SaskPower Commercial Energy Optimization Program (CEOP)
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- Scored mainly on environmental outcome. Only 11 lead with that.
- The heaviest thing to produce is technical documentation. 14 ask for that.
- What does not disqualify you: No Energy Support Services required. 119 record an exemption like this.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Performance-based energy-efficiency rebate program for Saskatchewan commercial customers (non-manufacturing). Pays $0.13/kWh for non-lighting electricity savings, $0.06/kWh for lighting, and $15/GJ for natural gas savings — covering up to 50% of eligible project costs, to a maximum of $100,000 per project per fuel type (so up to $100K for electricity savings plus $100K for natural gas savings). Three service streams — free consulting for small/medium customers (ESS), dedicated energy coaches for large customers (ECS, up to $30K staff funding), and direct equipment rebates (CIS). The current CIS cycle has a pre-application deadline of July 31, 2026.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a SaskPower commercial customer connected to the SaskPower-controlled grid
- Must NOT be a facility used primarily for manufacturing, processing of goods, or extraction of raw materials (categorical exclusion)
- Eligible customer types: offices, retail, restaurants, hospitality, healthcare facilities, multi-family residential buildings, public, municipal, Indigenous and institutional buildings, tourism operators, professional services, and warehouses with primarily non-manufacturing activity
- Project must deliver verifiable kWh or GJ savings over baseline
- Incentives cover up to 50% of eligible project costs, to a maximum of $100,000 per project per fuel type
- Each measure must yield a minimum participant incentive of $1,500 for a custom incentive, or $500 for a prescriptive incentive
- A single measure may be claimed under custom OR prescriptive incentives, not both
- Renewable-energy measures, fuel-switching measures, and emergency replacements (where the existing equipment is already non-functional at the time of application) are not eligible projects
- Apply for the CEOP Incentive Service before signing any binding commitment (such as a purchase order or contract) with a vendor or installer, and begin work only after pre-approval
- For ECS (large-customer stream): consumption 2+ GWh annually
- For ESS (small/medium stream): consumption under 2 GWh annually
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- 50% of costs, up to $100KUp to 50% of eligible project costs, to a maximum of $100,000 per project per fuel type ($100K electricity + $100K natural gas); incentive rates: $0.13/kWh non-lighting, $0.06/kWh lighting, $15/GJ natural gas
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Provincial
- Co-Funding
- Up to 50% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- CIS pre-application deadline was July 31, 2026 (exceptions case-by-case for projects with post-project info submitted by December 31, 2026); ESS open until allocation exhausted; ECS new enrollments closed April 30, 2026
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Accessible — straightforward requirements
Below average competition
Moderate — standard requirements
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipThe manufacturing/processing/extraction exclusion is strict and enforced at application review — if your primary business function is production, CEOP is not available regardless of how you're billed.
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
How SaskPower judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 6+ source documents on saskpower.com, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-10.
6 of the sources
- Commercial Energy Optimization Program - SaskPower
- SaskPower Commercial Energy Optimization Program - Program Guide
- Commercial Energy Optimization Program - CEOP FAQS
- Commercial Energy Optimization Program: Initial Intake Form
- CEOP Custom Incentive Workbook
- Prescriptive Incentive Services - Lighting Eligible Measures
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What SaskPower favours
Savings values must be backed by engineering calculations◦
“Note that all savings values provided must be substantiated through engineering calculations.”
The form
Start here
- 1Energy Support Services (ESS) - how to joinshort answer
- 2Step 1 - Pre-project Submissionshort answer
Intake form
- 3Organization Informationshort answer
- 4Participant Informationshort answer
- 5Facility Informationshort answer
- 6Required Documentation Included?selection
- 7Which CEOP service are you interested in?checkboxes
- 8Which DRAI activities apply to your project?checkboxes
- 9Additional Facilitiestable
Custom Incentives
- 10Incentive Summary (Elec) - Custom Project Energy & Demand Savings Summary Tablespreadsheet
- 11Incentive Summary (Gas) - Custom Gas Project Energy Savings Summary Tablespreadsheet
- 12Project Description - pre-project casewritten answer
Please provide a description of the pre-project system/equipment, this description should include details surrounding operating hours, equipment quantities, model numbers, manufacturers and any other relevant information in order to clearly convey the pre-project case for this project.
- 13Project Description - post-project casewritten answer
Please provide a description of the post-project system/equipment, this description should include details surrounding operating hours, equipment quantities, model numbers, manufacturers and any other relevant information in order to clearly convey the post-project case for this project.
- 14Project Timelinesshort answer
- 15Energy Analysis (Pre-Project Phase)written answer
- 16M&V Plan (incentives of $75,000 or more)written answer
Prescriptive Incentives
- 17Prescriptive Incentive Services - Lighting Eligible Measuresspreadsheet
- 18Project Cost Breakdowntable
- 19Applicant details (Prescriptive workbook)short answer
Pre-approval package
- 20Pre-approval package - Custom Incentive Servicescheckboxes
- 21Pre-approval package - Prescriptive Incentive Servicescheckboxes
Post-project
- 22Post-project submissioncheckboxes
- 23Energy Analysis (Post-Project Phase)written answer
SaskPower states no length limits for these answers.
Judged against
- 1
Will you only be paid for pre-approved work?
