Closed
Source verified August 5, 2026
Artificial Intelligence for Canadian Energy Innovation
Funds AI-driven energy technology innovation
Funding available
$ 500,000 - $ 1,500,000
Deadline
Closed
Location
Canada
Who can apply
Legal entities validly incorporated or registered in Canada, including for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, community groups, and Canadian academic institutions.
See full eligibility
Overview
Artificial Intelligence for Canadian Energy Innovation offers up to 75% of total project costs, with contributions from $500,000 to $1,500,000, for eligible Canadian organizations developing AI solutions for domestic energy innovation. Supported work includes data readiness, AI model development, testing, and applied advancement of pre-commercial energy technologies.
Find open grants for your business
Explore open funding programs that match your business and project.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Increase performance through digital transformation
- Develop strategic partnerships
- Develop a new product or service
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 1,500,000 $
- Minimum amount : 500,000 $
- Up to 75% of project cost
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Canada
Legal structures
- Non-profit
- Public or Parapublic institution
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- All groups
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- All industries
Target groups
- All the groups
Revenue structures
- All structures
Scope
- All dimensions
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Applied research, development and demonstration (RD&D) of AI solutions.
- Data readiness, including generating or collecting productive data sets, preprocessing, and ensuring data compliance.
- Building, training, and testing the AI model.
- Advancing the energy technology solution through validation or demonstration in an applied energy environment.
Documents Needed
- Letter of Confirmation of Applicant Organization Contribution for projects invited to submit a Full Project Proposal.
- A letter of contribution for each project partner identified in the Full Project Proposal.
- A data security plan at the Full Project Proposal stage.
- Legal proof of registration in Canada as part of legal due diligence.
- A detailed budget and statement of work template, with documentation to support budget estimates, during due diligence.
Official resources
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Legal entities validly incorporated or registered in Canada, including for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, community groups, and Canadian academic institutions.
- Provincial, territorial, regional and municipal governments and their departments and agencies where applicable.
- Indigenous communities or governments.
- Tribal Councils or entities that fulfill a similar function, and national or regional Indigenous councils or tribal organizations.
- Indigenous for-profit or not-for-profit organizations that are majority owned and controlled by Indigenous people.
Who is not eligible
- Federal government labs.
- Other federal government departments.
Eligible expenses
- Salaries and benefits for employees on the recipient’s payroll for actual time spent on the project.
- Training and workshops, professional, scientific, technical and contracting services, and travel, meals, and accommodation tied to project activities.
- Capital expenditures for qualifying equipment, materials and products, including purchase, installation, testing, commissioning, diagnostic and testing tools, and eligible warranties.
- Other project costs such as laboratory and field supplies, printing and translation, data collection services, facility rentals excluding hospitality, construction insurance, accreditation, license fees and permits, honoraria, and field testing services.
- Project-related overhead up to 15% of Eligible Expenditures, plus GST, PST or HST net of any tax rebate.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Foundational research into computational science.
- Foundational research into energy technologies/solutions.
- Installation of off-the-shelf AI solutions for its intended use or for the improvement of an organization’s existing product or service offerings.
- Using AI broadly to generate content, predictions, or suggestions that are not physically investigated or evaluated further in an applied setting.
- Purchase of land.
Eligible geographic areas
- Canada
Selection criteria
- Questions about societal benefits, including how equity-seeking groups will participate, access, and benefit from proposed solutions, will be scored and evaluated as part of the application.
- The strength of partner letters of contribution will be considered during the Full Project Proposal review.
- Collaboration and leveraging for all project components will be included in the selection criteria.
- Preference will be given to proposed project proposals that partner with Canadian organizations and to applicants who leverage funding from non-government sources.
- NRCan may apply additional criteria at the EOI and FPP stages for projects that support departmental priorities such as regional balance in Canada, advancing IDEA in the natural resources sector, and socio-economic considerations.
How to apply
- Determine your eligibility to apply by reviewing the Applicant Guide.
- Complete and submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) via the application portal by 1:00 p.m. ET on December 11, 2025.
- If invited, complete and submit a Full Project Proposal (FPP).
Processing and Agreement
- EOIs are reviewed by the Technical Review Committee, and invited FPPs are reviewed by the Technical Review and Investment Review Committees.
- Applicants selected for funding must undergo financial, technical, legal, and regulatory due diligence, and additional time may be required if regulatory obligations are triggered.
- Applicants whose projects pass due diligence are invited to work with NRCan to draft, sign, and execute a milestone-based contribution agreement.
- Payments are released only after agreed milestones are achieved and verified against the documentation and validation criteria set out in the contribution agreement; payments may be delayed or withheld if milestones are not met.
- After signing a contribution agreement, recipients must complete regular reporting and continue annual outcomes reporting for 5 years following project completion.
Additional information
- Successful applicants may receive non-financial follow-on support after contribution agreements are finalized, including networking opportunities, information sessions, business webinars, and project showcasing.
- Generative AI may be used to support application preparation, but applicants remain responsible for ensuring submissions are true, accurate, complete, and appropriately cited.
- Projects are not required to have generated intellectual property before applying, but any IP arising during the project must vest in, or be licensed to, the Funding Recipient.
- Applicants are required to participate in knowledge dissemination activities during the project or after completion and provide NRCan with copies of knowledge products as part of reporting.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Artificial Intelligence for Canadian Energy Innovation Program
What is the Artificial Intelligence for Canadian Energy Innovation?
Artificial Intelligence for Canadian Energy Innovation offers up to 75% of total project costs, with contributions from $500,000 to $1,500,000, for eligible Canadian organizations developing AI solutions for domestic energy innovation. Supported work includes data readiness, AI model development, testing, and applied advancement of pre-commercial energy technologies.
How much funding can be received?
Artificial Intelligence for Canadian Energy Innovation Funds up to 75% of admissible expenses, capped at $1,500,000 per project.
Who is eligible for the Artificial Intelligence for Canadian Energy Innovation program?
To be eligible for the Artificial Intelligence for Canadian Energy Innovation program, you must:
The applicant must make a financial contribution to the project.
The project must develop and use an AI solution to advance a pre-commercial energy solution by at least one TRL level.
The project must have access to productive data sets or a plan to generate them.
What expenses are eligible under Artificial Intelligence for Canadian Energy Innovation?
Applied research, development and demonstration (RD&D) of AI solutions.
Data readiness, including generating or collecting productive data sets, preprocessing, and ensuring data compliance.
Building, training, and testing the AI model.
Advancing the energy technology solution through validation or demonstration in an applied energy environment.
Who can I contact for more information about the Artificial Intelligence for Canadian Energy Innovation?
You can contact Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) by email at eipai-pieia@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.
Where is the Artificial Intelligence for Canadian Energy Innovation available?
The Artificial Intelligence for Canadian Energy Innovation program is available across Canada.
Is the Artificial Intelligence for Canadian Energy Innovation a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Artificial Intelligence for Canadian Energy Innovation is a Grant and Funding