National Disaster Mitigation Program
Learn how to apply for the federal program to help fund flood mapping and mitigation projects in Ontario.
Overview
The National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP) is a federal program that provides funding support for flood mitigation projects. Under this program, Public Safety Canada can fund up to 50% of project costs, to a maximum of $1.5 million in federal funding per project.
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) administers the program in Ontario.
To be considered for funding in 2021-22, an eligible organization may submit one or more Ontario project proposals to MMAH by December 1, 2020.
Applicants must be able to implement proposals between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022 for:
- a new flood mitigation project
- a phase of a larger flood mitigation project
This is the last opportunity to submit project proposals under the NDMP, unless it is further extended by the federal government.
The ministry must review and submit eligible project proposals to Public Safety Canada by January 11, 2021. Ontario has had a high rate of success under this program, with most Ontario projects submitted under previous intakes approved for federal funding.
Eligibility
The following organizations are eligible to submit a project proposal:
- municipalities
- Indigenous communities
- conservation authorities
- other eligible organizations
We encourage applicants to collaborate with other departments within their organization, or external organizations, to share costs and expand the benefits or outcomes of a project.
Project streams
There are four project streams:
- Flood risk assessments
- Flood mapping
- Flood mitigation plans
- Non-structural flood mitigation projects
Project proposals must be:
- evidence-based
- completed in sequential order
For example, a proposal for flood mapping would need to demonstrate that the applicant completed a flood risk assessment either before or during the project.
To submit a proposal for a Stream 4 non-structural flood mitigation project, such as a flood database or an educational initiative, an applicant does not need to have work equivalent to previous project streams if it would provide little or no support to that non-structural project.
Requirements
Project proposals must meet federal NDMP program requirements. Project proposals in Ontario must also meet the following requirements:
- Be consistent with the natural hazard policies in the Provincial Policy Statement (2020)
- Address the following relevant natural hazard technical guidelines issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry:
- Understanding Natural Hazards
- Technical Guide River & Stream Systems: Flooding Hazard Limit
- Technical Guide River & Stream Systems: Erosion Hazard Limit
To obtain an electronic copy of these guidelines, please contact us at National.Disaster.Mitigation.Program@Ontario.ca
- Follow Ontario’s Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) methodology for flood risk assessment project proposals. Alternatively, you may provide a rationale to explain why you propose a different methodology.
How to apply
Step 1
Read the NDMP resources and address both federal and provincial requirements related to your project proposal.
Step 2
Contact us by email at National.Disaster.Mitigation.Program@Ontario.ca to receive the Project Proposal Form and Risk Assessment Information Template for NDMP Intake 6.
Step 3
Applicants need to complete the following documents for a project proposal:
| Required documents | Municipalities | Indigenous communities | Conservation authorities | Other eligible organizations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NDMP Project Proposal Form | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NDMP Risk Assessment Information Template (RAIT)* | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| A letter of support from the municipality or municipalities affected by the proposed project** | Not required | Not required | Yes | Yes |
| A letter of support from a board of directors approving the project proposal** | Not required | Not required | Yes | Yes |
* RAIT is not required for stream 1 project proposals.
** Letters of support can be included in the application or provided shortly after Ontario’s project proposal deadline.
Step 4
Email project proposals to National.Disaster.Mitigation.Program@Ontario.ca by December 1, 2020. We will confirm receipt of your project proposal within one week.
Ontario’s review process
We will review the proposals using the following criteria:
- Does the proposal address or quantify a site-specific flood risk to the public in areas that have experienced historic flooding or damage?
- Does the proposal contribute to protecting people and property from flooding and related hazards? Priority may be given to projects that work with communities.
- Does the proposal target an area where floodplain mapping is out of date, non-existent, or in urgent need of updates? Does the mapping increase the understanding of flood risk?
- Does the proposal demonstrate good value for public money?
- What is the size of population and number of structures potentially affected by flooding?
- Does the proposed project boundary include any provincially significant critical infrastructure?
After the review:
- We will recommend eligible proposals to Public Safety Canada
- Public Safety Canada will assess the proposals using a competitive, merit-based process
- We will notify applicants if their project proposals have been approved or declined
For successful applicants, we will:
- provide guidance on NDMP implementation
- establish transfer payment agreements
- transfer federal funds to recipients after the project work is complete
Past NDMP projects
Since 2016, there have been 192 NDMP projects approved in Ontario, representing $39.78 million in funding. Funding recipients include:
- municipalities
- Indigenous communities
- conservation authorities
- other eligible organizations
Examples of past projects include:
- assess flood risk for vulnerable communities, including the creation of a flood events database
- update topographic maps in flood-vulnerable areas by acquiring LiDAR digital elevation datasets
- conduct flood mapping surveys to determine the regulatory flood line of a river system
- update information management systems to enable the sharing of flood-related data among partners to inform flood forecasting and emergency response
- develop dynamic stormwater models or flood hazard profiles to assess urban flooding
- establish flood forecast warning systems and link with emergency management centres to monitor at-risk areas
Contact us
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Municipal Programs and Analytics Branch
777 Bay Street, 16th floor
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 2J3