Comprehensive guide to 17 cleantech funding programs in Alberta — including ERA, ACCIP, Alberta Innovates, and federal ITCs
Alberta's cleantech funding landscape is shaped by its energy history. Unlike Quebec's MELCCFP ecosystem or Ontario's OCI innovation programs, Alberta's funding infrastructure was built largely to reduce emissions from existing oil and gas operations while catalyzing new clean technology industries. This means most provincial programs are comfortable with CCUS, methane reduction, and industrial energy efficiency projects that other provinces rarely fund at scale.
Businesses operating outside the oil sands sector — including agri-cleantech operators in Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, clean transportation companies in Calgary and Edmonton, and precision agriculture technology firms in Red Deer and Camrose — can access ERA's broader cleantech mandate, which has expanded significantly since 2022 to cover sectors beyond heavy industry.
If you're an operator of an oil sands facility, petrochemical plant, or large industrial process near Fort McMurray, Cold Lake, or the Industrial Heartland in Strathcona County — and you're evaluating carbon capture, utilization, or storage technology — the Alberta Carbon Capture Incentive Program (ACCIP) is your primary pathway. ACCIP provides a 12% provincial tax credit on eligible CCUS capital expenditures (rising to 12.5% in later years), specifically for projects in Alberta. This stacks directly on top of the federal Investment Tax Credit for Carbon Capture, which can range from 37.5% to 60% depending on the capture application. Together these two credits can cover 50–70% of eligible capital costs for qualifying CCUS projects, making Alberta the most financially advantageous jurisdiction in Canada for this technology class.
Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) also funds CCUS-adjacent projects — specifically the deployment and monitoring of capture systems at smaller industrial facilities — through its annual funding calls. ERA grants are non-repayable and typically range from $500,000 to $7.5 million for demonstration-phase projects. Facilities in the TIER system (large emitters above 100,000 tonnes CO₂e/year) may also access TIER compliance fund contributions for qualified decarbonization projects.
Source: Alberta Government ACCIP program page; ERA Annual Funding Calls 2024–2025.If you're a grain or livestock operation in the Parkland County, Lacombe County, or Foothills County area testing precision agriculture, methane digesters, or on-farm renewable energy — Alberta's funding options are more fragmented than for industrial operators, but they're real. The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP) framework funds on-farm energy efficiency and environmental stewardship projects through the Growing Forward cost-share model, typically at 50% federal / 50% provincial contribution levels up to $200,000 per project. Alberta Innovates' Applied Research and Solutions (ARS) program provides direct funding for agricultural technology research partnerships between industry and post-secondary institutions like the University of Alberta, University of Lethbridge, or Olds College.
The federal Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit (Clean Tech ITC) at 30% is fully available to incorporated agricultural operators who install eligible clean energy equipment: solar PV systems, ground-source heat pumps, small wind turbines, and qualified battery storage. This credit is refundable, meaning you receive a cash refund even if your tax payable is zero — particularly valuable for early-stage or thin-margin operations. Projects in the Lethbridge, Taber, or Raymond irrigation corridor generating renewable energy for agricultural use are well-positioned for this credit.
Source: AAFC SCAP program guide; CRA Information Circular on Clean Technology ITC, 2024.If you're a startup or scale-up company in Calgary's Platform Innovation Centre, Edmonton's Kingsway Business Park, or Leduc's Business Park developing a novel cleantech solution — and your technology is at TRL 4–6 (lab-validated but pre-commercial) — your primary entry point is IRAP through the NRC's western Canada offices, combined with Alberta Innovates' Accelerate Innovators and Venture Laureate programs. Alberta Innovates does not fund basic research; it focuses on applied technology development and commercialization. For cleantech companies, this means funding for pilot systems, prototype validation, and market-ready demonstration projects.