Show them Email the pre-project package and wait for pre-approval before signing any contract with a vendor or installer.◦
In the funder’s words · 1
- Not a competitive merit review: an eligible, pre-approved project is paid by formula.
- 2
Are the claimed savings backed by engineering?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
- 3
Does each measure clear the floor and the caps?
What to show, and the funder’s 2 criteria behind it in Premium
5 questions the reviewer answers about you, in Premium.
Where applicants fail
“The participant incentives will apply only to those projects that received pre‑approval.”
“Design Light Consortium (DLC) and/or Energy Star Listings are required to be provided for all claimed lighting efficiency measures.”
Premium · the rest of this brief
See all 16 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.
12 more rules that can reject you · 3 more criteria · 17 more prompts
Do you pass?
16 can rule you out; 2 are preferences. Tick the ones you meet.
You
Commercial customer
Participants must be a commercial customer.
The project
Not a manufacturing or extraction facility
Facilities used for the primary purpose of manufacturing, processing of goods, or extraction of raw materials are not eligible for CEOP support.
No fuel switching
Fuel switching measures; and
Clears the minimum incentive
To be eligible for capital incentives, the measure must yield a minimum participant incentive of $1,500 for custom incentive, or $500 for prescriptive incentive.
1 thing this funder says you do NOT need, in Premium.
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
The money
Incentive rates$0.13/kWh, $0.06/kWh, $15/GJ
These incentives will be paid out on a rate of $0.13 per kWh for electrical non‑lighting projects, and $0.06 per kWh for lighting projects, and $15/GJ for natural gas projects, up to 50% of the eligible project costs.
Maximum incentiveUp to $100,000 each
For clarity, participants can receive up to a maximum of $100,000 in incentives for electricity savings, and a maximum of $100,000 for natural gas savings.
Custom formulaMIN(savings, 0.5×cost, 100000)
Calculated Incentive = MIN(IF(type = Lighting, kWh × 0.06, kWh × 0.13), 100000). Total incentive = MIN(sum, 0.5 × total measure cost, 100000).
Gas formulaMIN(GJ × 15, 0.5×cost, 100000)
Calculated Incentive = MIN(GJ × 15, 100000). Total = MIN(sum, 0.5 × total cost, 100000).
Prescriptive rates$6–$184 per unit
A prescriptive lighting incentive is available for select one-to-one replacements. Incentives range from $6 to $184 per unit. This option may be beneficial as it generally takes less time and involves fewer application requirements.
Minimum incentive$1,500 custom; $500 prescriptive
To be eligible for capital incentives, the measure must yield a minimum participant incentive of $1,500 for custom incentive, or $500 for prescriptive incentive.
Payment timingUp to 3–4 weeks after approval
After receiving post-project approval, which will include the finalized and approved incentive amount, SaskPower will send an incentive cheque to the participant as listed in the application via mail. This process can take up to 3-4 weeks once SaskPower receives all required documentation.
Studies offer75% eligible cost up to $50,000
For program participants, 75% of the eligible cost, up to $50,000 would be covered for the following activities: Technical studies/feasibility studies that require ASHRAE level 2 audits; Commissioning/recommissioning activities; Green Building Certifications
Your shareUp to 50% of eligible project costs
up to 50% of the eligible project costs
StackingOther incentives subtracted from eligible project cost
If projects are receiving incentives/funding from other programs, this should be subtracted from the total eligible project cost.
Costs before approvalOnly projects with pre-approval qualify
The participant incentives will apply only to those projects that received pre‑approval.
What it pays for · 2
- a. Cost of the equipment purchased and installed; b. Costs of external labour for the installation and the equipment of suppliers; and c. Costs to dispose of or decommission the replaced equipment.
- Costs which are eligible to be included in determining applicable Participant Incentives must be costs of 3rd party suppliers directly related to the procurement and implementation of the Eligible Measures
What it does not pay for · 1
- (i) any costs that are not third party costs or that are internal costs of the Participant, including costs of the Participant’s labour, service, administration or overhead; (ii) financing costs of the Participant; (iii) related insurance costs of the Participant; (iv) costs associated with post-installation maintenance or service contracts; (v) costs of spare parts, spare equipment or other inventories; (vi) purchase or lease of tools for installation of equipment; (vii) GST
From application to money
- Email pre-project packageJuly 31, 2026Email pre-project package by July 31, 2026
- Pre-approval decisionPre-approval notice with estimated incentive
- Install the measuresBegin capital project after pre-approval
- Post-project submissionDecember 31, 2026Send post-project submission by December 31, 2026
- Incentive cheque mailedup to 3-4 weeksIncentive cheque mailed in 3-4 weeks
In the funder’s words · 5
- Email pre-project package
- Apply by email before entering any binding commitment with vendors or project implementors.
- Pre-approval decision
- SaskPower reviews each project for eligibility and issues a notice of approval with the estimated incentive.
- Install the measures
- You may begin your capital project once your project has received pre-approval.
- Post-project submission
- Send the post-project submission so the actual participant incentive can be determined.
- Incentive cheque mailed
- SaskPower will send an incentive cheque to the participant as listed in the application via mail.
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to win CEOP
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 9-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 7-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
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 9
Eligible Expenses 8
Ineligible Expenses 10
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
- 6 more application steps
- 7 more required documents
- 8 eligible expenses
- 10 ineligible expenses
- Intake periods
- Deadline notes
- Ineligible organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskHow CEOP Compares
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about CEOP