Call for Expressions of Interest: QUEST Canada seeks Ontario net-zero communities cohort participants

Calling all Ontario municipalities, aiming for a net-zero energy emissions future  ̶  Join QUEST Canada’s Net-Zero Communities Accelerator program to get there, faster!

Ontario, Canada // QUEST Canada invites small and mid-sized municipalities across Ontario to join the new Ontario Net-zero Communities Accelerator (NCA) program.

With an initial call for a cohort of 15 Ontario municipalities, eligible applicants include local governments (Indigenous, municipal, regional or a group of small municipalities and/or bands), or organizations applying on behalf of a local government or a group of local governments (e.g. a local energy distributor or not-for-profit organization). 

Why participate?

• Get tailored services to help you develop and/or implement a community energy plan or initiative
• Help reduce your GHG emissions  – communities directly and indirectly account for 51% of GHG emissions
• For every % of reduction in community energy use, more dollars are kept in your local economy

To-date, over 46 municipalities have participated in the program, across the Atlantic and Prairie Provinces.

Services you’ll receive from QUEST Canada

Included in fees:
1 – Net-Zero Community Energy Benchmark Assessment: together we identify strengths and areas for improvement
2 – Energy Mapping Exercise: we’ll identify opportunities for energy and emissions reduction
3 – CEEP Development Workshop: then we’ll take a deep dive into areas of opportunity
Plus:
4 – Regional and specialty webinars and workshops
5 – Profiles of community successes
6 – National and regional newsletters, and more
Also available (but not included in fees):
7 – CEEP Implementation Workshop
8 – Economic Impact Assessment
9 – Community GHG Inventory

Municipal staff time requirements  

QUEST’s team will undertake much of the work involved. Expectations of participating municipal staff include: helping arrange and sharing information about the above; receiving national and regional e-news and program updates; and, participating in virtual and in-person meetings and workshops. 

Once participation is confirmed, QUEST will develop an Net-Zero Communities Accelerator Plan tailored to the community, including a description of the services to be provided to the municipality. 

Outputs 

In return for your participation, each municipality will receive a Benchmark Assessment report, as well as a Recommendations Report for your Community Energy and Emissions Plan (CEEP) which can be used to obtain Milestone 3 of the FCM-ICLEI Partners for Climate Protection Program. Each municipality will also benefit from a CEEP Implementation Recommendations Report, which can be used to obtain Milestone 4 in the FCM-ICLEI Partners for Climate Protection Program.

Cost to Participate

Communities will confirm their participation in the program by paying a small fee based on population. Indigenous communities are exempt from paying program fees.

To Apply

If your municipality or group of municipalities is interested in participating in the initial Ontario NCA cohort of 15 communities, please fill in this online form. Gather ahead of time the following information:

1. Municipal name, address, website
2. Main contact, title, division/department
3. Size and population of Municipality(s)
4. Does your community have an integrated Community Energy and Emissions Plan (CEEP)? (If yes, please attach.)
5. Does your community need help to develop a CEEP? (yes/no)
6. If your community already has a CEEP, what are your highest priority projects for which you may need assistance to bring to life?

• • Local government operations
  • Land use, transit, or active transportation
  • Waste and diversion
  • Renewable / low carbon electricity
  • Renewable / low carbon heat
  • Electric vehicles
  • New commercial buildings
  • Existing commercial buildings
  • New residential buildings
  • Existing residential buildings
  • Sequestration
  • Embodied emissions
  • Other

Deadline

This initial Ontario NCA Program Call for Expressions of Interest closes Friday, June 13, 2025 @ 5:00 pm EDT.

What participants say:

Questions?

Please contact Norma Panetta, Lead, Projects, QUEST Canada at:
[email protected]

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