IRAP advisory services plus financial assistance (typically $50,000–$500,000 for SMEs with fewer than 500 employees) can bridge the technology readiness gap before you're ready for ERA's demonstration funding calls. Once your pilot is validated, ERA's annual call for full proposals (typically opening each spring) is the next step — ERA has funded projects ranging from methane leak detection AI systems to small modular reactor feasibility studies. The Alberta Innovation Employment Grant (20% refundable tax credit on incremental R&D wages) is also available to any incorporated Alberta company conducting eligible SR&ED-related activities, providing quarterly or annual cash relief on your R&D payroll costs.
If you operate a manufacturing or industrial facility in Nisku, Acheson, Red Deer's manufacturing corridor, or Grande Prairie's industrial area — and you're looking to reduce energy costs, electrify process heat, or install on-site renewable generation — the Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit (30% refundable) combined with ERA's Industrial Energy Efficiency program is your most direct path to capital cost recovery. The ITC applies to equipment that generates clean electricity, stores energy, or provides active heating and cooling from renewable sources. This includes commercial solar arrays, battery storage systems with capacity above 5 kWh, and geothermal heat systems for industrial processes.
Alberta Petrochemicals Incentive Program (APIP) is relevant if your manufacturing involves petrochemical feedstocks or hydrogen production — APIP provides grants of up to $200 million for large-scale projects that produce petrochemicals or clean hydrogen using Alberta natural gas, with a strong preference for projects that reduce lifecycle emissions through CCUS integration or electrolysis pathways. Smaller manufacturers not reaching APIP thresholds can access FedDev Western (formerly Western Economic Diversification) for manufacturing modernization projects that include a clean technology component, typically requiring a minimum 30% private co-investment.
Source: Alberta Government APIP program overview; NRCan Clean Technology ITC guidance, 2025.| Program | Mechanism | Max Award | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) | Non-repayable grant | ~$7.5M (demonstration); $50M (large industrial) | Technology demonstration, pilot projects, CCUS, methane reduction |
| ACCIP (Alberta Carbon Capture) | Provincial tax credit (12%) | Uncapped (% of eligible capital) | CCUS capital expenditure; stacks with federal CCUS ITC |
| APIP (Petrochemicals Incentive) | Non-repayable grant | Up to $200M | Petrochemical/hydrogen production facilities using Alberta gas |
| Alberta Innovation Employment Grant | Refundable tax credit (20%) | Uncapped (% of incremental R&D wages) | Cleantech companies with significant R&D payroll |
| ITC Name | Rate | Refundable? | Qualifying Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean Technology ITC | 30% | Yes | Solar PV, battery storage, ground-source heat pumps, small wind, geothermal electricity |
| Clean Technology Manufacturing ITC (CTM ITC) | 30% | Yes | Machinery/equipment for manufacturing clean tech products or processing critical minerals |
| Clean Electricity ITC | 15% | Yes (for taxables) | Utility-scale non-emitting generation, grid storage, transmission upgrades |
| CCUS ITC (Federal) | 37.5%–60% | Refundable | CO₂ capture equipment, dedicated transport/storage infrastructure |
| Clean Hydrogen ITC | 15%–40% | Yes | Electrolyzers, SMR+CCS systems, hydrogen-fueled electricity generation |
| Program | Stage | Typical Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accelerate Innovators | Applied R&D / Scale-up | $150K–$500K | 50% cost-share; must have industry partner |
| Voucher for Innovation and Productivity (VIP) | Early-stage | Up to $100K | Accesses post-secondary research infrastructure; no match required |
| Applied Research and Solutions (ARS) | Collaborative R&D | $200K–$2M | Post-secondary-led; industry co-investment required (typically 30–50%) |
| Venture Laureate | Commercialization | Equity/convertible note | AI through Alberta Innovates Ventures; not a grant |
| ERA Stream | Technology Area | Typical Award | Industry Applicant? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Challenge Program | Open (any emissions-reducing tech) | $500K–$7.5M | Yes — industry, SME, university |
| Industrial Transformation Call | CCUS, methane, hydrogen, EE | $2M–$50M | Yes — large industrial operators |
| Ecosystem Fund | Cross-sector enabling tech | $500K–$3M | Yes — but collaborative preferred |
| Agri-food Emissions Reduction | On-farm methane, precision ag | $250K–$2M | Yes — agriculture operators welcome |
ERA Challenge Program is the most accessible provincial grant for cleantech companies at the pilot stage. Unlike ACCIP (requires operational capital investment) or APIP (requires massive scale), ERA's Challenge Program funds technology demonstrations from $500,000 up to $7.5 million with a focus on real-world emissions reduction. ERA accepts both industry applicants and academic-industry consortia, which makes it particularly useful for Calgary-based cleantech companies partnering with the University of Calgary or Edmonton startups working with the University of Alberta's Energy Futures Lab. The non-repayable structure and Alberta-first mandate make ERA the cleantech pilot workhorse for this province.
