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Grants

The City provides grant funding under a number of programs. Please note this is not an exhaustive list of grants available in the community and we encourage you to explore other available options.

Sport Project Grant

Audience

sport organizations

Status

Active

Cut Off Date

2025-11-06 16:00

2027 City of Nanaimo Sport Project Grant Application Intake will begin in early September. 
The deadline for submissions will be: November 6, 2026.
Grant applications must be received by 4:00pm PST on the day of deadline to be eligible for consideration in this funding stream. Before completing the application form, refer to the eligibility criteria and guidelines.
 

Sport Project Grants assist Nanaimo non-profit sport and sport-related organizations to realize projects that benefit our community and contribute to the cultural, social and economic vitality of Nanaimo.

2026 Sport Project Grant Application Form

2027 Final Report Forms:

Important Notes

  • Late applications will not be reviewed.
  • Applicants who have received funding in previous year must submit a final report on your most recent project, 90 days after completion. If your previous project is not yet complete at the time of application, an Interim Report must be submitted prior to further grant application. Failure to provide a Report will render new applications ineligible.
  • A Sport Project Grant Report Form Template and Budget From is available online (or by contacting us directly).

How to Submit your Application

2027 Grant intake will begin in early September 2026. Deadline is 4:00 p.m. on November 6, 2026. There are two ways to submit your grant:

  • ONLINE by uploading a PDF of the signed application and attachments for all sections using the online submission process.
  • HARDCOPY by dropping off to the Bowen Park Complex Dropbox (by 4 p.m.) located at 500 Bowen Road. The dropbox is accessible from outside and is located on the lower level of the building near the tennis courts (Pine Street entrance). Please make sure your package is clearly marked with the applicable grant name. A confirmation email will be sent to all applicants using the email address indicated in your application form to confirm we have received your submission.

Contact for more information: 

Grace Bell, Manager of Sports and Arenas
250-755-7508
grace.bell@nanaimo.ca 

Introduction

The City of Nanaimo recognizes the vital contribution of sport and sport tourism activities to the City’s economic and social progress. The work of the Parks, Recreation & Culture team is guided by the City of Nanaimo’s strategic planning document, City Plan - Nanaimo ReImagined. The City Plan outlines a commitment to:

  • Continue to host, permit. and support festivals, celebrations, sporting events, and other events in public spaces 
  • Continue providing financial support to assist groups in the production and delivery of community events and gatherings
  • Through partnerships, continue to develop sport and special event facilities that provide opportunities to meet community wellness needs, as well as sport tourism objectives
  • Further grounded within this integrated document are the City's strategic goals to build respectful, collaborative relationships with the communities we serve

 

Organized sport is more than competition; it is a vehicle for teaching teamwork, resilience, and leadership, while promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing social isolation. By supporting initiatives that engage youth, seniors, newcomers, and underrepresented groups, this grant aims to strengthen the sporting community within the City of Nanaimo.

Purpose

To assist culture organizations to realize projects that benefit our community and contribute to the cultural, social and economic vitality of Nanaimo.

Strategic Priorities 

The City’s strategic funding priorities for the program include:
  • projects that support community development and strengthen local communities through teamwork and volunteerism through sport
  • projects that promote and raise the profile, reputation and visibility of Nanaimo through sport
  • projects that enhance athlete development and promote participation in sport
  • projects that encourage active lifestyles and raise awareness about the benefits of physical activity for mental and physical health

Eligibility Criteria

Both professional and volunteer-driven non-profit organizations may apply. Applicants must:
  • be based in Nanaimo
  • be a registered non-profit society, community organization, or formalized sport or recreation group
  • be in operation for minimum of 1 year (new and emerging groups will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis)
  • have successfully produced and documented at least one prior project or event
  • show evidence of project support from other sources (public and/or private, cash and/in or kind)

Ineligible Organizations

  • organizations that do not have an athletic or sport focus
  • groups with outstanding balances owed to the City of Nanaimo
  • publicly funded or private educational institutions (schools, universities, colleges, training organizations)
  • organizations located outside of the boundaries of the City of Nanaimo
  • previously funded organizations that have not submitted their final report
  • private or commercial organizations

Eligible Projects

Proposed projects will fall into 4 main areas:
  • Activity / Event (tournaments, competitions, exhibitions, showcases, training camps).
  • Equipment and Infrastructure (the purchase of equipment, facility upgrades, that will increase the organization's ability to host activities or events in the future where they are currently unable due to constraints in this area).
  • Collaborations and Partnerships (i.e. special projects that involve collaboration or partnership with other organizations, including non-profit and for-profit businesses).
  • Organizational Capacity Building (i.e. initiatives that seek to increase the organizational and long-term sustainability of the organization); "Capacity building" refers to intentional, coordinated and mission-driven efforts aimed at strengthening the management and governance of non-profits to improve performance and impact. This can include activities such as leadership development, strategic planning, program design and evaluation, financial planning and management and others.

