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Manitoba Water Stewardship

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Water Stewardship Fund

Water plays a critical role in our province. It supports a healthy environment and affects the economic and social well-being of all Manitobans. While the province's supply of clean, fresh water is plentiful, it is not endless. That is why it's vital we conserve water use, and maintain the quality and quantity of our water supply now, and for the future.

Manitoba Water Stewardship is committed to preserving our rivers, lakes and wetlands. The department works to promote the importance of having quality water for people, the environment and the economy. To help achieve this goal, the Manitoba government has developed the Water Stewardship Fund (WSF). The WSF provides financial assistance to develop, implement and promote projects that maintain or improve the stewardship of Manitoba's water.

View the Water Stewardship Fund Brochure, in Acrobat (PDF) format.

WSF Objectives

  • The fund supports and promotes research projects and activities that further the goals of The Water Protection Act.
  • The fund encourages the development and implementation of watershed management plans, water conservation programs and water quality initiatives.
  • The fund stimulates economic development and diversification that will improve the quality of life and the environment in Manitoba.

Priority Areas

The WSF supports innovative projects that contribute to maintaining the quality and quantity of water, wetlands, riparian areas and aquatic habitat in Manitoba. Projects must address one or more of the fund's priority program areas.

These include:

Watershed Management Planning and Implementation
  • assists with projects that involve the identification of watersheds, the formation of watershed planning authorities, and the development of watershed management plans and source-water protection plans
Water-Related Scientific Research
  • encourages innovation in water, wetlands, riparian areas and fishery resource-related research,
  • focuses on developing and improving processes/tools to better understand water, related ecosystems and beneficial management practices
Education and Capacity-Building
  • helps build greater community capacity through supporting and encouraging individual/community pride, self-reliance and leadership
  • works to improve knowledge and skills within community.
Water Conservation
  • supports projects that promote and enable efficient use of water - conserve and reduce water use (key priority of WSF)
Water Stewardship
  • focuses on improving water quality and quantity
  • includes reducing contaminants and nutrients entering our water and maintaining an abundant supply of high-quality water
Economic Development
  • helps develop businesses that promote practices and technologies which support good water stewardship
  • includes reducing water consumption, addressing water pollution and making water infrastructure more efficient

Who Can Apply?

Eligible applicants
  • local governments
  • conservation districts
  • private and non-profit organizations and businesses
  • industries
  • educational institutions
  • Aboriginal organizations
  • communities
  • youth groups

Individuals or groups excluded from the above list may submit a joint application with an eligible applicant.

Eligible Projects
To be eligible for funding, project proposals must:
  • be environmentally and ecologically sound
  • promote a sustainable approach
  • have clear environmental benefits
  • show project activities will be conducted in Manitoba or be of direct benefit to Manitoba
  • be unique, innovative and contribute to the quality and sustainability of Manitoba's water, wetlands, riparian areas and fishery resources
  • address a demonstrated need and should, when possible, include a high level of community and stakeholder involvement
  • demonstrate financial self-sufficiency (after funding expires)
  • comply with regulatory requirements (prior to receiving funding)
  • address one or more of the funding priority areas
Non-Eligible Projects
The following types of projects are not eligible for WSF funding:
  • projects that result in proprietary knowledge being held exclusively by the grant recipient
  • applications for debt financing or cost-recovery programs
  • purchase of real property, including land, buildings or vehicles
  • ongoing administration (office costs) and established or basic operational budgets
  • business development startup costs (unless the project is a demonstration and/or pilot project)
  • initiatives undertaken as a result of a government order

Funding

Project proposals are accepted throughout the year. Proposals are reviewed twice a year. Visit WSF application review periods.

Grants are generally limited to $25,000 per project, but may be considered for more. Multi-year projects may also be considered, but would require grant applications and annual reports to be submitted for review and approval every year.

A WSF committee reviews proposals and makes recommendations for project funding. The proposals are evaluated for eligibility, technical merit and demonstrated need. All applicants will receive written notification of decisions.

Applicants are encouraged to form partnerships and obtain cash contributions, or in-kind support, from other sources. In-kind support can include donations of equipment, materials, office space, volunteer time and professional services.

Successful applicants must report on projects receiving grants under the WSF. Reporting templates and schedules for reporting will be provided.

Project Proposal Review Periods

Project proposals will be reviewed twice annually.

To be considered for funding, all proposals must be submitted by the following deadlines:

November 15
- deadline for fall funding -

April 15
- deadline for spring funding -

Applicants will be notified in writing of decisions made about their proposals.

If more information is required, please contact us.

How to Apply

All proposals must follow the WSF Project Proposal Guidelines to ensure a fair assessment of applicants. If you need assistance in completing the proposal, please contact the Water Stewardship Fund.

Once completed, submit your proposal by mailing, e-mailing, or faxing the information to the address below. Submissions with attachments over 3 MB should be saved to a CD for submission, or printed out and mailed or faxed to us. You will receive an acknowledgement that we've received your submission by letter or e-mail. If you do not receive a receipt of submission, please follow up by contacting us.

Contact Us

We invite you to work together with the Province of Manitoba and the Water Stewardship Fund (WSF) to help protect and conserve our water resources.

For assistance with the proposal, or for questions about the Water Stewardship Fund, please contact us at:

The Water Stewardship Fund
Manitoba Water Stewardship
Planning and Coordination Branch
Box 11, 200 Saulteaux Crescent
Winnipeg, MB   R3J 3W3

Phone: (204) 945-5965
Toll Free: 1-800-214-6497
Fax : (204) 945-7419
E-mail : wsf@gov.mb.ca

Other water-related project funding sources include;