Alberta Hazard Assistance and Resilience Program (HARP) for Businesses
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Disaster recovery grant for Alberta businesses, agricultural operations, and non-profits covering uninsurable losses and damages caused by officially declared natural hazards (wildfires, flooding, and other eligible disasters). Tiered cost-sharing: 90% government share on first application, 70% on second, 50% on third; no funding on fourth-plus applications. Maximum $500,000 per application (inflation-adjusted annually). Replaces the former Disaster Recovery Program.
Eligibility Requirements
- Small businesses, corporations, partnerships, co-operatives, agricultural operations, landlords, and non-profits operating in Alberta
- Losses or damage must result from an officially declared and HARP-approved natural hazard (wildfire, flooding, or other eligible disaster) in a specific geographic area
- Only uninsurable losses qualify — insurance-recoverable costs are explicitly excluded
- Applications submitted within 90 days of the specific HARP program approval date
- Local authorities (municipalities, Métis Settlements) must apply within 30 days of disaster end date and approve private sector applicants first
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $500,000 per application (inflation-adjusted); tiered: 90% government share (1st application), 70% (2nd), 50% (3rd); 0% on 4th or subsequent applications
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 90% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- 90 days from the approval date of the specific HARP event program (varies by declared disaster)
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Everything you need to win HARP — $19
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 5 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 7-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 5-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 3-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Applying for HARP? Our Financial Projections Model ($29) covers the cost-share, matching-fund, and cash-flow math reviewers want to see. Or get all 4 templates in the Founder Pack ($59 · saves $27) →
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipAct within the 90-day window — late applications are not accepted regardless of circumstances. Before applying, confirm your losses are truly uninsurable: AEMA reviewers cross-reference your insurance policy, and costs that are insurance-recoverable (even if your insurer disputes the claim) are excluded. If your insurer is disputing coverage, document the dispute formally and still apply for HARP within the 90-day window to preserve your eligibility. Fourth-plus applications receive no funding — after three disasters, mitigation measures are required (completed between events) to maintain eligibility for subsequent events.
Rejection Pitfalls 5
- Losses are insurance-recoverable (even if insurer has not yet paid out)
- Application submitted after the 90-day program window
- Business not in the geographically designated disaster area for the specific HARP event
Success Profile
A small Alberta business or agricultural operation in a wildfire- or flood-declared zone that sustained uninsured structural, equipment, or inventory losses. Strongest claims are well-documented with invoices, insurance denial letters, photographs, and a clear itemization of uninsurable losses by category.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications reviewed by AEMA recovery coordinators against the program’s Terms and Conditions for the specific disaster event. Reviewers verify: (1) the business is located in the designated disaster area; (2) losses resulted from the specific declared hazard; (3) losses are genuinely uninsurable; (4) claimed costs restore rather than improve assets; (5) application is within the 90-day window; (6) prior mitigation requirements met (for 2nd and 3rd applications). No merit scoring — eligible applicants receive the applicable cost-share.
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 7
Eligible Expenses 6
- Repair or replacement of damaged or destroyed business property to a basic and essential functional condition
- Removal of debris and hazardous materials from the disaster event
- Emergency temporary repairs to prevent further damage (must be pre-approved by AEMA where possible)
- Replacement of essential equipment and inventory destroyed by the disaster
- Reasonable costs to restore agricultural operations to pre-disaster production capacity
- Engineering assessments required to determine scope of necessary repairs
Ineligible Expenses 6
- Losses covered or recoverable under any insurance policy
- Improvements or upgrades beyond restoring to basic and essential functional condition (betterment)
- Losses from the fourth or subsequent disaster at the same property
- Costs incurred before the HARP program approval date for the specific event
- Regular maintenance and operating costs not directly caused by the disaster
- Personal protective equipment and business continuity planning costs unrelated to the specific disaster
Intake Periods
Application windows are event-specific — each approved HARP disaster opens a 90-day business application window. Multiple HARP events may be active simultaneously for different geographic areas. Current 2025 HARPs (approved February 17, 2026) include early spring wildfires (4 counties), late spring wildfires (2 areas), County of Grande Prairie wildfire, and Rocky View County flood.
Deadline Notes
Application windows are tied to specific declared disaster events. Private sector and business applicants have 90 days from the date the specific HARP program is approved by the province. The 2025 Alberta early spring wildfires HARP and the Rocky View County flood HARP were approved February 17, 2026, making the business application deadline approximately May 18, 2026 for those events. Monitor alberta.ca/hazard-assistance-and-resilience-program for newly approved HARP events — new wildfire and flood seasons activate additional programs.
Open Application Portal →Ineligible Organizations
- Large corporations not qualifying as small businesses under program definitions
- Businesses located outside the geographically designated disaster area for the specific HARP event
- Businesses applying for a fourth or subsequent time at the same property location
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskClawback risk is low for properly documented claims. If subsequent insurance recovery is received for costs already reimbursed by HARP, those proceeds must be remitted to AEMA. Fraudulent claims or misrepresentation of insurable losses may trigger full repayment.
How HARP Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta Hazard Assistance and Resilie... | Up to $500,000 | Easy | Reimbursement | 90 days from the... |
| Strategic Response Fund (formerly Str... | Up to $50 million | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing — continuous... |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Next deadline: May 29,... |
| Ontario Innovation Tax Credit | Up to 8% tax credit | Moderate | Tax Credit Offset | Ongoing |
| Quebec R&D Tax Credit (CRIC — Researc... | 20-30% tax credit (CRIC) | Hard | Tax Credit Offset | Ongoing |
Related Programs
Other programs you might be eligible for
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about HARP