Apply for funding to help communities move more: Active Communities Fund
Communities and community organizations can apply for funding from the Active Communities Fund to help support community-wide initiatives that encourage movement. You can apply until 1 December 2025 (if you're a community applicant and are applying for more than $10,000 in funding, you need to apply by 15 June 2025).
Use the Active Communities Fund Application Form to help communities move more.
The Active Communities Fund helps communities encourage movement through policies, social initiatives or physical environments. Projects should support community members who are less active or who have fewer opportunities for movement.
The fund supports the Let’s Get Moving Nova Scotia action plan.
You need to use the funding to help you:
- plan, develop or evaluate policy
- plan, create, improve or evaluate physical environments (the fund is limited to supporting low-cost physical environment initiatives)
- plan, create, improve or evaluate social environments
Application forms
There are separate application forms for communities (municipalities, villages and First Nations communities) and community organizations (non-profit agencies and Regional Centres for Education).
Applicants can partner with municipalities, the health sector, schools and workplaces.
Eligibility
Communities and community organizations can apply for funding.
Communities include:
- municipalities
- villages
- Nova Scotian Mi’kmaw bands
Community organizations include:
- non-profit organizations
- Regional Centres for Education
Non-profit organizations need to be registered and in good standing with Registry of Joint Stock Companies or under provincial or territorial legislation in Canada and are authorized to operate Nova Scotia.
You need to apply for funding by 1 December 2025 (if you're a community applicant and are applying for more than $10,000 in funding, you need to apply by 15 June 2025). The funding program processes applications as they receive them until all available funds are allocated (gone). Once all funds are allocated, the program closes and no longer accepts new applications.
How to apply
- Review detailed program criteria in the Active Communities Fund Guidelines for Community Organization Applicants or Active Communities Fund Guidelines for Community Applicants.
- Contact the Active Communities Fund to discuss your project idea and confirm your eligibility.
- Complete the funding application.
- Check the application for details on all required supporting documents.
- Send your completed application and supporting documents by email.
How long it takes
It should take 2 to 3 months for the program to review your funding application and let you know if your funding application is approved. It can take longer if more information is needed or if your application hasn’t been filled in correctly.
Cost
There is no cost to apply.
Before you start
Make sure you have:
- Registry of Joint Stock Companies ID, if you're a non-profit organization
- plan to reach and engage your target group
- 1-year community-wide movement plan, if you're a community applicant and are applying for more than $5,000 in funding
Application form
Alternative format: Active Communities Fund - Community Application Form (2.01 MB)