Emotive Community Outreach Incentive Program

2023/24 Funding for electric vehicle outreach projects.

Read the program guide

Applications for COIP funding closed on March 17, 2023 at 5:00pm PST. For updates, please subscribe to the Plug In BC newsletter, and follow Emotive on Facebook and Instagram.

See 2024 COIP funding here.

Emotive Campaign

Emotive is a British Columbia (B.C.) wide outreach and awareness campaign that encourages the accelerated adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) across the province. Emotive acts as a collaborative campaign with many implementation partners interested in EV education and outreach in communities in B.C.

Funded by the Province of British Columbia, the Emotive Community Outreach Incentive Program (COIP) offers support and funding to B.C. communities, organizations, Indigenous communities, and local governments to assist them in delivering local/regional Emotive EV awareness campaigns. The intent of the COIP is to empower communities to deliver locally appropriate Emotive campaign activities that raise the awareness and profile of EVs in B.C. While EVs remain the primary focus of the COIP, other electric modes of transportation (e.g., e-bikes) can be included in COIP projects.

Funding for the COIP is provided by the Province of B.C.’s CleanBC Go Electric Program and is administered by Plug In BC (a program of the Fraser Basin Council Society). Additional information on the CleanBC Go Electric Program is available in the program guide (Appendix A).

Are You a New Applicant to the Community Outreach Incentive Program?

For 2023/2024, we are looking for project proposals from B.C. communities, organizations and local governments who have not participated in COIP projects in the past. The COIP will prioritize projects that can show support for furthering EV awareness within northern, rural/small towns, and Indigenous communities.

Northern communities include Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson, Fort St John, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Quesnel, Terrace and Williams Lake.

Rural/small towns or municipalities are those outside of larger urban centres. Generally, rural/small towns have a population of less than 10,000 people.

Program Scope

We recognize that communities face several different challenges and barriers when it comes to EV adoption and outreach. The Plug In BC team will provide tools, open source Emotive content, consultation, and training to assist successful applicants in their EV education and outreach efforts. The COIP’s desire is to develop capacity, identify local champions, and help to create a spark that will initiate sustainable, community-driven EV education and outreach efforts.

Funding

Apply for financial support to run EV education and outreach activities in your community.

Many of these activities in the past have been public EV test drive events, community forums, the development of video content, educational printed or online materials and the hosting of online webinars. Whichever education and outreach activity you propose to undertake in your application, we ask that you ensure safe COVID-19 practices. We have provided a list of ideas that may act as alternative ideas to in-person events and other gatherings (see Activities below).

Please note that all in-person events should take into account, and plan for the latest public health advice related to COVID-19 from the BC Centre for Disease Control and will require information to be provided about deadlines for cancelling venue bookings. Please see the application form for more details.

Applicants can apply for the following levels of funding:

Up to $5,000 to support EV outreach activities in their community. Those applicants who are new to the COIP, and can show how projects support furthering EV awareness and education within northern, rural/small towns, and Indigenous communities will be prioritized.
Up to $10,000 for a campaign that will span across multiple communities. Multiple community campaign funding will only be offered for activities which serve multiple communities and therefore require additional expenses. Those applicants who are new to the COIP, and can show how projects support furthering EV awareness within northern, rural/small towns, and Indigenous communities will be prioritized.

Successful applicants will also receive a digital Emotive Assets Kit, training, and limited staff support from Plug In BC.

Projects are expected to be completed by March 31, 2024.

Activities/Events Cancelled Due to Emergencies

If an activity or event is cancelled due to an emergency, the COIP recipient may either:

Submit a revised application for an alternative activity to be completed before March 31, 2024.
Or, the recipient may receive an extension for the same activity to be completed before September 31, 2024.

Activity Ideas for the Community Outreach Incentive Program

The following suggestions are not exhaustive. Feel free to include any of these in your application or send us something entirely new!

Local EV Awareness Campaign

The original bread and butter of the COIP. These types of activities are great for showcasing and getting hands-on experiences with EVs in your community, and often include dealership test-drives and discussions with local EV Ambassadors. The awareness campaign can be hosted as an event on its own or could become part of an event that your community already hosts on an annual/frequent basis.

Emotive’s ‘EV Ambassadors’ are the voice of the Emotive campaign and are vital to its success. EV Ambassadors are local volunteers within B.C. communities who help at education and awareness events, and play a large role in helping with COIP projects. If you’ve ever been to an Emotive event there’s a chance you have met a local EV Ambassador!

Organize a Challenge or Scavenger Hunt

Mobilize your local EV Ambassadors to show off locations, vehicles, and EV usage in your community. Think about some places and practices that you want to highlight, then challenge your peers to knock them all off a list. Of course, you’ll need to document these activities with pictures and descriptions so that others can see what you’ve been up to.

