Alberta Innovates — Tech2Farm

• Expression of Interest form
• Industry Letter of Support
• Full Project Proposal

Who is eligible?

• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are Alberta-based
• For-profit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with an Alberta footprint
• Revenue-generating companies with fewer than 100 full-time employees and less than $25,000,000 annual gross revenue

Who is not eligible

• Applicants prohibited from receiving Alberta Innovates funding, for instance because of a past bad debt or because they are not in good financial standing with Alberta Innovates or its subsidiaries, InnoTech Alberta and C-FER Technologies.

Eligible expenses

• Salaries and benefits for individuals specifically working on the project.
• Reasonable material costs required for project execution.
• Capital improvements, capital equipment, and software or information databases (costs pro-rated to the project timeframe based on the asset’s expected economic life).
• Travel costs for project purposes, including mileage, low economy airfare, meals, and accommodation.
• Costs for services or products provided by sub-contractors.
• Other costs pre-approved in writing by Alberta Innovates as eligible for the project.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Costs incurred before the funding approval letter is issued or before the project start date in the Investment Agreement; costs greater than market prices.
• Overhead costs charged to employee labour rates.
• Professional training and development; professional fees unless directly related to the project.
• Acquisitions of land or buildings; the undepreciated value of eligible capital costs that extends beyond the project timeframe.
• Passport or immigration fees, personal frequent flyer airfare reimbursements, commuting costs, costs associated with applying for government grants and programs, provisions for contingencies, technical or professional journals, routine testing and maintenance, collection charges, allowance for interest on debt, fines and penalties, federal and provincial income taxes, goods and services taxes, and expenses for projects or activities outside the approved project scope.

• Relevance and innovation opportunity of the proposed work for the target industry/end-user, including its advantage over existing solutions and alignment with Alberta Innovates and program priorities.
• Clarity and feasibility of the commercialization pathway, including plans for market readiness, end-user adoption, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Quality of the project overview, including clear objectives, deliverables, methodology, and measurable outcomes.
• Potential environmental, economic, and social impacts for Alberta and/or the markets being targeted, including benefits that extend beyond the applicant.
• Strength of the project team, including skills, commitment, access to facilities and resources, and partner participation.

• Complete and submit the Expression of Interest form through the SmartSimple application portal.
• Have a confirmed industry match and obtain an Industry Letter of Support.
• If you receive a positive recommendation, you will be invited to submit a Full Project Proposal through the SmartSimple granting portal.

• Applications are reviewed to assess fit with the program objectives and intended outcomes.
• Alberta Innovates staff and external expert reviewers evaluate applications.
• Successful applicants must sign a standard Investment Agreement before funding is released.
• Funding is paid on a milestone basis, after progress or final reports show sufficient progress.
• Project outcomes may be monitored after completion, including for up to five years.

• Cash contributions from applicants are strongly preferred and demonstrate market demand.
• Funding is tied to milestone completion, and applicants must report progress before receiving further payments.
• Alberta Innovates may monitor project outcomes for up to five years after project completion to assess benefits.
• Reliance on uncommitted funding may delay or complicate the contracting process.