BC cleantech & clean energy grants: see what you qualify for
Answer a few quick questions and see the programs you can actually get — free, no account.
BC cleantech companies fund themselves from three layers in 2026, and none of them is Innovate BC right now. The R&D layer is the NRC IRAP Clean Technology Program ($100,000 to $500,000 typical, SDTC's practical successor) stacked with SR&ED (35% federally for CCPCs on the first $6 million). The provincial layer is the CleanBC Industry Fund (2026 intake open, up to $10 million per emissions-reduction project) and the rolling ICE Fund Open Call. The capital layer is the five federal clean-economy investment tax credits (15% to 60%), claimed on your tax return with no competition. Every Innovate BC program is currently closed.
Updated July 17, 2026. Every figure below is checked against our own catalog data or a named government source.
How BC cleantech funding fits together
The single most expensive mistake in BC cleantech funding is planning around a program that no longer exists in the form you read about. SDTC was wound down and its programming moved into the NRC. Innovate BC's grant programs are all between calls or closed. The money did not disappear; it moved into four working levers:
These levers pay out in three different ways, and knowing which one you are looking at changes how you plan cash flow:
Free money
No repayment required. IRAP CleanTech and the CleanBC Industry Fund pay directly, though IRAP reimburses claims monthly rather than paying upfront.
Claimed on your return
The clean-economy ITCs and BC's Manufacturing and Processing ITC are claimed on your T2. Refundable credits pay out even with no tax owing.
Equity, not a grant
InBC invests $3 million to $10 million per company and BDC's Sustainability Venture Fund invests $1 million to $8 million. You give up ownership, not paperwork.
The best first call for most BC cleantech companies is an IRAP Industrial Technology Advisor, not a program portal. The advisor scopes your project for free, routes genuine cleantech R&D into the Clean Technology Program's $100,000 to $500,000 range, and typically flags two or three other programs on this page you would otherwise miss.
What happened to SDTC funding for BC cleantech?
Sustainable Development Technology Canada was wound down and its programming was transferred to the National Research Council. For a BC cleantech SME, the practical successor is the NRC IRAP Clean Technology Program, launched February 4, 2025. It funds $100,000 to $500,000 for typical projects, and larger multi-year demonstrations can reach $1 million or more. The delivery model changed with the move: instead of SDTC's competitive application rounds, funding now flows through IRAP's Industrial Technology Advisor network on continuous intake, so the entry point is a phone call rather than a deadline. Companies that were mid-stream with SDTC agreements had them administered through the NRC transition. If a guide you are reading still points to SDTC's Seed Fund or Scale-Up stream, it is describing a program that no longer accepts applications.
BC provincial cleantech and clean energy programs
| Program | What it gives | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| CleanBC Industry Fund | Industrial emissions-reduction grants | Up to $10M/project (Emissions Performance); $35M total 2026 intake | Open: 2026 intake |
| ICE Fund Open Call | Clean energy technology grants | Varies by project; $124M+ committed since 2008 | Open: rolling |
| InBC Investment Fund | Provincial equity capital | $3M to $10M per company | Open: rolling |
| BC Manufacturing & Processing ITC | Refundable equipment tax credit | 15%, up to $300K per property | Active |
| BC Venture Capital Tax Credit | 30% credit for your BC investors | Capital-raising incentive, 2025 to 2027 | Active |
| BC Hydro BESI | Energy-efficiency equipment rebates | ~40% of equipment costs on average; $50K+ via Custom | Open: continuous |
| FortisBC commercial rebates | Heat pump equipment + feasibility | Up to $200K + $10K study | Open: continuous |
| BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund | Capital investment grants | $100K to $10M (20% of costs) | Between intakes |
| CleanBC Go Electric (commercial) | Commercial ZEV rebates | Varies by vehicle class | Reopens Aug 10, 2026 |
| BC Clean Buildings Tax Credit | 5% of retrofit expenditures | Pre-April-2026 spending only | Claim window only |
| New Ventures BC Competition | Pitch competition with Sustainability prize | $80K first place; $10K specialty prizes | Next cycle early 2027 |
| NDIT Northern Industries Innovation Fund | Northern BC innovation grants | Up to $50K (50% of costs) | Open: continuous |
Innovate BC in 2026: what is actually open
Nothing, at the time of this update. Innovate BC remains the province's innovation agency, but every one of its five funding programs in our catalog is currently closed:
- Ignite Program (up to $300,000 for technology commercialization): closed, next intake expected mid-2026.
