Alberta Community Partnership

Overview

The objective of the Alberta Community Partnership (ACP) program is to improve the viability and long-term sustainability of local governments by providing support for regional collaboration and capacity building initiatives.

Key program outcomes are:

• new or enhanced regional municipal services;
• improved municipal capacity to respond to priorities; and
• effective intermunicipal relations.

2025-26 program updates

In total, the 2025-26 ACP budget is $13.4 million.

ACP review

In 2024, the ACP program underwent an evaluation review to assess the program’s effectiveness, and to ensure it continues to align with government priorities and municipal needs.

Evaluation results indicate that the program has been highly effective in achieving its objectives and fostering positive change through intermunicipal collaboration. Recommendations were also made to further enhance the program’s effectiveness and impact, which informed 2025-26 program changes.

Program changes

The following program changes have been implemented based on the evaluation findings:

• Intermunicipal Collaboration Component
  • Managing partners must confirm council resolutions or motions are in place no later than December 23, 2025.
• Municipal Restructuring component
  • Increased maximum project funding.
  • Debt servicing removed as an eligible expenditure.
• Mediation and Cooperative Processes component
  • Increased maximum project funding.
  • Expanded eligible in-kind expenses, for projects involving cost-share or matching municipal contributions.
• Municipal Internship component
  • Increased maximum project funding.
• Asset Management Support component
  • A new component, available by Ministerial invitation, with regional, non-competitive funding for local governments under 5,000 without an Asset Management Plan. The component includes an Infrastructure Audit Stream and an Asset Management Planning Stream (pilot).
• Project Outcomes Reporting
  • All ACP components now require project outcomes reporting, in addition to a Statement of Expenditures. Collectively, this will be known as the Statement of Expenditures and Project Outcomes (SEPO) reporting. This new outcomes requirement will collect information on whether the project was carried to completion, the outcomes achieved, plans for implementation and the project’s impact. 

Eligibility

Eligible entities

• Municipalities (cities, towns, villages, summer villages, municipal districts, specialized municipalities, improvement districts and special areas)
• Metis Settlements
• Townsite of Redwood Meadows Administration Society
• Municipally controlled planning service agencies (eligible only under the Municipal Internship component to host a Land Use Planner intern)

Eligible projects and components

Intermunicipal collaboration (IC)

The government provides funding to partnerships of 2 or more local governments to develop regional plans, service delivery frameworks and regional service delivery efficiencies that align with broader regional or municipal priorities and initiatives. (For example, new or enhanced regional emergency management frameworks, regional plans for emergency preparedness or disaster mitigation, and regional growth plans. See ACP Guidelines, Schedule 1A for further examples).

IC evaluation criteria continues to reflect a strong focus on project outcomes and regional benefits. Additional information is available in Schedule 1B of the ACP Guidelines to assist in completing a high quality IC application.

The deadline for 2025-26 IC applications is November 28, 2025.

Municipal restructuring (MR)

The government provides funding to municipalities involved with regional governance and municipal restructuring processes such as amalgamation, dissolution or viability reviews.

The deadline for 2025-26 MR applications is January 15, 2026.

Mediation and cooperative processes (MCP)

The government provides funding to local governments to develop collaborative protocols and processes, to proactively manage conflict, and to establish an agreed-upon process for collaboration.

The government provides funding to support local governments for mediation, facilitation or other dispute resolution alternatives to resolve intermunicipal conflict, and to assist with intermunicipal negotiations.

The deadline for 2025-26 MCP applications is February 3, 2026.

Municipal internship (MI)

The government provides funding to municipalities and planning service agencies to recruit, train and retain competent municipal employees who may pursue careers in municipal administration, finance or land-use planning.

Refer to the program guidelines for information regarding all program components.

The deadline for 2025-26 MI applications has been extended from October 17, 2025 to October 24, 2025.

How to apply

Step 1: Read the guidelines

 2025-26 ACP Program Guidelines

Step 2: Complete and submit the application

Applicants are required to fill out and submit their applications through Alberta Community Partnership Online (ACPO), which is accessed through MAConnect, the web portal that provides external stakeholders secure access to Municipal Affairs' key business applications.

ACPO gives local governments the ability to:

• create, edit and submit ACP applications online
• view agreement, payment and reporting summary information for projects funded under ACP
• create, edit and submit ACP amendment requests
• create, edit, submit and track the status of ACP Statements of Expenditures and Project Outcomes (SEPO)

Accessing ACPO

Local governments already signed up for MAConnect can request staff access to ACPO through their own internal MAConnect Stakeholder Administrator.

The Stakeholder Administrator is the person delegated to manage access to applications in MAConnect on behalf of the local government through the MAConnect Stakeholder Agreement. If the local government needs to assign another Stakeholder Administrator, a request can be emailed to [email protected].

Local governments without access to MAConnect will need to enter into a Stakeholder Agreement before requesting access to ACPO.

The Stakeholder Agreement can be requested. Email [email protected] or call 780-644-2413 (toll free 310-0000).

Once the Stakeholder Agreement has been signed and returned to Municipal Affairs, the local government will be able to request access to ACPO through its designated Stakeholder Administrator.

For more information, read the ACPO User Guide.

After you apply

Funding decisions will be made by March 31 of the program year. It is anticipated that applicants will be advised in writing of the status of their submission and a list of successful projects will be posted annually.

Amendments

An amendment is required if the project scope or time period to use grant funds changes after project approval. However, local governments are strongly encouraged to complete projects by the completion date identified in their conditional grant agreement. Grant recipients are required to fill out and submit their amendment requirements through ACPO, accessed through MAConnect.

Reporting

For all components, final reporting is due within 60 days after the project completion date, unless otherwise stated.

Grant recipients are required to submit their SEPOs through ACPO, which is accessed through MAConnect. Additional reporting may be required under some components.

It is the responsibility of the Grant Recipient to monitor reporting due dates and ensure the timely submission of all required reporting.

The status of SEPO submissions can be viewed through ACPO.

Approved projects

• Alberta Community Partnership

Contact

Connect with the ACP program:

Phone: 780-422-7125
Toll free: 310-0000 before the phone number (in Alberta)
Email: [email protected]

Address:
Grants and Education Property Tax Branch
Alberta Municipal Affairs
15th Floor, Commerce Place
10155 102 Street
Edmonton, Alberta  T5J 4L4