Alberta Innovates — Agriculture & Environment (AE) Program

• Applicants can be from categories such as technology developers, industry, industrial associations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), research and development (R&D) organizations, post-secondary institutions, municipalities, not-for-profit organizations, government research labs, and individuals.
• Applicants are not required to be based in Alberta but must demonstrate a clear value proposition for Alberta, and projects that are researched, piloted, demonstrated, or implemented in Alberta with long-term positive impacts will be prioritized.
• All applicants must exist as a corporate person with up-to-date corporate filings and a corporate bank account.
• Applicants must demonstrate authorization to undertake the proposed project and execute a grant with Alberta Innovates on standard terms.
• Applicants cannot be prohibited from receiving Alberta Innovates funding due to past bad debt or not being in good financial standing with Alberta Innovates, InnoTech Alberta, or C-FER Technologies.
• Applicants should have strong end-user partnerships and funding from other organizations is preferred.
• Project funding can be supported by cash or in-kind contributions, and collaboration with other funding agencies is encouraged.
• Applicants are encouraged to include Alberta’s post-secondary and research institutions in the project consortium where appropriate.
• Projects must align with the objectives of the program for which funding is requested and be at Technology Readiness Levels 3 to 7 at the start.
• Successful applicants must be legally able to execute the Investment Agreement.

Who is eligible?

• Technology developers
• Industry participants
• Industrial associations
• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
• Research and development (R&D) organizations
• Post-secondary institutions
• Municipalities
• Not-for-profit organizations
• Government research labs
• Individuals

Eligible expenses

• Labour costs for individuals working directly on the project.
• Costs of materials directly attributable to the project.
• Acquisitions of capital improvements critical to the project’s performance, pro-rated over the project period.
• Acquisitions of software or information databases necessary for the project, pro-rated to the project period.
• Direct operating costs incurred specifically for the project.
• Travel expenses necessary for project execution, including economy airfare and reasonable accommodation and meals.
• Publishing costs directly related to knowledge translation activities associated with the project.
• GST on eligible expenses that is unrecoverable.
• Other costs pre-approved by Alberta Innovates in writing as eligible expenses.

Eligible geographic areas

• Alberta

• Innovation Opportunity: Evaluation of how the proposed project addresses a challenge and its strengths and advantages relative to the current state. Alignment with Alberta Innovates and program priorities will be assessed. The feasibility to the target end-user or industry and its relevance is considered important.
• Proposed Commercialization Pathway: Evaluation of the plan to advance technology or knowledge towards market readiness or end-user adoption, including potential risk mitigation strategies.
• Project Overview: Assessment of the clarity of objectives, deliverables, outcomes, quality of project design and methodology, practicality of timelines, and achievability of the project plan.
• Impact: Evaluation of the potential environmental, economic, social, and other impacts of the project on Alberta.
• FP Evaluation for Technology Development Projects: Emphasis on Innovation Opportunity, Market Opportunity, and Commercialization Pathway.
• FP Evaluation for Knowledge Generation Projects: Focus on Innovation Opportunity, Knowledge Mobilization Pathway, and Impact.
• Project Budget and Funding Commitment: Evaluation of clarity and feasibility of the project budget, explanation and justification for costs, and level of cash and in-kind contributions.
• Project Team: Evaluation of the team's skills, expertise, time commitments, access to necessary facilities and resources, and the level of commitment from project partners.

• The Alberta Innovates Agriculture & Environment Program places a strong emphasis on innovation and collaboration, encouraging applicants to leverage partnerships to enhance project value.
• Applicants should ensure their projects align with the strategic focus areas outlined in the program guide, which include Agriculture & Food Innovation, Bioindustrial & Circular Innovation, and Environmental Innovation.
• Projects not located in Alberta must demonstrate a clear benefit to the province to be considered for funding.
• In-kind contributions from project partners are accepted, provided they meet fair market value standards and are essential to the project.
• Applicants are required to set "go/no go" milestones to evaluate key stages in the project for strategic decision-making.
• Once project funding is approved, the Investment Agreement must be executed before any funding is disbursed.
• Clear and detailed budget justification is crucial for funding approval and should be prepared with attention to eligible and ineligible expenses as outlined in the program guide.
• Reports on project progress and outcomes are mandatory, continuing up to five years post project completion to ensure ongoing impact evaluation by Alberta Innovates.
• Alberta Innovates emphasizes the importance of knowledge sharing and expects funded projects to contribute to the provincial R&I ecosystem accordingly.