- Go-To-Market Microgrant ($10,000 to $50,000): the first call ran only 13 days and closed November 30, 2025; no second call announced.
- Early-Stage Demonstration Call (up to $500,000, 40% of project costs): last deadline December 21, 2025; no future intake announced.
- Venture Acceleration Program (subsidized advisory services): closed; cohorts open once or twice a year.
- Innovator Skills Initiative (up to $10,000 per hire): closed.
Do not build a 2026 funding plan around Innovate BC. Subscribe to its newsletter so you hear when Ignite reopens, and put your application effort into IRAP CleanTech and the CleanBC Industry Fund, which are open now. When an Innovate BC call does open, it tends to close fast: the Go-To-Market Microgrant's only call lasted 13 days.
Is the CleanBC Industry Fund only for big industrial emitters?
Mostly, yes, and it is better to know that before you spend time on it. The fund supports emissions-reduction projects at industrial operations regulated under BC's output-based carbon pricing system, which in practice means mines, pulp and paper mills, gas processing, cement, and large manufacturing sites in places like Prince George, Kitimat, Trail, and Kamloops. The 2026 intake opened April 1, 2026 with $35 million total, and Emissions Performance projects can receive up to $10 million each. The fund expects a minimum project size around $500,000, and large projects face extended review periods. A small cleantech vendor does not apply directly, but selling into a funded project is a real route: the fund's Innovation Accelerator stream exists precisely to de-risk newer technology at industrial sites, which is where a BC cleantech startup's first big deployment often comes from.
Federal cleantech programs open to BC companies
| Program | What it gives | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRC IRAP Clean Technology Program | Cleantech R&D grants via ITA network | $100K to $500K typical; $1M+ for multi-year demos | Active |
| SR&ED | Refundable R&D tax credit | 35% on first $6M (CCPC); BC's provincial credit layers on top | Active |
| Energy Innovation Program | Clean energy RD&D, targeted calls | Up to $4M/project (most calls) | Active, call-specific |
| Strategic Response Fund | Large-scale transformation, mixed repayable | Min $10M contribution on $20M+ projects, up to $50M | Active |
| Canada Growth Fund | Growth capital for clean projects | $25M to $200M+ | Active |
| BDC Sustainability Venture Fund | Venture capital (equity) | $1M to $8M | Active |
| Wah-ila-toos | Indigenous community clean energy | $25K studies to $5M+ projects | Rolling, varies by stream |
| Digital Technology Supercluster | Consortium co-funding (Vancouver-based) | Up to $5M | Open: continuous |
| STIP Green Jobs | Green talent wage subsidy | Up to 80% of wages, max $25K/intern | Active |
| Foresight Earth Tech accelerator | Acceleration + investor matchmaking, no cash | In-kind, free to participants | Rolling cohorts |
| GIFMP (industrial energy efficiency) | Facility efficiency retrofits | Up to $5M (50% of costs) | Between intakes |
| PacifiCan BSP | Scale-up financing (repayable) | $200K to $5M | Closed (last intake 2025) |
Is the Strategic Response Fund realistic for a BC cleantech company?
Only at industrial scale, and only with the funding type understood. The Strategic Response Fund requires a total project of at least $20 million seeking a minimum $10 million federal contribution, and its business-stream contributions are typically repayable, so it behaves like subsidized financing rather than a grant. It is the right door for a hydrogen production facility in Prince George, a critical-minerals processing plant, or a biofuels facility on Vancouver Island; it is the wrong door for a product company raising its first $2 million. The program runs on continuous intake with a mandatory consultation meeting before any Statement of Interest, and it is highly competitive. If your project is below the $20 million floor, the same ambition usually decomposes into an IRAP CleanTech project, the clean-economy tax credits on the capital spend, and a CleanBC Industry Fund partnership with an industrial customer.
