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Ministry sponsorship and how to get it

Last updated on January 31, 2024

Ministry sponsorship is required for all SCGs and many NRT applications. The proposed use of the land and/or the type of organization making the application will determine which ministry must be applied to for sponsorship.

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This sponsorship is important to ensure the proposed use of Crown Land is consistent with the Province’s objectives and strategies, and the associated value of the SCG or NRT is accounted for within government’s budgeting and accounting processes.

Sponsorship is required for:

  • All SCGs regardless of the fair market value of the land;
  • NRTs for a term of 30 years or more which have a fair market land value greater than $100,000;
  • NRTs where the rent that would normally be paid for the lease or licence of occupation is $100,000 or more for the term of the tenure (the “concessionary value”); or
  • NRTs that are considered by government to be controversial or have significant issues associated with them.

Sponsorship is not required for:

  • NRTs for a term of one year or less;
  • NRTs where the fair market value of the land is less than $100,000; or,
  • NRTs with a “concessionary value” of less than $100,000.

A list of potential sponsor ministries dealing with specific types of land uses is available. Contact your FrontCounter BC regional office, where staff will be able to assist you in determining which Ministry would be most appropriate for your proposal.

In cases where sponsorship is required, please include a 1-2 page Summary Management Plan which reflects the Standard Selection Criteria below, along with your application to FrontCounter BC. 

Standard selection criteria

Each sponsor ministry will use the Cabinet-approved standard selection criteria to determine whether they will sponsor an application and to prioritize applications against the ministry’s available budget. Ministries may have their own additional selection criteria based on the mandate and specific objectives of the ministry.

The six standard selection criteria are listed below to help you in presenting your application.

Standard Selection Criteria:

  1. Proposal meets regional, local or First Nations community priorities (25% weight)
  2. Generates local or regional economic benefits (25% weight)
  3. Contribution to community health, safety or education (20% weight)
  4. Supports sustainable infrastructure development (15% weight)
  5. Contribution to environmental quality (10% weight)
  6. Other support ($ or in kind) contingent on access to Crown land (5% weight)

Explanation of the Standard Criteria

  1. Proposal meets regional, local or First Nations community priorities means that the project contributes to the realization of an initiative of high importance to regional, local or First Nations communities

  2. Generates local or regional economic benefits means that the project creates economic activity including new jobs, expanded tax base, increased provincial government revenues or reduced expenditures, etc. either directly through construction and operation of a project or indirectly through providing infrastructure that allows or contributes to economic activity

  3. Contribution to community health, safety or education means a land use that supports basic community needs for health facilities, fire halls, police stations, schools, etc

  4. Supports sustainable infrastructure development means development that provides enduring infrastructure to a community. Examples include recreational facilities, hockey rinks, libraries, public transportation, sewer and water lines, etc.

  5. Contribution to environmental quality means a land use that maintains or improves the local or regional environment. Examples may include water treatment plants, mass transit corridors, parks, etc.

  6. Other support ($ or in kind) contingent on access to Crown land means that other agencies have committed support for the project in question, but that support will only be provided once access to Crown land is secure