Updated March 2026 · Verified against Government of BC / Ministry of Environment guidelines
Reimbursement Est. 2019
Grant Provincial Active

CleanBC Industry Fund

Government of BC / Ministry of Environment
Maximum Funding
Varies ($35M for 2025 intake);...
Open (2025 intake)
Visit Official Program →
Difficulty
Hard
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
—
Co-Funding
50%
CleanBC Industry Fund offers funding that varies by project. Major provincial fund investing $368M+ since 2019 across 173 projects, supporting BC industrial operations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The program covers up to 50% of eligible costs. Open (2025 intake). (As of March 2026, verified against Government of BC / Ministry of Environment program guidelines)

Eligibility & Details

What this program funds and who can apply

Free

Program Description

Major provincial fund investing $368M+ since 2019 across 173 projects, supporting BC industrial operations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Includes Innovation Accelerator and Feasibility Studies streams. Funded by carbon tax revenue from large industrial emitters producing 10,000+ tonnes CO2e annually.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Industrial operations in British Columbia
  • Facility must pay BC carbon tax
  • Facility must emit 10,000+ tonnes CO2 equivalent per year
  • Project must demonstrate measurable emissions reduction
  • Must meet minimum project size requirements
Provinces
British Columbia
Industries
Renewable Energy Clean Technology Industrial Manufacturing Environmental
Business Stage
Established Expansion

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Hard
Competition
High
Est. Hours
100h
First-Timer
Not rated

Funding Details

Amount
Varies ($35M for 2025 intake); Innovation Accelerator + Feasibility Studies streams
Type
Grant
Level
Provincial
Co-Funding
Up to 50% of eligible costs
Deadline
Open (2025 intake)

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Hybrid
Competition
High
Effort
~100 hours
Approval
Moderate
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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Approval likelihood, realistic amounts, competition level, and what winners look like
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What's in this Playbook

Everything you need to win CleanBC Industry Fund — $19

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

Consultants charge $2,000–$5,000 per program. This Playbook is $19. Yours forever.
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Applying for CleanBC Industry Fund? 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

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Insider Tip

$368M+ committed since 2019 to 173 projects makes this one of BC's largest industrial grant programs. The Feasibility Studies stream has lower minimum project size and less competition — use it to de-risk your Innovation Accelerator application in a future round. Projects that demonstrate reduction pathways applicable across multiple BC facilities score highest. Partner with a research institution to strengthen technical credibility. The $500K minimum project size eliminates smaller applicants, so ensure your project scope is appropriately scaled.

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Success Profile

Large BC industrial operations — mining, forestry/pulp and paper, cement, chemicals, oil refining, food processing — investing in emissions reduction technologies. Successful applicants typically have annual emissions well above the 10,000 tCO2e threshold, strong engineering teams, and projects with $2M+ total budgets.

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Evaluation Criteria

Competitive process evaluating: merit of the business case, cost-effectiveness of emissions reduction (dollars per tonne CO2e), broader technology potential to benefit other BC industries, technical feasibility, and quality of co-funding commitments. Milestone-based agreements with performance metrics used to ensure results.

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Common rejection pitfalls, what winners look like, and exactly what reviewers score on
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Application Playbook

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

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Application Steps

1 Download Project Concept Form Download the Project Concept Form from the BC government CIF page at gov.bc.ca. Complete with facility description, current GHG emissions data (from GGIRCA reporting), proposed project overview, estimated emissions reduction, rough budget, and stream alignment.
2 Email Concept Form to Program Advisor Email completed Project Concept Form to [email protected]. The Program Advisor reviews for basic eligibility before inviting to a pre-proposal meeting.
3 Pre-Proposal Meeting If concept is eligible, meet with the CIF Program Advisor to discuss project scope, stream alignment (EP, IA, FS, or IE), and full application documentation requirements.
4 Submit Full Application During Open Intake Submit the online application during the open intake window. Include: detailed engineering plans, GHG baseline and reduction projections, full budget with co-funding commitments, and BC carbon tax payment records.
5 Competitive Evaluation Project assessed on business case merit, cost per tonne CO2e, and technology transferability to other BC industries.
6 Milestone-Based Contribution Agreement Selected projects negotiate a funding agreement specifying milestones, performance metrics, reporting schedule, and disbursement triggers.