The clean-economy tax credits: the biggest money nobody applies for
For capital-intensive cleantech, the tax credit family is worth more than any grant on this page. Each credit is claimed on your corporate tax return, so there is no intake window to miss and no reviewer to persuade, but equipment eligibility rules are strict and worth confirming with your accountant before you purchase:
| Credit | Rate | What qualifies |
|---|---|---|
| Clean Technology ITC | Up to 30% (declining to 15% in 2034) | Solar, wind, storage, heat pumps, non-road ZEVs and other clean energy equipment |
| Clean Technology Manufacturing ITC | Up to 30% (phases down from 2032) | Equipment used to manufacture clean technology or process critical minerals |
| CCUS ITC | 37.5% to 60% | 60% direct air capture; 50% other capture equipment; 37.5% transport, storage, use |
| Clean Hydrogen ITC | 15% to 40% (by carbon intensity) | Hydrogen production equipment; Budget 2025 added methane pyrolysis as an eligible pathway |
| Clean Electricity ITC | 15% (5% without labour requirements) | Clean generation and storage; no dollar cap, scales with eligible investment |
| BC Manufacturing & Processing ITC | 15%, up to $300K per property | Qualifying BC manufacturing and processing property acquired April 2026 to March 2036 |
If you are buying clean equipment in BC, model the tax credits before you chase any grant. A clean-technology manufacturer buying $2 million of production equipment can claim up to 30% federally through the Clean Technology Manufacturing ITC plus BC's 15% Manufacturing and Processing ITC on qualifying property, with no competition and no intake deadline. Grants should top up a tax credit plan, not replace it.
Do the clean-economy tax credits require an application like a grant?
No, and that changes how you should plan. Each credit is claimed on your corporate income tax return for the year the eligible property becomes available for use, so there is no competitive round, no proposal, and no program officer deciding your fate. The practical requirements sit elsewhere: your company must be incorporated (all five federal credits are corporation-only), the equipment must match the credit's eligibility schedule, and for the Clean Electricity ITC the full 15% rate depends on meeting prevailing-wage and apprenticeship labour requirements, dropping to 5% if you do not. CCUS projects should register their project plan with the CRA early. The one thing a tax credit cannot do is fund you up front: you spend the money first and recover 15% to 60% at filing, which is why smart BC cleantech stacks pair a credit on the capital purchase with a grant or rebate that pays during the project.
Which program fits your business
Your best starting point depends on what you are actually doing, not a checklist. Use the quiz at the top of this page to see it applied to your business, or read the verdicts below.
Start with the IRAP Clean Technology Program, then claim SR&ED on the same spending. This is the standard BC cleantech stack and the closest thing to SDTC's old role.
Model the clean-economy tax credits first (15% to 60%), add BC's 15% Manufacturing and Processing ITC if you manufacture, and only then look at grants for the remainder.
The CleanBC Industry Fund 2026 intake is open with up to $10 million per project. Pair it with GIFMP when its next round opens and the CCUS ITC if you capture carbon.
The ICE Fund Open Call takes rolling applications, Wah-ila-toos funds Indigenous-led projects from $25,000 studies to $5 million+ builds, and the Clean Electricity ITC covers 15% of eligible generation capital.
Answer the questions in the tool at the top of this page. It checks your business against every clean-economy program in our catalog, not just the ones on this list.
Persona notes: which of these actually applies to you
Lead with an IRAP Industrial Technology Advisor conversation and SR&ED from your first fiscal year. Join Vancouver-based Foresight Canada's Earth Tech accelerator (free, rolling cohorts) for investor introductions, and put the New Ventures BC Competition on your calendar for early 2027; its prize ladder runs $80,000, $40,000, $20,000 plus $10,000 specialty prizes including Sustainability. Register as an Eligible Business Corporation so your BC angels can claim the 30% venture capital tax credit; it measurably eases a first raise.