Clean Technology ITC (30% refundable) is the most universally applicable funding tool for Alberta cleantech businesses investing in clean energy assets. It covers solar PV, battery storage, small wind, geothermal electricity, and ground-source heat pumps — all commonly deployed in Alberta's industrial and agricultural sectors. Because it is refundable, companies with modest taxable income still receive the full credit in cash. A manufacturing facility in Nisku installing a 500 kW rooftop solar array and a 1 MWh battery system would receive approximately $180,000–$240,000 in refundable tax credits directly — with no repayment obligation and no competitive application process beyond SR&ED-style CRA filing. For CCUS-specific capital, the federal CCUS ITC (37.5–60%) combined with ACCIP (12%) creates a combined effective subsidy of up to 72% of eligible capital costs for qualifying projects near Fort McMurray or the Industrial Heartland.
IRAP + Alberta Innovation Employment Grant + SR&ED stack is the optimal combination for cleantech companies with significant R&D payroll in Alberta. IRAP funds advisory services and direct financial support (up to ~$500,000 for eligible SMEs) for technology development activities. The Alberta Innovation Employment Grant adds a 20% refundable tax credit on incremental R&D wages — meaning if your Alberta-based R&D headcount grew this year, you receive 20% of the incremental wage cost back in cash. SR&ED runs in parallel with both, providing federal credits on eligible R&D expenditures at 15% (large corporations) or 35% (CCPCs). Companies in Edmonton's Agri-food Discovery Place cluster or Calgary's Platform Innovation Centre routinely access all three simultaneously — the programs are designed to be complementary and do not share cost bases.
APIP + Clean Hydrogen ITC is the combination that defines Alberta's competitive advantage for large-scale hydrogen and petrochemical decarbonization projects. APIP (Alberta Petrochemicals Incentive Program) provides non-repayable grants of up to $200 million for facilities producing petrochemicals or hydrogen in Alberta — with preference for projects that use CCUS to reduce process emissions. The federal Clean Hydrogen ITC (15–40% refundable, depending on carbon intensity of the hydrogen production pathway) stacks directly on APIP for hydrogen-specific capital expenditures. Projects in the Industrial Heartland, Redwater, Joffre, or Medicine Hat producing blue or green hydrogen can access combined public support exceeding 60% of project costs — making Alberta the most competitive hydrogen production jurisdiction in Canada for projects meeting the eligibility thresholds.
ERA Industrial Transformation Call + SIF (Strategic Innovation Fund) is the recommended combination for large emitters in northern Alberta — including Oil Sands operators in Wood Buffalo, Cold Lake oil sands in-situ operations, and natural gas processing facilities near Drayton Valley or Rocky Mountain House. ERA's Industrial Transformation Call specifically targets large-scale emissions reduction in sectors covered by TIER (the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction Regulation), making it the primary instrument for oil sands decarbonization projects. SIF's Net Zero Accelerator stream (up to $50 million) has funded several Alberta industrial decarbonization projects and can be accessed in parallel with ERA — provided cost bases do not overlap. For projects exceeding $200 million total capital, both ERA and SIF will typically require a formal expression of interest process before a full application.
