Updated June 2026 · Verified against Alberta Innovates guidelines
✓ First-Timer Friendly Milestone-Based Est. 2018
Grant Provincial Active

Accelerating Innovations into CarE (AICE)

Alberta Innovates
Maximum Funding
Up to $300,000
Ongoing — quarterly intake cycles; check albertainnovates.ca for current dead...
Visit Official Program →
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Milestone-Based
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
75%
Accelerating Innovations into CarE (AICE) provides Up to $300,000 (AICE-Validate) or up to $600,000 (AICE-Market Access); Alberta Innovates funds up to 75% of eligible project costs. Staged funding for Alberta-based for-profit SMEs developing health technologies that require scientific, preclinical, or clinical evidence to achieve regulatory approval and market access. The program covers up to 75% of eligible costs. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
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Eligibility & Details

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Program Description

Staged funding for Alberta-based for-profit SMEs developing health technologies that require scientific, preclinical, or clinical evidence to achieve regulatory approval and market access. Two streams: AICE-Validate (up to $300K for early validation at TRL 4+) and AICE-Market Access (up to $600K for late-stage studies at TRL 6+). Alberta Innovates covers up to 75% of eligible project costs; applicants contribute 25% minimum.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Alberta-based for-profit SME with significant physical and corporate operations in Alberta
  • Appropriate Alberta ownership with operational benefits flowing primarily within the province
  • Innovative health technology requiring preclinical, safety, or clinical efficacy evidence to achieve regulatory approval or market adoption
  • Technology Readiness Level 4+ across all domains for AICE-Validate
  • Technology Readiness Level 6+ across all domains for AICE-Market Access
  • Minimum 25% applicant cost contribution (cash or in-kind) required
  • Project duration up to 24 months
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Growth Expansion

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
Moderate
First-Timer
Friendly

Funding Details

Amount
Up to $300,000 (AICE-Validate) or up to $600,000 (AICE-Market Access); Alberta Innovates funds up to 75% of eligible project costs
Type
Grant
Level
Provincial
Co-Funding
Up to 75% of eligible costs
Deadline
Ongoing — quarterly intake cycles; check albertainnovates.ca for current deadline dates

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Competition
Moderate
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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What's in this Playbook

Everything you need to win AICE

Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.

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How to Win

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Insider Tip

Complete the Health Innovation Roadmap tool before submitting your intake form — it maps your technology’s readiness level across multiple domains and helps you determine which stream to apply to.

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Rejection Pitfalls 6

  • Technology is a digital health app, wellness product, or natural health product (categorically ineligible)
+5 more pitfalls
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Success Profile

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Evaluation Criteria

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Application Playbook

Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses

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Application Steps

1 Self-assess program fit Review the AICE Program Guide and complete the Health Innovation Roadmap (Excel tool) to confirm your technology’s readiness level meets the threshold for Validate (TRL 4+) or Market Access (TRL 6+).

Required Documents 9

Intake Form submitted via SmartSimple (minimum 6 weeks before full application deadline)
Full Application submitted through SmartSimple portal

Eligible Expenses 7

Ineligible Expenses 7

Intake Periods

Deadline Notes

Ineligible Organizations

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Funding Stack Strategy

Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential

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Compatible Programs

SR&ED Tax Credit (ID 4) NRC IRAP (ID 3) Alberta Innovates Health Innovation Seed Grant
Combined Funding Potential See your total funding potential

Clawback Risk

Medium Risk

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How AICE Compares

Side-by-side with similar programs

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Program Amount Difficulty Payment Deadline
Accelerating Innovations into CarE (A... Up to $300,000 Moderate Milestone-Based Ongoing — quarterly...
NRC IRAP Clean Technology Program $100,000–$500,000 Hard Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) Ongoing
PrairiesCan (Prairies Economic Develo... Varies Hard Reimbursement Ongoing
CIHR Industry Partnered Research Varies Hard Advance Payment Restructured — CHRP...
InBC Investment Fund $3M–$10M Hard Equity Ongoing

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about AICE

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What types of health technologies are ineligible for AICE?
Digital health apps, wellness products, natural health products, and business management software are categorically ineligible. AICE focuses on regulated technologies requiring Health Canada or equivalent regulatory approval, such as medical devices, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
What is the minimum applicant cost contribution required?
Applicants must contribute at least 25% of total eligible project costs in cash or in-kind contributions. Alberta Innovates covers up to 75% of eligible costs, not 100%.
What is the difference between the Validate and Market Access streams?
AICE-Validate (up to $300K) supports earlier-stage evidence generation at TRL 4+ to refine safety and efficacy proof-of-concept. AICE-Market Access (up to $600K) targets TRL 6+ technologies pursuing late-stage clinical evidence for regulatory clearance and payer/health system adoption.
Can I apply if my company is based outside Alberta?
No. Applicants must be Alberta-based for-profit SMEs with significant physical presence and ownership in Alberta, and the operational benefits of the project must flow primarily to Alberta.
How long does the funding decision take after I submit a full application?
Typically 10 to 16 weeks from full application submission to a funding decision, including external peer review. Alberta Innovates will communicate the timeline at the time of your application.

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