Regional Collaboration Program

Program Description

The objective of the Regional Collaboration Program (RCP) is to improve the viability and long-term sustainability of municipalities through strategic activities related to regional collaboration and capacity building.

Key outcomes from the program include:

  • Significant regional approaches to municipal service delivery and governance;
  • Improved overall municipal capacity to respond to municipal priorities and to build and maintain effective intermunicipal relations through joint and collaborative activities; and
  • Strong intermunicipal relations that result in strengthened community identities and improved quality of life.

Eligible Entities

  • Municipalities (cities, towns, villages, summer villages, municipal districts, specialized municipalities, improvement districts, special areas)
  • Métis settlements
  • Townsite of Redwood Meadows Administration Society
  • A municipality formed by special Act
  • Regional services commissions (start up costs only)
  • Municipally controlled planning service agencies (under the Municipal Internship Component only), and
  • Municipal regional boards (i.e., Capital Region Board and Calgary Regional Partnership)

Applicants requesting funding under the Municipal Internship component must meet specific population thresholds to be eligible (based on Municipal Affairs official population figures in effect at the time of application):

  • population between 5,000 and 100,000 to access the land-use planners sub-component, and
  • population between 700 and 100,000 to access the administrators sub-component.

Eligible Projects/Components

Approved Projects

Regional Collaboration

  • Support for regional approaches to municipal service delivery and governance.

Mediation and Cooperative Processes

  • Support to municipalities for building relations within and between municipalities and resolving regional and inter-municipal issues.

Municipal Internship

  • Support to municipalities or planning service agencies to recruit, train and retain competent municipal employees who can progress into leadership positions.

Strategic Initiatives

  • Initiatives that address municipal or intermunicipal special needs or circumstances of strategic significance.

Application Deadlines

Applications can be submitted throughout the year with the following exceptions:

  • Applications for the Municipal Internship component are due by September 10 (with the program to commence the following May).
  • Applications for the Regional Collaboration Component received before November 30 will be considered in the current fiscal year. Applications received after this date may be deferred to the next fiscal year.

Materials and Resources

For more information, please contact a program representative at the following:

Municipal Grants
Grants and Education Property Tax Branch
Alberta Municipal Affairs
17th Floor, Commerce Place
10155 - 102 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4L4

Phone: 780-427-2225
Dial 310-0000 for toll-free connection in Alberta
Fax: 780-422-9133
E-mail: rcp.grants@gov.ab.ca

Additional information regarding the Municipal Internship Program

Additional information regarding Mediation and Cooperative Processes