| Program | Admin | Max Funding | Alberta Fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net Zero Accelerator (NZA) | ISED / ISEDC | Up to $50M | Strong — heavy industry decarbonization; several AB projects funded |
| Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) | ISED | Up to $50M+ (no cap for national significance) | Strong — large-scale industrial R&D; cleantech manufacturing |
| Clean Fuel Fund | NRCan | Up to $1.5B total (project-specific awards) | Excellent — biofuels, hydrogen, biomethane production |
| Smart Renewables and Electrification (SREP) | NRCan | Up to $4.5B total (project-specific) | Moderate — grid modernization and renewable energy projects |
| Program | Target | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZEVIP (Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure) | EV charging / H2 refueling | Up to $5M | Available in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Red Deer, Fort McMurray |
| NRCan Energy Innovation Program | Clean transportation R&D | Up to $10M | Hydrogen fuel cell, battery R&D; SMEs eligible |
| Green Jobs Training (ESDC) | Clean economy workforce | Up to $5M | Training subsidy for clean economy jobs in AB companies |
| Project Type | Layer 1 (Provincial) | Layer 2 (Federal Grant) | Layer 3 (Federal ITC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCUS project | ACCIP (12% credit) | ERA Industrial Transformation or SIF | CCUS ITC (37.5–60%) |
| Cleantech pilot (TRL 4–6) | Alberta Innovates / ERA Challenge | IRAP + NRC advisory | Alberta Innovation Employment Grant |
| Clean energy asset (solar/storage) | ERA Challenge (if novel) | SREP (if utility-scale) | Clean Tech ITC (30%) |
| Hydrogen production | APIP (up to $200M) | Clean Fuel Fund / NZA | Clean Hydrogen ITC (15–40%) |
| Agri-cleantech | SCAP (50% cost-share) | IRAP + Alberta Innovates ARS | Clean Tech ITC (if capital assets) |
| TRL Stage | Description | Best Match |
|---|---|---|
| TRL 3–4 | Lab proof-of-concept / small prototype | Alberta Innovates VIP / ARS; IRAP advisory |
| TRL 5–6 | Tech demonstrated in relevant environment | IRAP financial assistance; Alberta Innovates Accelerate |
| TRL 7–8 | System prototype / pre-commercial demo | ERA Challenge Program; NRCan Energy Innovation Program |
| TRL 9 | Commercial deployment ready | ERA Industrial Transformation; APIP; ACCIP; Clean Tech ITC |
Many Alberta cleantech companies assume ERA only funds projects from oil sands operators. That assumption is outdated. ERA's mandate since 2022 has expanded explicitly to include agri-food emissions, built environment efficiency, and clean transportation alongside its traditional industrial focus. ERA's Ecosystem Fund, for example, funded AI-based methane leak detection software, agricultural soil carbon sequestration research, and low-carbon concrete production trials — none of which are traditional heavy industry applications. If your technology reduces greenhouse gas emissions in Alberta — from any sector — ERA's Challenge Program is worth a serious application assessment.
The most common question from Alberta cleantech businesses is whether ERA grants and federal programs like IRAP or SIF can be combined. The short answer is yes — but only if cost bases do not overlap. ERA typically funds capital costs and demonstration activities; IRAP funds wages and contractor fees for R&D activities. These cost categories rarely overlap, which is why they stack cleanly in most projects. The more complex situation arises when both ERA and SIF are both interested in funding the same project's capital costs — in this case, you typically need to negotiate a formal cost-sharing arrangement before either program will commit. Alberta Innovates and ERA have an existing co-investment framework that removes this friction for qualified projects.
The federal Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit works differently from most grants. It is claimed on your corporate tax return for the year in which qualifying property becomes available for use — not when you purchase or install it. For a fiscal year ending December 31, 2025, this means capital assets commissioned (put into service) before December 31, 2025 would generate a credit claimable on your 2025 tax filing. The credit is applied first against taxes payable; if it exceeds your taxes owing, the excess is refunded in cash by CRA — typically within 3–6 months of your tax return filing. This refundable structure means Alberta companies in loss positions still receive the full economic benefit, which is particularly valuable for growth-stage cleantech manufacturers investing heavily in equipment before they reach profitability.
