Contact the Sustainable Transportation Program Administrator, at the Department of Energy with questions

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1 Connect2 Program Description ( ) Connect2 is based on a vision that all trips under two kilometres to key community destinations in rural and urban areas of Nova Scotia could be made using sustainable modes of transportation. The program seeks to support collaborative, innovative, and locally-based solutions to improving connectivity, particularly between key community assets such as medical centres, schools, universities, residential areas, business districts, shopping areas and recreational facilities. Applications submission deadline is on May 31, Applicants should share a short overview of their project ideas through an expression of interest online at before receiving an application form to submit a full proposal. Contact the Sustainable Transportation Program Administrator, at the Department of Energy with questions (Connect2@novascotia.ca). Program Overview: Sustainable transportation is an essential ingredient to healthy, vibrant communities. Our mobility choices impact our physical health, pocketbooks, and natural environment. The availability of multiple modes of transportation helps turn communities into places people want to live, work, and play. Multimodal transportation encourages healthy active lifestyles, affordable travel, and accessibility for all. The Connect2 program seeks to improve transportation choices at the neighbourhood or community scale both in rural and urban areas. The program encourages communities to look at key community destinations (such as medical centres, schools, and business districts) and consider how to enable shortdistance travel to and between these sites using sustainable modes of transportation. These are the trips that people are most likely to take on foot, by bike, or by alternate modes, given the proper supports: connecting to work by bike or rideshare, connecting by transit to medical services, and safely connecting to school on foot. Starting small, we can work towards a vision that all our daily needs within two kilometres could be accessed using safe and sustainable modes of transportation. Transit is an important part of this picture although it may often be for trips longer than two kilometres, connecting between modes of transportation, like biking and transit, is essential to an integrated transportation network. In this way, we can slowly help to build up transportation hubs within communities. It is noteworthy that longer distances will be considered in the program, especially in rural areas, as long as connecting point to point. 1

2 The Province, through the Department of Energy, is providing an overall grant of $600,000 with an intention to support infrastructure, capacity building, and education at the local level that supports the Connect2 vision. This grant will be for the fiscal year. Projects must be completed by March 10, What projects will this program support? Submissions to this grant program should help support residents to make short distance trips using sustainable modes of transportation. The distance targeted is flexible. Each community knows its own needs. Key linkages could be only a few hundred meters. Walking trips will be shorter than biking trips. The important aspect is that projects support utilitarian travel (i.e., getting from Point A to Point B) using alternatives to the private vehicle. The program will consider applications under two main categories: 1. Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure and Design projects: Direct support for multi-use, utilitarian active transporation (AT) infrastructure (includes both pedestrian and bike use), services that benefit sustainable modes of transportation, community design, active transportation plans, and engineering and feasibility studies. Connect 2 will provide grants of up to $150,000 per project for these types of projects. 2. Enabling projects: Education, public engagement, social marketing, informational supports (signage,maps, internet), certain support to transit services and community transporation (improve information services, promotional and support resources between service providers), or any plans and initiatives that help to lay the groundwork for more sustainable transportation. Connect2 will provide grants of up to a maximum of $30,000 per single project for these type of projects. If a project has both infrastructure and enabling components, it will be considered under the infrastructure category as long as 80% of the project component is infrastructure. Priority will be given to projects that: are action-oriented have well-defined outcomes support community-based sustainable transportation have an aspect of evaluation/measurability focus on connectivity have a significant impact (impactful in terms of usage or cultural shift) are innovative leverage other funding sources What are some examples of projects that Connect2 supports? The following examples provide an idea of eligible project types. They are illustrative only, and are not meant to define what is needed in a local context. 2

3 Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure and Design examples: Infrastructure/ Design/ AT Planning/ Engineering and Feasibility Studies Active Transportation o Local bike lanes or active transportation lanes that help connect residential areas to a business district o Trails that have a utilitarian purpose or AT connections to recreational trails o New material use and design for construction of multi-use paths Supporting community and public transporatation o While vehicle purchases and operational costs are not eligible, other supports are, such as improved information services, shared platforms or resources between different providers o Funding must complement and not overlap with existing provincial programs such as the Community Transportation Assistance Program, Accessible Transportation Assistance Program, and Nova Scotia Transit Research Incentive Program Community design o A regional master plan for integrating AT and transit infrastructure and services; new bylaws promoting mixed-use, transit- and AT-friendly development, engineering design and feasibility studies Enabling examples: Education/ Public engagement/ Social marketing/ Informational supports (signage,maps, internet)/ Plans or similar initiatives Education and awareness campaigns or open streets events that encourage people to use sustainable transportation modes Social marketing campaign/initiative to promote AT, especially those that build on existing social marketing campaign resources Active Transportation projects for all ages Education and outreach for supporting transit, community transportation services, and car sharing A social marketing campaign to promote active transportation What is not eligible under Connect2? The following types of projects are some examples for projects that are not eligible: Recreational trails (trails that do not connect people from homes to centres of community activity such as schools, businesses and other institutions) Equipment or operational costs for transit services Electric vehicles or associated infrastructure Organizational, restructuring, and administrative funding applications 3

