculture producers, vertical farm producers, and Federally licensed Cannabis or Hemp producers are exempt from meeting farm tax income requirements, however:
- Aquaculture operations will have to provide their valid aquaculture license number.
- Vertical farm producers must provide documentation demonstrating their farm businesses have achieved the minimum Farm Class Status Equivalent annual gross revenues for the sale of ‘agricultural products’ in the year prior to their application.
- Cannabis or Hemp producers must provide proof of either their standard-cultivators, or industrial hemp license as issued by Health Canada under the Cannabis Act or Industrial Hemp Regulations. The personal production of medicinal cannabis is not eligible for this program.
- Licensed Aquaculture producers, vertical farm producers, and Federally licensed Cannabis or Hemp producers are exempt from meeting farm tax income requirements, however:
- Complete the prerequisite activity(s), if required.
- Some BMP activities require assessments, plans, or engineered designs that must be completed prior. Proof of completion must be submitted at the time of application.
- Concurrent planning/design projects and on-farm equipment/infrastructure projects may be allowed in some cases where projects are not dependent on the final plan or design for the equipment/infrastructure activity or may be waived at the discretion of IAF on a case-by-case basis.
- Some BMP activities require assessments, plans, or engineered designs that must be completed prior. Proof of completion must be submitted at the time of application.
Important Details
- Project activities should not commence prior to approval of the application; retroactive costs are not eligible.
- A per-farm lifetime funding cap of $100,000 has been established for the duration of the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) period, which runs from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2028. This cap applies across all BMP categories unless otherwise specified.
- A portion of BMP Program funding is provided by CleanBC and is reserved for select activities that demonstrate a significant and measurable reduction in greenhouse gas emissions or an increase in carbon sequestration. These eligible activities (or practice codes) are marked with a 🌱symbol. If funding is limited, projects eligible for CleanBC funding may be prioritized over projects that are not.
- Applicants can only apply for each BMP activity (i.e., Practice Code) once per fiscal year. Example: Applicants may not apply to install a new irrigation system (Practice Code 1804) twice in one year.
- Stacking funds from other government programs is permitted so long as the funding received from all government sources does not exceed 100% of project costs.
- IAF has the authority to deny an application if there is evidence of misrepresentation of pertinent information.
- The program policy sets a percentage maximum amount of government funds that can be used towards the total project costs. For the Sustainable CAP, this has been set at 100% of the total eligible costs of the BMP Project.
- In-Kind costs are eligible in specific circumstances.
Ineligible Activities and Expenses
Unless specified in a BMP Practice Code, the following costs are ineligible:
- GST
- Fertilizer, seed, and crop protection products
- Fees are permits, approvals, or legal activities
- Typical farm equipment and related accessories or attachments (including tractors, skid steers, and trailers)
- Costs of ongoing activities
- Maintenance or repair costs
- Financing charges, loan interest payments, bank fees
- Maintenance or extended warranties on equipment, electronics, or technology purchases
- New building construction, including sheds, barns, or storage (for products or by-products), unless specified under a BMP activity.
- Expenses incurred before approval or expenses after the project completion date, unless consent is received from the program.
- Monthly or annual subscription fees (e.g., satellite, cellular, or internet uplinks for data transmission) or monthly or annual rental fees for equipment (e.g., orchard heaters)
- Costs associated with removing and disposing of old equipment (e.g., renting a crane to remove a decommissioned wind machine)
- In-kind costs for the Planning, Technical Assessments and Engineered Designs category or the Extreme Weather Preparedness category.
Applying to the Program
We encourage you to submit a completed application as soon as possible. Applying is not a guarantee of funding.
Notification of application closure will be provided in the BMP Newsletter and posted to this webpage.
Applications will be reviewed and adjudicated on a first-come, first-served basis until available funds are fully committed.
Funding decisions will be provided within 8 weeks of complete application submission
Important Program Dates
Applications Open
Applications Close
Project Start
Project Completion
Accessing the IAF Client Portal
To apply to the program, you must first create an IAF Client Portal account and register your organization by navigating to the IAF Client Portal and selecting “Create an account now.”
If you have previously applied to an IAF-delivered program you can skip this step – you’re already registered!
Sign Up & Register
To apply to the program, you must first create an IAF Client Portal account and register your organization by navigating to the IAF Client Portal and selecting “Create an account now.”
If you have previously applied to an IAF-delivered program you can skip this step – you’re already registered!
Starting your BMP Application
To find the application navigate to the ‘Opportunities‘ tab in the IAF Client Portal and select the BMP category you’d like to apply to.
Resources
Funding for these programs have been provided by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a $3.5 billion, 5-year agreement between the federal, provincial and territorial governments. Additional funding has been provided by CleanBC. The program is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAF).
Please note: the Government of BC may, from time to time, give instructions to IAF in relation to the delivery and administration of this program. IAF must and will comply with those instructions.