Source: Canada Revenue Agency, Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit (Bill C-59, 2024); Budget Implementation Act, 2024, No. 1.ACCIP (Alberta Carbon Capture Incentive Program) was introduced specifically to complement the federal CCUS Investment Tax Credit — not to compete with it. The federal CCUS ITC applies to eligible capture equipment at 37.5% (for dedicated geological storage) or 50% (for direct air capture), and ACCIP provides an additional 12% provincial credit on qualifying capital. Both credits apply to the same eligible cost base, which is unusual in the Canadian tax landscape — most provincial and federal credits apply to different cost bases to avoid stacking beyond 100%. Because CCUS project costs are typically enormous (hundreds of millions of dollars), both credits are designed to substantially de-risk investment decisions that would otherwise not proceed. Alberta is the only Canadian province with a dedicated CCUS provincial tax credit, which is a significant competitive advantage for projects in this space.
The Alberta Innovation Employment Grant (AIEG) is a provincial tax credit that supplements but does not replace SR&ED. SR&ED is a federal credit on eligible R&D expenditures (salaries, materials, contractor fees). The AIEG is a provincial credit on incremental R&D wages — specifically the portion of your Alberta R&D payroll that exceeds your previous year's baseline. These two credits apply to the same underlying wages but are calculated differently, and CRA has confirmed they can both be claimed on the same R&D salaries. For an Alberta cleantech company with $2 million in annual R&D wages growing 25% year-over-year, the combination of SR&ED (at CCPC rates) and AIEG (20% on the $500K increment) can return $250,000–$400,000 annually in combined federal-provincial tax credits — accelerating the runway between funding rounds significantly.
Calgary is Alberta's financial and startup hub for cleantech, anchored by the Platform Innovation Centre, Rainforest Alberta (an accelerator with a cleantech focus), and CESA (Canadian Energy Systems Analysis Research) at the University of Calgary. Calgary-based cleantech companies are well-positioned to access ERA Challenge funding, IRAP advisory services through NRC's Calgary office, and the CTM ITC for manufacturers scaling clean technology production. The Circular Economy Grant Program run by the City of Calgary provides additional municipal funding for non-profits and social enterprises working on waste hierarchy and materials recovery — a distinct layer not available elsewhere in the province.
Edmonton hosts the University of Alberta's Energy Futures Lab and NAIT's Centre for Energy and Petroleum Research, both of which are active partners in Alberta Innovates ARS programs. Edmonton's proximity to Strathcona County and the Industrial Heartland — which contains North America's largest hydrocarbon processing complex — makes it the epicentre for CCUS, hydrogen, and petrochemical decarbonization projects eligible for ACCIP, APIP, and CCUS ITC. The Edmonton Metropolitan Region including St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Leduc, Nisku, and Spruce Grove has the highest concentration of industrial energy users in the province, most of whom fall under TIER regulation and therefore within ERA's eligible applicant pool.
Fort McMurray and the broader Wood Buffalo region are the primary geography for oil sands CCUS and methane reduction projects. ERA's Industrial Transformation Call has historically funded multiple projects in this corridor, and the federal CCUS ITC's highest rate categories (50–60% for direct air capture and dedicated geological storage) are particularly relevant for projects using the Devonian aquifers of northeastern Alberta for CO₂ storage. The Canada-Alberta CCUS hub development, centred around the Heartland Storage Hub near Leduc and Red Deer County, is expected to create additional shared CO₂ transportation and storage infrastructure that will reduce per-tonne capture costs for future projects.
In southern Alberta, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Taber, and Raymond have Canada's highest solar irradiance values per square metre, making them ideal for agrivoltaic systems (shared solar-and-crop land use) eligible for the Clean Tech ITC. Red Deer and Lacombe County host significant feed processing operations that are exploring on-farm renewable energy and biogas anaerobic digestion — relevant to ERA's Agri-food Emissions Reduction stream and SCAP's On-Farm Climate Action Fund. Grande Prairie, Peace Country, and Drayton Valley are emerging areas for small-scale wind, biomass, and natural gas methane reduction projects.