IRAP CleanTech's typical range is $100,000 to $500,000, and larger multi-year demonstrations reach $1 million or more. For growth capital, InBC invests $3 million to $10 million and BDC's Sustainability Venture Fund $1 million to $8 million, both equity. If your product has a digital core, the Vancouver-based Digital Technology Supercluster co-funds consortium projects up to $5 million on continuous intake.
The CleanBC Industry Fund is built for you: the 2026 intake opened April 1 with Emissions Performance projects at up to $10 million each. Layer BC Hydro's BESI rebates (roughly 40% of eligible equipment costs on average) on the efficiency measures, the CCUS ITC at 37.5% to 60% if you capture carbon, and watch for GIFMP's next round for facility retrofits up to $5 million. Northern operations can add NDIT's Northern Industries Innovation Fund, up to $50,000.
Wah-ila-toos is the single federal window: $25,000 feasibility studies up to $5 million or more for full community energy projects, on rolling intake, though stream availability varies. The SREP Indigenous-led stream (up to $25 million per project) is between intakes, so register interest now. In northern BC, the First Citizens Fund business loan program and NDIT's regional funds add provincial support.
BC cleantech stacking strategies
IRAP pays cash during the project through monthly reimbursements; SR&ED pays a tax credit after your fiscal year-end. You must reduce your SR&ED eligible expenditures by the IRAP assistance received on the same costs, no double-dipping, but the combined effect still covers most of a well-structured R&D budget. BC's provincial SR&ED credit layers on top of the federal claim, and the CRA notes combined federal and provincial rates can exceed 50% in some provinces. Utility rebates stack independently: BC Hydro and FortisBC rebates apply to facility equipment, not R&D, so they never collide with an IRAP claim.
Can I stack a CleanBC Industry Fund award with federal tax credits?
Generally yes, because they operate on different bases: the CleanBC Industry Fund is a provincial grant against an emissions-reduction project, while the federal clean-economy ITCs are calculated on the capital cost of eligible property. The key rule to respect is that government assistance received toward a property typically reduces the capital cost base on which a federal ITC is calculated, so a $2 million electrification project that receives $800,000 from CleanBC would claim its Clean Technology ITC on the reduced base, not the full price. That interaction is normal and still leaves the stack far ahead of either program alone. Disclose every funding source in every application; both CleanBC and the CRA ask, and undisclosed stacking is the fastest way to convert an approval into a clawback. Have your accountant confirm the capital-cost treatment before you commit the project budget.
What changed in BC cleantech funding in 2025 and 2026
Six changes affect how a BC cleantech company should plan its 2026 funding stack.
- SDTC's programming completed its move to the NRC. The IRAP Clean Technology Program, launched February 4, 2025, is now the working federal cleantech R&D channel: $100,000 to $500,000 typical, through IRAP's advisor network on continuous intake.
- Every Innovate BC program went quiet. Ignite, the Go-To-Market Microgrant, the Early-Stage Demonstration Call, VAP, and ISI are all closed as of this update, with Ignite's next intake expected mid-2026.
- The CleanBC Industry Fund opened its 2026 intake. April 1, 2026, $35 million total, up to $10 million per Emissions Performance project, no stated closing date.
- BC's Manufacturing and Processing ITC took effect. A 15% refundable credit, up to $300,000 per property, on qualifying property acquired after March 31, 2026 and before April 1, 2036.
- The Clean Buildings Tax Credit expenditure window closed. March 31, 2026 was the last day for qualifying retrofit spending; what remains is a completion deadline (March 31, 2027) and a certification deadline (September 30, 2028).