4 Who is eligible to apply? This program is open to any type of Nova Scotian organization (registered under NS Registry of Joint Stock Companies) seeking practical solutions to sustainable transportation issues in Nova Scotia. The primary partner must be based in Nova Scotia, and ideally will be based in the community or region the project plans to serve. Initiatives must support the objectives of this program, as explained above. What are the funding guidelines? This grant will cover up to 50% of eligible costs, up to a maximum of $150,000 per tangible sustainable transportation infrastructure and design projects, or $30,000 for enabling projects, as explained above. Funding will be for the fiscal year. Projects must be completed by March 10, 2017 in order to receive full payment of the grant. What are the eligible costs? Total Project Funding 50% Connect2 Department of Energy 50% or more Other Sources 25% Local Contribution 25% Other Cash Max. 12.5% Local In-Kind 12.5% Local Cash Municipalities and Non- Profits: - Other Provincial Gov't funding allowed - Other funding Universities, First Nations Bands & Private Business: - NO other provincial Gov't funding - All other funding sources allowed 4

5 Chart overview: Connect2 Department of Energy will provide a maximum of 50% of the total project cost 50% or more of the total project cost must be covered by sources other than the Connect2 program o o o 25% of other sources must come from a local contribution (maximum 12.5% could be local in-kind and the rest must be local cash). Local means from within a community or within Nova Scotia, and could include resources from municipalities, towns, community organizations, or businesses. It does not include funding from other provincial government departments. This means that at least 12.5% of the total project cost must be covered by a cash contribution from a source within Nova Scotia other than the provincial government. The remainder of the 25% from other sources could come from any other cash contribution For Municipalities and Non-Profits: Funding can include other sources of provincial government contributions and any other type of funding. This means municipalities and non-profits could have up to 75% of their cash from provincial funding (i.e. 50% from Connect2 program and 25% from another provincial government departments) For Universities, First Nations Bands, and Private Businesses: Funding can include any other source but cannot include another provincial government contribution All reasonable, direct project costs are eligible for funding under this program Qualified In-kind contributions include: o Donated material, equipment and labor from another party (in-kind reporting form will be provided upon reporting time) o Incremental costs incurred by the applicant or partners in association with the proposed project. To be eligible, incremental costs must be additional, new costs incurred because of the initiative, including, new space provided for the project or volunteer labor associated with the project Connect2 staff reserve the right to question or decline funding for costs that are not deemed reasonable 5

6 Assessment Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated by an interdepartmental committee according to the following criteria (scored based on the extent to which each project meets the criteria): Criteria FOCUS: Does your project support Connect2 program objectives and priorities as defined in this document? IMPACT: Who will benefit, how, and when? Will your project create an impact in terms of usage or cultural shift in transportation behaviour? Does your project advance sustainable transportation in NS as a whole? Is there a vision for increasing the scope or scale of impact in the future? As a result of conducting this project are you creating new jobs? EVALUATION and MEASURABILITY: What are your plans to measure the success of your project? How the impact of your project will be tracked over time (i.e., one, three, and five years)? Will you include an evaluation plan in your project planning? Scoring INNOVATION: Is this a new idea or a new way of applying an existing idea? 5 ENGAGEMENT and PARTNERSHIP: Has the applicant effectively engaged with all relevant groups impacted by this project? Does this proposal represent a new or existing partnership? CAPACITY and SUSTAINABILITY: Does the application have appropriate resources to complete and successfully implement the project? Does it demonstrate a clear approach for how the initiative will be adjusted and sustained over time, including after funding from Connect2 ends? Is it connected to existing municipal plans or initiatives (active transportation, Integrated Community Sustainability Plans, design, existing social media campaigns/initiatives, etc.)? Do you foresee any barriers in completing the project by the assigned deadline? Important Notes: Projects of an infrastructure nature (construction and/or design) must include the written permission of the landowner when submitting the application. Projects with an AT design or plan on provincial roads must consult with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (TIR) and demonstrate awareness of TIR s design guidelines and other AT related criteria. The draft plan must also be reviewed by TIR. 6

7 Application Submission Process: Step 1: Submit a brief overview of your project idea online at: Step 2: You will receive an application form by from Department of Energy within 48 hours. The Program Administrator may contact you with questions. Step 3: Submit the completed application by to Connect2@novascotia.ca Please do not send scanned applications or hard copies. Supporting materials may be provided in hard copy or scanned copy. Video and visual materials are encouraged. Timeline: May 31, 2016: Deadline to submit completed application Mid-July and forward: Awards announcements Questions? Contact the Sustainable Transportation Program Administrator, at: Connect2@novascotia.ca 7