Institutions supporting Alberta cleantech across all regions include: Alberta Innovates (Edmonton), Emissions Reduction Alberta (Edmonton), Alberta Enterprise Corporation (venture capital, Edmonton), University of Alberta Energy Futures Lab, University of Calgary Schulich School of Engineering, Olds College SMART Farm (precision agriculture, Olds), Lakeland College (energy technology, Vermilion), and NAIT School of Applied Science (applied cleantech R&D, Edmonton).
ACCIP Became Fully Operational in 2025. The Alberta Carbon Capture Incentive Program was announced in Budget 2023 and became fully operational for applications in 2025. As of 2026, ACCIP provides a 12% provincial refundable tax credit on eligible CCUS capital costs for projects in Alberta — one of the first dedicated provincial CCUS tax credits in North America. This fills a longstanding gap: previously, Alberta CCUS project proponents could access the federal CCUS ITC but had no provincial tax credit to layer on top. The combined federal-provincial stack (up to 72% of eligible capital in some project configurations) materially changes the financial viability of industrial CCUS projects that were previously marginal. ACCIP applications are evaluated on a project-specific basis through Alberta Finance; contact details and application guidance are available on the Alberta Government's ACCIP program page.
Federal Investment Tax Credits Are Now Operational. The Clean Technology ITC (30%), Clean Technology Manufacturing ITC (30%), Clean Electricity ITC (15%), and Clean Hydrogen ITC (15–40%) all received Royal Assent through the Budget Implementation Act, 2024, No. 1 (Bill C-69 and follow-on Bill C-59). These credits apply retroactively to qualifying property acquired on or after March 28, 2023 in most cases. As of 2026, Alberta businesses can now claim these credits on previously-filed or amended returns for the 2023 and 2024 tax years if they missed the initial filing window. This is particularly relevant for companies that installed solar, battery storage, or clean manufacturing equipment in 2023–2024 and did not claim the credit due to legislative uncertainty.
ERA TIER Fund Revenues Increased Sharply in 2025. The Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) regulation's carbon price increased in January 2025, raising compliance costs for large emitters and consequently increasing the pool of revenues flowing into ERA's fund. ERA disbursements in 2025 were the largest in the program's history, and 2026 ERA funding calls are expected to maintain or exceed this level. For applicants, this means more capital available through ERA's Challenge Program and Industrial Transformation Call — and potentially larger individual award sizes for strong projects. ERA has signalled that it will give particular priority in 2026 to projects demonstrating near-term emissions reductions rather than long-term research activities.
Canada-Alberta CCUS Hub Progress. The federal and provincial governments have been jointly advancing the Canada-Alberta CCUS hub concept — a shared CO₂ transport and storage network centred near the Industrial Heartland and connected to the Devonian aquifer storage formations in central Alberta. In 2025–2026, preliminary agreements between major industrial operators and Alberta Environment and Protected Areas on pore space access rights have progressed. For cleantech businesses, the significance is that shared CO₂ infrastructure reduces the minimum viable scale for individual CCUS projects — once CO₂ transport becomes a shared service rather than a project-specific capital cost, smaller industrial emitters can economically access CCUS for the first time.
Alberta Hydrogen Roadmap: Updated Timelines. Alberta's hydrogen strategy, originally published in 2021, has been updated to reflect slower-than-anticipated electrolyzer cost declines and faster-than-expected natural gas + CCUS (blue hydrogen) economics. The updated roadmap (2025 revision) maintains Alberta's ambition of becoming a major hydrogen exporter by 2040 but shifts near-term emphasis toward blue hydrogen (SMR + CCS) over green hydrogen (electrolysis from renewables), reflecting current cost realities. This has funding implications: APIP is well-aligned with blue hydrogen production, while the Clean Hydrogen ITC favours pathways with lower carbon intensity (green and turquoise hydrogen score higher). Companies planning hydrogen projects should model both pathways against the ITC carbon intensity thresholds before committing to a production approach.