- CleanBC Go Electric's commercial vehicle program is relaunching. Paused in August 2025 for redesign, it reopens August 10, 2026 with point-of-sale rebates for Class 5 to 8 medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs, with further funding releases December 10, 2026 and April 12, 2027. Budget 2025 also extended full CCUS ITC rates through 2035 and added methane pyrolysis to the Clean Hydrogen ITC.
Common mistakes in BC cleantech funding plans
These are the mistakes that cost BC cleantech companies the most money, based on the program rules in our catalog.
- Planning around programs that are closed. Innovate BC's whole grant family, PacifiCan BSP, the Clean Fuels Fund, and the Net Zero Accelerator still headline older BC cleantech guides. Check status before you budget; our catalog re-verifies these programs continuously.
- Buying equipment before getting rebate pre-approval. FortisBC's commercial rebates require approval before purchase, and BC Hydro's BESI works the same way for custom projects. A signed purchase order placed one week early can erase a six-figure rebate.
- Treating investment programs like grants. InBC, BDC's Sustainability Venture Fund, and the Canada Growth Fund buy equity or provide repayable capital. They belong in a fundraising plan, not a grant budget.
- Missing the tax credit layer entirely. Because the ITCs have no application round, they never show up in a "grant deadline" search, yet they are often the largest single number in a BC cleantech capital stack.
- Starting R&D work before IRAP approval. IRAP cannot fund retroactively. Scope the project with your Industrial Technology Advisor first, then start.
- Weak SR&ED documentation. Contemporaneous records, created as the work happens, are what reviewers look for. Records assembled after the fact are the most common reason claims get reduced.
How to apply
There is no single cleantech-funding portal for BC. Each program applies through the body that delivers it, but the sequence that works for most BC cleantech companies is the same.
- Identify what you are funding. Cleantech R&D points to IRAP CleanTech and SR&ED; industrial emissions reduction points to the CleanBC Industry Fund; clean equipment points to the tax credit family; energy-efficiency upgrades point to BC Hydro and FortisBC rebates.
- Contact an IRAP Industrial Technology Advisor. Call 1-877-994-4727. Free project scoping, and the advisor routes genuine cleantech R&D into the Clean Technology Program's $100,000 to $500,000 range.
- Claim SR&ED on the same R&D spending. The enhanced 35% rate applies to a CCPC's first $6 million of eligible spend under Budget 2025's raised limit, and BC's provincial credit layers on top.
- Model the clean-economy tax credits on any capital purchase. 15% to 60% federally plus BC's 15% Manufacturing and Processing ITC, claimed on the T2 with no competitive intake. Confirm equipment eligibility before you buy.
- Apply to the CleanBC Industry Fund if you are an industrial emitter. The 2026 intake opened April 1 with $35 million; expect a minimum project size around $500,000 and longer reviews on large projects.
- Layer utility rebates with pre-approval first. BC Hydro BESI and FortisBC commercial rebates both require approval before equipment purchase, and both stack cleanly with everything above. Disclose every funding source in each application.
FAQ
What clean technology grants are available in BC in 2026?
Is Innovate BC still funding cleantech companies in 2026?
What happened to SDTC funding for BC cleantech?
Can I still claim the BC Clean Buildings Tax Credit?
What clean-economy tax credits can a BC company claim?
Can I combine IRAP CleanTech with SR&ED?
Is the CleanBC Industry Fund open right now?
What funding exists for Indigenous-led clean energy in BC?
Sources and official references
- NRC IRAP Clean Technology Program, National Research Council Canada
- SR&ED Tax Incentive Program, Canada Revenue Agency
- CleanBC Industry Fund, Government of British Columbia
- Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund, Government of British Columbia
- Clean Buildings Tax Credit, Government of British Columbia
- BC Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Credit, Government of British Columbia
- Clean economy investment tax credits, Canada Revenue Agency
- Innovate BC program pages, Innovate BC
- Business Energy-Saving Incentives, BC Hydro
- Commercial rebates, FortisBC
- Wah-ila-toos: clean energy in Indigenous, rural and remote communities, Natural Resources Canada
- Strategic Response Fund, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
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