Updated August 2026 · Verified against PrairiesCan (Prairies Economic Development Canada) guidelines
▲ Growing ✓ First-Timer Friendly Reimbursement Est. 2024
Grant Federal Active

RAII Prairie Provinces — Non-Profit Non-Repayable Stream

PrairiesCan (Prairies Economic Development Canada)
Maximum Funding
$250,000–$5,000,000 per project (up to 90% of eligible costs...
Ongoing — continuous intake until December 31, 2028
Visit Official Program →
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Reimbursement
Trend
Growing
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
90%
RAII Prairie Provinces — Non-Profit Non-Repayable Stream provides up to $250,000–$5,000,000 per project (up to 90% of eligible costs for non-profits). PrairiesCan's Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII) provides $250,000 to $5,000,000 per project in non-repayable funding for eligible non-profit organizations in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The program covers up to 90% of eligible costs. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
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Eligibility & Details

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Program Description

PrairiesCan's Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII) provides $250,000 to $5,000,000 per project in non-repayable funding for eligible non-profit organizations in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Covers up to 90% of eligible costs for projects supporting AI adoption ecosystems, AI literacy programs, AI-enabled productivity tools for SMEs, and AI talent development. With $33.8M over five years (2024-2028), RAII targets AI-driven economic development across the Prairies. For-profit businesses apply to a separate repayable stream (up to 50% at 0% interest). Indigenous-led organizations are explicitly encouraged to apply.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Must be a not-for-profit organization for non-repayable stream
  • Must support AI businesses, innovators, or entrepreneurs in the Prairies
  • Must have an operating presence in Alberta, Saskatchewan, or Manitoba
  • Must be a legal entity capable of entering a binding contribution agreement
  • Indigenous organizations (band councils, tribal councils) are explicitly eligible and encouraged
  • Includes post-secondary institutions, accelerators, incubators, angel networks, social enterprises, industry associations, consortiums, and municipalities
  • Projects must support AI adoption, AI literacy, AI talent development, or AI-enabled SME productivity
Provinces
Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba
Industries
Technology Digital Software AI
Business Stage
Established

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
Moderate
First-Timer
Friendly

Funding Details

Amount
$250,000–$5,000,000 per project (up to 90% of eligible costs for non-profits)
Type
Grant
Level
Federal
Co-Funding
Up to 90% of eligible costs
Deadline
Ongoing — continuous intake until December 31, 2028

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Competition
Moderate
Deadline
Dec 31, 2028
Approval
Moderate
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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Insider Tip

The 90% cost coverage for non-profits is exceptional — you only need to cover 10% of eligible costs, and PrairiesCan does not dictate where that 10% comes from (though leveraging provincial or private funding is a stated scoring preference).

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Application Playbook

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

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Application Steps

1 Review eligibility requirements Must be a non-profit organization supporting AI businesses, innovators, or entrepreneurs in Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba.

Required Documents 9

✓ Expression of Interest (EOI) form via PrairiesCan online portal
✓ Project description with AI focus area and Prairie economic impact

Eligible Expenses 11

Ineligible Expenses 6

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

Alberta Innovates Mitacs CIFAR Pan-Canadian AI Strategy ISED Digital Adoption Program Provincial AI strategies (Alberta AI strategy, Sask AI Hub)
Combined Funding Potential See your total funding potential

Clawback Risk

Low Risk
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How RAII Prairie Provinces — Non-Profit Non-Re... Compares

Side-by-side with similar programs

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Program Amount Difficulty Payment Deadline
RAII Prairie Provinces — Non-Profit N... $250,000–$5,000,000 Moderate Reimbursement Ongoing — continuous...
Alberta Innovates Voucher Program Up to $100,000 Moderate Milestone-Based Between intakes — last...
Mitacs Accelerate $15,000 per internship unit Easy Advance Payment Ongoing
Yukon Economic Development Fund (EDF) up to $30,000 Moderate Milestone-Based Tier 1: Rolling; Tier 2:...
CED Quebec — REGI Business Scale-up a... CED publishes no dollar range.... Moderate Reimbursement Ongoing

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about RAII Prairie Provinces — Non-Profit Non-Re...

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Can Indigenous organizations apply?
Yes — band councils, tribal councils, and Indigenous-led non-profits are explicitly eligible and encouraged to apply. They may face less competition in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
What's the typical award size?
$500,000–$2.5M for regional non-profits delivering AI literacy, SME adoption, or workforce programs. Amii's $3.125M project (30 Prairie SMEs) is a benchmark.
Is matching funding required?
Yes — PrairiesCan funds up to 90% of eligible costs, so you must cover at least 10%. There is no rule restricting where that 10% comes from, but preference is given to projects that leverage funding from provincial governments, the private sector and other non-government sources.
How long does approval take?
Applications are reviewed continuously until December 31, 2028. The assessment process starts with an Expression of Interest (EOI), with only top EOIs invited to apply.
Why do applications fail?
For-profit organizations applying to the non-repayable stream (must use repayable stream instead); projects not focused on AI adoption/literacy; insufficient multiplier effect on Prairie SMEs.

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