Alberta Natural Gas Vision and Methane Reduction Targets. The federal methane reduction regulations for the oil and gas sector, which require a 75% reduction in methane emissions from 2012 levels by 2030, are being enforced with greater rigour beginning in 2025. This is driving a wave of compliance-motivated cleantech investment from oil sands, natural gas processing, and conventional oil operators across Alberta — creating a significant demand signal for methane detection, vapor recovery unit, and flaring reduction technologies. ERA's funding calls in 2026 explicitly include methane reduction as a priority technology area, and the federal methane regulations create a compliance-motivated market for Alberta cleantech companies developing these solutions — meaning both grant funding from ERA and direct commercial revenue from regulated operators are simultaneously available.
Sources: Alberta Government Budget 2025 documents; ERA 2024–2025 Annual Funding Call; Department of Finance Canada — Clean Technology ITC Guidance (2025); Budget Implementation Act, 2024, No. 1 (Royal Assent June 2024).Organization: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $50 million
Supports large-scale, transformative and collaborative projects between industry, researchers and non-profit organizations that help grow Canada's economy.
Organization: National Research Council Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $1 million
Provides advice, connections and funding to help Canadian small and medium-sized businesses increase their innovation capacity and take ideas to market.
Organization: Sustainable Development Technology Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $10 million
Supports the development and demonstration of clean technology solutions that address climate change, air quality, clean water and clean soil.
Organization: Ocean Supercluster
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $5 million
Accelerates ocean technology development and commercialization to strengthen Canada's ocean economy.
Organization: Government of Alberta
Level: provincial
Amount: Up to 20% tax credit (on eligible R&D)
Supports companies that create jobs in innovation-focused industries in Alberta through a tax credit on incremental R&D expenditures. Refundable — cash benefit even if taxes owing are zero.
Organization: Business Development Bank of Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $15 million
Provides growth capital (venture financing) to Canadian clean technology companies to scale their operations.
Organization: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $50 million
Supports projects that help Canada achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, by funding decarbonization and clean technology scale-up initiatives in high-emitting sectors. Strong historical uptake from Alberta industrial operators.
Organization: Natural Resources Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $5 million
Supports the deployment of electric vehicle charging and hydrogen refueling infrastructure across Canada through cost-shared funding. Available in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Red Deer, and Fort McMurray.
Organization: Natural Resources Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $1.5 billion (total)
Supports the development and expansion of domestic clean fuel production capacity. Particularly relevant for Alberta biofuels, biomethane, and hydrogen production facilities.
Organization: Natural Resources Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $4.5 billion (total)
Supports clean electricity and grid modernization projects, including renewable energy and energy storage solutions, to enable a low-carbon grid.
Organization: Natural Resources Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $10 million
Supports research, development and demonstration of clean energy technologies. Includes hydrogen fuel cell, battery R&D, and clean transportation research — all eligible from Alberta companies.
Organization: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies by stream
Federal-provincial funding framework (2023–2028) supporting innovation, competitiveness, and environmental sustainability in agriculture. On-Farm Climate Action Fund and AgriScience streams are most relevant for Alberta agri-cleantech.
Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Varies
A national plan supporting marine safety, environmental protection, and Indigenous partnerships. Relevant to Alberta companies working on freshwater/watershed monitoring technology.
Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $1 million
Supports innovation and market development in the aquaculture sector. Relevant to Alberta aquaponics, recirculating aquaculture, and sustainable seafood technology companies.
Organization: Natural Resources Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $10 million
Supports innovative, first-in-kind projects in the forest sector that increase competitiveness and environmental performance (bioenergy, biomaterials). Relevant for Alberta's northern boreal forestry operators.
Organization: Employment and Social Development Canada
Level: federal
Amount: Up to $5 million
Supports training and skills development for jobs in the green economy and clean technology sectors. Alberta cleantech companies hiring and upskilling green-economy workers are eligible.
Organization: The City of Calgary
Level: municipal
Amount: $5,000 – $25,000
Provides funding for non-profit organizations to support innovative work in the upper levels of the waste hierarchy (reduce, reuse, refurbish), helping Calgary move toward a circular economy. Only municipal cleantech grant in the province.
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