Saskatchewan Petroleum Innovation Incentive (SPII)
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
A transferable Crown royalty and freehold production tax credit equal to 25% of eligible capital and operating costs for projects deploying first-of-kind or significantly advanced technologies (minimum TRL-7) in Saskatchewan's oil, gas, or helium sector. Credits are fully transferable, enabling technology companies without Crown royalties to sell credits to royalty-paying producers. Per-project credits are capped at $5 million on up to $20 million in eligible costs.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be incorporated
- Must operate in Saskatchewan's petroleum sector (oil, gas, or helium)
- Technology must be new-to-market (first-of-kind or significantly advanced)
- Technology must have achieved a minimum Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 7
- Tax credit is 25% of eligible capital and operating costs, transferable to royalty-paying producers
- Per-project credits capped at $5,000,000 on up to $20,000,000 in eligible costs
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- $1,000,000 - $5,000,000
- Type
- Tax Credit
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 25% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Continuous intake — program extended to March 31, 2029
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
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How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipContact spii@gov. sk.ca for a pre-application conversation before investing time in a full submission — program staff can give guidance on whether your technology meets TRL-7 and the first-of-kind standard. The transferability feature is underutilized: technology companies and equipment manufacturers that don't pay Crown royalties can still participate by partnering with a royalty-paying producer who will take the transferred credit. Structure your project narrative around the specific SPII-eligible outcome category (recovery improvement, emissions management, value-added processing, byproduct commercialization) rather than general innovation language. Multi-phase and multi-site projects can be submitted under a single application — do not split into multiple applications unnecessarily.
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Rejection Pitfalls 7
- Technology does not meet TRL-7 minimum (still in laboratory or early prototype phase)
- Technology cannot be demonstrated as first-of-kind or a significant advancement in Saskatchewan's specific oil and gas context (comparable technology already deployed in SK is disqualifying)
- Project is already commercially operational at time of application (pre-commercial requirement)
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Success Profile
Oil and gas operators, technology developers, and equipment manufacturers deploying commercially-ready (TRL-7+) innovations in Saskatchewan's oil and gas or helium sector. Successful projects include: flare gas capture and conversion systems, methane reduction technologies, enhanced oil recovery technologies (new to Saskatchewan), helium extraction from natural gas streams, CO2 utilization projects, and produced water treatment innovations. Companies with a clear path to commercial operation and a technology that can be documented as first-of-kind in Saskatchewan have the highest success rate. Non-producers (tech companies, engineering firms) are viable applicants via the credit transfer mechanism.
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Evaluation Criteria
Criteria-based (not competitive ranking). Ministry evaluates: TRL-7 or higher demonstrated for the technology; first-of-kind or significant advancement within Saskatchewan's specific oil and gas context; project targets one of four eligible outcome categories (recovery, environment, value-added processing, byproduct commercialization); eligible costs minimum $1M; project not commercially operational at application date. Multi-phase and multi-site projects reviewed under single application.
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 9
Eligible Expenses 6
- Capital costs directly and irrefutably linked to achieving commercial operation
- Operating costs during construction and operational phases of the project
- Engineering and design costs specific to the innovation
- Equipment procurement for purpose-built project infrastructure
- Installation, commissioning, and testing costs
- Costs for multi-site and multi-phase projects under a single application
Ineligible Expenses 5
- Indirect overhead not tied to the project
- Administrative costs not necessary to achieve commercial operation
- Costs for technologies already commercially operational at the time of application
- Research and development costs below TRL-7 (eligible for SR&ED or IRAP instead)
- Costs for helium/lithium projects initiated after 2024 (now fall under SCMII)
Intake Periods
Continuous intake through March 31, 2029. No annual application windows — submit at any time.
Deadline Notes
Continuous intake through March 31, 2029 (extended by Budget 2024-25 from original 2024 deadline). No annual intake cycle — applications can be submitted at any time. Cost claims can be filed during construction and operational phases on an ongoing basis after initial project approval.
Open Application Portal →Ineligible Organizations
- Companies with projects already commercially operational at time of application
- Projects below $1M minimum eligible cost threshold
- Projects targeting technologies below TRL-7
- Projects where the technology has already been deployed in Saskatchewan's oil and gas context without significant advancement
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Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskLow to moderate — credits issued on verified eligible costs. Risk primarily relates to cost disallowance during post-award audit if costs cannot be demonstrated as directly and irrefutably linked to commercial operation. No specific asset disposal claw-back mentioned.
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How SPII Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saskatchewan Petroleum Innovation Inc... | $1,000,000 - $5,000,000 | Hard | Tax Credit Offset | Continuous intake —... |
| NRC IRAP Clean Technology Program | $100,000–$500,000 | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing |
| Saskatchewan Advantage Innovation Fun... | Up to $450,000 | Moderate | Reimbursement | Open (twice-yearly... |
| Strategic Response Fund (formerly Str... | Up to $50 million | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing — continuous... |
| Ocean Supercluster | Up to $5 million | Hard | Reimbursement | Call-specific — no open... |
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