Share Your #LiveElectric Stories

Your stories are important in demonstrating that EVs make sense in your community. Share your experience and inspire others to go electric with a series of brief but well-crafted #LiveElectric ownership stories, high-quality photography and maybe even some video content too! These stories will be published on the Emotive website and shared on our social media channels. See examples here.

Guideline: Up to five stories on their own or part of a larger COIP application. Stay brand neutral by featuring stories with different brands of vehicles.

Develop New Print, PDF, and Digital Guides for Your Community

What would you like to tell new, prospective, or visiting EV drivers in a brief pamphlet or digital material? We can give you some EV basics to include, and you fill in the local details. Apply for funding to develop digital materials to promote online or print materials you can hand out.

Host an In-Person/Virtual Speaker Series or Symposium

Both options provide a great venue to connect either in-person or online and can focus on a myriad of different subjects on EV education and awareness. While the cost of hosting a webinar can be much lower than a real-world event, there are still promotional expenses, software and service costs, and speaker fees to be accounted for. Funding for a virtual conference lets you go big with high profile speakers and proper technology.

Produce Inspiring Videos

Show off EVs in your community! Really hit home with shots of EVs at local landmarks, recreation sites and doing essential driving tasks in your community.

Examples:

Driving an Electric Car in Kamloops, BC
On the Road to Savings, Going Electric in the Sea to Sky Region, BC
See more ideas and guidelines in the program guide

Something Completely Different!

This is not an exhaustive list. If you want to discuss your idea before submitting an application, please contact Michael Stanyer, mstanyer@fraserbasin.ca.

Plug In BC Support

Fraser Basin Council staff on the Plug In BC team are able to offer limited support via email or phone. Support includes advice on engagement activity/event logistics, local partner search, marketing and communications, connecting with Emotive ambassadors, and connecting with the Emotive Campaign Network to share success stories. Support will depend on staff availability and may be deferred to the Campaign Network or an Emotive Ambassador.

The Emotive Campaigns Network operates as a hub/network where communities can collaborate on best practices, challenges and activities in local and regional campaigns. (Find additional information in Appendix A of the program guide)

Applicant Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following Eligibility Criteria:

Eligible applicants include NGOs, businesses, local governments, and Indigenous groups/organizations in B.C.
Activities must aim to raise awareness about EVs in B.C.

Terms and Conditions

Applicant cannot profit financially from the Emotive brand.
Promotion must be brand neutral with respect to vehicle makes and models.
Organizational staff/members must review provided Emotive training materials (provided upon acceptance).
Applicant must sign the Emotive Official Mark Consent Agreement.
Applicant must have staff and volunteers sign the Emotive Photo Waiver (provided upon acceptance).
Applicant must track the number of people engaged by each activity.
After final activity, applicant must submit a post-activity/event report online (see Appendix C – Final report questions).
Emotive retains the ability to prioritize applications based on geographic reach in rural and northern communities.
Emotive retains the ability to prioritize applications based on those who are new to the Emotive Campaign and have not received project funding under a prior COIP funding call.

Eligible Costs

Eligible costs are all direct costs properly and reasonably incurred in relation to the proposed project. Eligible costs include:

Personnel: organizational staff time related to the Emotive project,
Materials: signage, event stationery and cleaning/sanitization supplies, promotional items, posters/banners and brochures (printed materials must have Emotive branding and proofs must be provided before printing),
Registration fees, event insurance and venue or equipment rental,
Services: graphic design, audio/video, advertising, translation, event security and first aid, and,
Travel/meals for event staff and volunteers.

Ineligible Costs

Administrative overhead charges,
Personnel costs not related to the Emotive project,
Purchase of computers and software, phones or office equipment,
GST, and,
Alcohol.

Application Process

Application process to receive funding support:

Review the Emotive Outreach Incentive Program description on the Emotive website
1. Carefully read the eligibility, application and award process in this document.
Review application questions and prepare a budget. See: Appendix B – Application Questions.
Submit your application and budget online through LimeSurvey (applications are now closed)
1. Applications will be open beginning on February 13 and will close on March 17, 2023 at 5:00pm PST

There’s more

See more details and activity suggestions in the complete program guide. Send questions to Michael Stanyer, mstanyer@fraserbasin.ca, referencing COIP 2023 in the subject line.

Read the program guide

Emotive is one of a suite of programs offered under the Province of BC’s CleanBC Go Electric Program. The Emotive program is funded through the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation and is administered by the Fraser Basin Council Society.

For more information, please contact emotive@pluginbc.ca