Grant
Provincial
Active
Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund — Open Call
Government of British Columbia
Maximum Funding
Varies by project; fund has committed $124M+ since 2008 across...
Ongoing (Open Call, rolling intake)
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Milestone-Based
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
75%
Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund — Open Call offers funding that varies by project. A rolling grant fund that supports pre-commercial clean energy innovation, technology demonstrations, and R&D projects anywhere in British Columbia. The program covers up to 75% of eligible costs. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
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Program Description
A rolling grant fund that supports pre-commercial clean energy innovation, technology demonstrations, and R&D projects anywhere in British Columbia. Funded through a levy on certain BC energy sales, the ICE Fund has committed over $124 million since 2008 to clean energy technology developers, emerging clean tech companies, universities, First Nations, and municipalities. The Open Call accepts applications year-round with no fixed deadline.
Eligibility Requirements
- Any Canadian legal entity (for-profit and not-for-profit organizations are eligible)
- Project must take place within British Columbia
- At application the project should be at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4-7, and it must show how it will progress the technology towards commercialization
- Projects focused on clean energy innovation, technology demonstration, R&D, or energy efficiency
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
High
First-Timer
Friendly
Funding Details
- Amount
- Varies by project; fund has committed $124M+ since 2008 across hundreds of projects
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 75% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing (Open Call, rolling intake)
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
High
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Moderate
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipThe mandatory first step is submitting an Inquiry Form — do not attempt to submit a full application without this.
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See what trips up most applicants for this program — and how to avoid it.
Success Profile
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Evaluation Criteria
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The pitfalls, the checklist and the reviewer notes are in the Playbook below. See what it includes ↓
What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to win ICE
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 5-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 6-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 5-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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6 steps
5 docs
Application Steps
1
Download and review the Applicant Program Guide Available as a PDF from the BC government website. Contains complete eligibility criteria, evaluation methodology, and application requirements.
Required Documents 5
✓ Initial Inquiry Form (mandatory first step — submitted via ICE Fund website)
✓ Applicant Program Guide (downloaded from BC government website) for complete application requirements
Eligible Expenses 6
Ineligible Expenses 3
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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5 partners
Compatible Programs
NRCan Clean Fuels Fund
Innovate BC
IRAP (NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program)
Strategic Innovation Fund
First Nations Clean Energy Programs
Combined Funding Potential
See your total funding potential
Clawback Risk
Medium Risk
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How ICE Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund — ... | Varies by project | Moderate | Milestone-Based | Ongoing (Open Call,... |
| NRC IRAP Clean Technology Program | $100,000–$500,000 | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing |
| Strategic Response Fund (formerly Str... | Minimum $10 million contribution | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing — continuous... |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Between intakes — the... |
| Innovative Solutions Canada | up to $150,000 | Hard | Milestone-Based | Challenge-specific — new... |
Related Programs
Other programs you might be eligible for
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about ICE
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Can sole proprietors apply for the ICE Fund?
No — only Canadian legal entities (corporations, not-for-profits, partnerships) are eligible. Sole proprietors must incorporate to apply. The fund explicitly requires legal entity status.
What's the typical project size for a successful application?
Most successful projects range from $250,000 to $2 million. Pre-commercial demonstration projects in this range are most common — larger infrastructure projects can exceed $2 million.
Do I need to have other funding committed before applying?
Yes — ICE Fund actively prefers projects with other committed funding sources (e.g., NRCan, Innovate BC). Applications without other funders are less competitive and often rejected.
How long does the application process take after submitting the Inquiry Form?
The Inquiry Form is the mandatory first step — ICE Fund staff contact you within 1–2 weeks and tell you whether a full application is warranted. The full application needs a technical project description, a budget and funding plan, team qualifications, and evidence of other committed funding sources, which is the item that most often holds applicants up. The review process takes 3-6 months from submission of a complete application.
Is matching funding required for the ICE Fund?
Yes. You and/or your consortium partners must contribute at least 25% of eligible project costs, and total government funding for the project cannot exceed 75%, at application and through the project term.
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Full Playbook: ICE
6 steps · 5 docs · reviewer insights