Ineligible Projects

  • Projects where the central focus is not sport related
  • Recuperation of deficits
  • The distribution of bursaries or scholarships
  • Projects occurring outside of the boundaries of the City of Nanaimo
  • Projects that have received funding assistance through other sources at the City of Nanaimo in the same fiscal year
  • Projects that have received funding from the Tourism Nanaimo Sport Hosting Grant

Assessment Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

(20%) MERIT
  • Quality of proposed project, partnerships, and
  • The degree to which the proposed project has community support
(50%) RELEVANCE / FEASIBILITY
  • Projects that reflect the four strategic funding priorities outlined in this grant
  • Demonstrated capacity to plan, administer, and deliver the proposed project
  • Realistic proposed budgets with diverse sources of revenue
(30%) COMMUNITY IMPACT
  • Evidence of benefit to the community
  • Economic impact in the community, contribution towards the health and development of the sport sector
  • Potential to raise the profile of Nanaimo through promotion of its sport offerings and recognition of athletes at a provincial or national levels

Adjudication Process

Applications must be received by the deadline. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications will be screened to determine eligibility and evaluated according to the assessment criteria. Recommendations will be made to Council for distribution of funds. Decisions are guided by the program’s mandate, objectives and assessment criteria. Council decisions are final.

Appeal Process

If there was an error in the assessment process (for example, that support material was misplaced), applicants may file a formal complaint, in writing, within 10 calendar days of notification of results. All appeals will be reviewed by an appeals committee.

Terms & Conditions of Funding

You must formally acknowledge that you accept your grant by the date specified in your results letter. The awarding of a grant is at the sole and absolute discretion of the City of Nanaimo. The City of Nanaimo retains the right to rescind or reduce any grant previously awarded. The circumstances for rescinding a grant include but are not limited to:
  • failure to meet the terms and conditions of the grant
  • failure to comply with legal obligations
  • failure to respect the commitment to provide a workplace free from harassment, discrimination and sexual misconduct
  • unapproved changes to funded activities
  • significant risk of insolvency or bankruptcy

Final Reports

Grant recipients must use the Sport Project Grant Report to complete and submit their final report by the due date specified in the results letter. Final reports must detail any substantial changes to your original proposal and must include an accounting of spent and unspent funds. Failure to provide a final report will result in the rejection of all new funding applications. 

Grant Repayment

If for any reason you cannot use the grant at the expected time, decide not to carry out the plans described in your grant application or refuse the grant conditions, you must notify us immediately. If you are unable to complete your project or event any unspent funds must be returned to the City of Nanaimo. Unused grant funds will not be carried over to the next calendar year. 

Payment

The City of Nanaimo will deliver awarded funds by direct deposit. To receive funds via electronic funds transfer (EFT), recipient must fill out and return the EFT form, along with VOID cheque or verified account information printout from banking institution.

Statement of Inclusivity

Recipients of City of Nanaimo Culture Grant funding must demonstrate commitment to City of Nanaimo Policy C4.2 Equity and Inclusivity: 
“Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates resources and opportunities to support more positive outcomes for all regardless of age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, faith practice, ancestry, or background. By identifying inequities and targeting investment in prevention and intervention, the wellbeing and inclusion of the diversity of people that make up our entire community can be enhanced, creating a city that puts people first and supports a sense of belonging.”

Funding is provided with the expectation that recipients will:
Create a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere where all people feel safe, comfortable and represented (Policy C4.2.1) 

Encourage diversity awareness and build a culture of compassion for people of all cultures, genders, orientations, ages and abilities (Policy C4.2.8).

Accessibility & Support

Should you experience challenges or barriers in this application process or require additional support, we encourage you to reach out to grace.bell@nanaimo.ca (250-755-7508) BEFORE the Grants application deadline. To best support you, we ask that requests for additional support be made at least 1 week before the application deadline. The City is committed to improving accessibility for all by identifying, removing, and preventing barriers. 

Changes to Activities

Changes to the scope of your original proposal must be approved by the City of Nanaimo. You must notify the City of Nanaimo if you cannot use part or the entire grant during the period stated in your application. If there are major changes to your proposed activities (for example: changes to the focus of the project, in the activity budget, to key creative personnel or a significant change to the timeline) you must submit a project update form for approval. 

City staff must approve any major changes to your funded activities before you carry them out. 

Acknowledgement of the City of Nanaimo and Logo Use

Public acknowledgement of support is required for all grant recipients. Please ensure that all materials (including copies of reports, advertising, oral presentations and publicity relating to the project(s) or programming credit the support of the grant. Please ensure proper logo use when crediting the City of Nanaimo’s support. You can request logo files by contacting grace.bell@nanaimo.ca. 

Permits, Fees, Applications

The approval of this grant does not indicate approval of associated required permits for public events. Processing special event permits can take several weeks. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all necessary permits have been obtained prior to commencing project and or event and ensure compliance with all required permits.

Confidentiality

Documents submitted by applicants become property of the City of Nanaimo. The City will make every effort to maintain the confidentiality of each application and the information contained therein except to the extent necessary to communicate information to Staff and the committee for the purpose of evaluation and analysis. The City will not release this information to the public except required under the Province of BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act or other legal disclosure process.

Tax Implications

Organizations must be registered non-profit societies, in good standing, and will receive funds in the society name.  

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