Access to Funding Program

NOTE: This program is currently under development and is not available to our Registered Users. We do however encourage you to complete the questionnaire. We use the information you provide to help us understand the needs of BC community water suppliers. This helps us to develop effective programs. Also by registering your interest in the program you will secure first-come-first-served priority during the early stages of program delivery.

Program Status

Research Planning Development Launch

If after reading through the following you have any questions about this program or need further assistance, please contact WaterBC.ca directly by email or by phone.

About Access to Funding

All water supply systems have infrastructure that must be maintained and occasionally renewed in order to ensure the drinking water is safe and that the system will operate reliably. In many cases the costs of infrastructure enhancement or renewal need to be financed over a period of time using borrowed funds. The WaterBC.ca Access to Funding Program helps you to borrow funds from lending institutions. It includes access to financial planning resources and streamlines the loan application process. The program is of particular interest to community water suppliers at the lower end of the size range. Typically these smaller organizations, unlike municipalities, do not have ready access to financing and may have limited funds in reserve.

Benefits

The Access to Funding Program (AFP) helps to overcome the challenges faced by smaller water suppliers when applying for loans. These challenges may include lack of a formal business plan, and absence of the experience required to successfully approach financial institutions. WaterBC.ca has developed lending criteria in conjunction with Industry Partners which recognize the circumstances of small water suppliers; for example they do not usually have assets of a type which are acceptable to lenders as security. The program helps to deal with these challenges. The application process is simple. When you have completed the program application form it will be sent to a lending institution which is also an WaterBC.ca Industry Partner. The Industry Partner will subsequently contact you to review your application. Once your application process is completed and approved, you will enter into a contract directly with the lending institution.

Preparation

To prepare for an application to a lending institution under this Access to Funding program you will need to review you financial circumstances, and assess your capacity to service a loan. This may include an update of your financial plan and a review of you water rate structure. Your application for funding should be supported by a financial plan. WaterBC.ca can provide access to resources to help you with financial planning. You may also need to consult with regulatory agencies to ensure you are eligible to borrow funds. It is also important to review your need for other planning activities; they may help you to provide the context within which this WaterBC.ca program can be utilized.

How to Join the Program

Follow these steps to join the program

  1. If you are already a Registered User, go to your MyWaterBC page and click on the Access to Funding Application Form.
  2. You first become a WaterBC.ca Registered User by completing the WaterBC.ca User Registration Form. This enables you to access the information documents listed below. You then complete your Water System Profile: do this by logging into your Registered User account and clicking on the Add Water System link
  3. Once you have registered your water supply system, click the link for the Access to Funding Program (AFP) application form. The form collects information about your system for review by an WaterBC.ca Industry Partner.
  4. Complete the application form and click on the Submit button at the bottom of the form.
  5. Upon receipt of the completed questionnaire the Industry Partner will contact you to discuss your application further.

Further Resources

WaterBC.ca has produced several further resources as listed below to help you prepare an application for funding. The following resources provide more information about the Access to Funding program. We recommend you look through them in the order shown.

  1. Find out how this program works.
  2. An introduction to rate setting tools.

Industry Partners

The following lending institutions, who are also WaterBC.ca Industry Partners, provide funding for community water supply projects under this program:

(To follow)