Required Documents 7

✓ CleanBC Industry Fund application (stream-specific)
✓ Greenhouse gas emissions baseline and reduction projections
✓ Detailed project engineering and design plans
✓ Project budget with co-funding commitments
✓ Environmental assessment and regulatory compliance documentation
✓ BC carbon tax payment records
✓ Facility emissions reporting data

Eligible Expenses 6

  • Engineering services and contractor costs directly tied to the project
  • Labour and wages for project implementation (not general operations)
  • Materials and equipment directly required for clean technology installation or demonstration
  • Testing services and performance validation
  • Feasibility and engineering study costs (Feasibility Studies stream)
  • Data collection and analysis tied to GHG measurement

Ineligible Expenses 6

  • General business operating costs and overhead
  • Land acquisition
  • Costs incurred before project approval
  • Routine maintenance or like-for-like equipment replacement
  • Activities that do not reduce greenhouse gas emissions
  • Projects from facilities emitting below 10,000 tCO2e per year

Intake Periods

Annual intakes for each stream. 2025 streams: Innovation Accelerator closed September 24, 2025; Feasibility Studies closed September 21, 2025; Industrial Electrification closed December 2024; Emissions Performance closed May 2024. Next intake for 2026 streams expected to be announced on BC government website — monitor [email protected].

Deadline Notes

Periodic intake-based program. 2025 intake is currently open. Check CleanBC website for specific deadline dates per stream. Large project sizes mean extended review periods.

Open Application Portal →

Ineligible Organizations

  • Organizations that do not pay BC carbon tax
  • Facilities emitting fewer than 10,000 tCO2e annually under the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act
  • Non-industrial operations
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Funding Stack Strategy

Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential

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Compatible Programs

NRCan Clean Growth Program SDTC (Sustainable Development Technology Canada / ISED) Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) SR&ED Tax Credits Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA)
Combined Funding Potential See your total funding potential

Clawback Risk

Medium Risk
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Stacking amounts, clawback details, government stacking limits, and tax implications
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How CleanBC Industry Fund Compares

Side-by-side with similar programs

Free
Program Amount Difficulty Payment Deadline
CleanBC Industry Fund Varies ($35M for 2025 intake);... Hard Reimbursement Open (2025 intake)
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
Alberta Innovation Employment Grant up to $4M Hard Tax Credit Offset Ongoing

Related Programs

Other programs you might be eligible for

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Ocean Supercluster

Up to $5 million · Federal
 Tax Credit

Quebec R&D Tax Credit (CRIC — Research, Innovation and Commercialization)

20-30% tax credit (CRIC) · Provincial
 Program

Export Development Canada (EDC) Financing

Varies · Federal

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about CleanBC Industry Fund

Free
Can sole proprietors apply for CleanBC grants?
No. Only incorporated industrial operations in BC that pay BC carbon tax and emit 10,000+ tCO2e annually qualify. Sole proprietors don't meet the facility/operational structure requirements.
What's the typical award size for Feasibility Studies?
$50,000-$300,000. This stream has lower minimums than Innovation Accelerator ($500K+), making it ideal for de-risking larger applications in future rounds.
Do I need to pay upfront for project costs?
Yes. CleanBC uses a reimbursement model — you pay costs upfront and get paid back after project completion and verification. No upfront funding.
Why do most applications fail?
Most fail because facilities emit below 10,000 tCO2e annually, project size is under $500K, or the proposal lacks measurable emissions reduction pathways beyond routine efficiency.
Can I stack this with other grants?
Yes. Compatible with NRCan Clean Growth, SDTC, SIF (for $10M+ projects), and SR&ED on R&D components. Avoid double-claiming costs between CIF and SR&ED.

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