METHANE REDUCTION DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM

• Intake Guidelines and Challenge Statements.
• FAQ document.
• Eligible Expenses and Cost Instructions.

Who is eligible?

• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• Technology development startups.
• Canadian and international companies developing methane technologies.

Who is not eligible

• Organizations or project subcontractors based in Russia, Iran, or North Korea.

Eligible expenses

• Direct project labour costs: base salaries for employees working on the project, plus actual benefits for permanent full-time employees (up to 20% of base salary), and contractor fees (with documented rates and time worked).
• Depreciation of fixed assets used exclusively for the project during the project period (assets must be itemized in the Investment Proposal; any unidentified asset requires prior approval).
• Land leasing costs, where directly associated with the project and justified.
• Consumables used during the project (e.g., industrial gases, construction supplies, laboratory supplies), with documentation.
• Project materials and supplies needed to carry out the work (e.g., raw materials, tools, software), as budgeted/approved.
• Travel and accommodation for approved project business, including economy airfare; vehicle travel (allowances for private/company vehicles per Canada rates, compact/mid-size rental vehicles where lower cost, receipted parking, tolls); taxis when other options are unavailable/unsuitable; reasonable accommodation and meal per diems consistent with Canada rates.
• Project-related administrative/overhead costs directly related to the project (e.g., administrative salaries for project activities, office supplies, project-related IT charges, pro-rated insurance, pro-rated utilities), itemized and documented.
• Conference travel and attendance costs where the recipient is a presenter and the presentation is directly related to the project (up to $2,500; up to $5,000 for international conferences), subject to approval and documentation.
• Non-recoverable taxes paid on eligible project expenses.
• Third-party greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction verification costs (by a third party pre-approved by NGIF Accelerator).

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Costs to prepare or develop the Expression of Interest (EOI) or the Investment Proposal (e.g., staff or consultant time).
• Sales commissions, bonuses, or other pay-for-performance compensation included in salaries.
• Land purchase costs.
• Entertainment expenses (e.g., movies, liquor).
• Intellectual property protection costs (e.g., patenting, licensing, copyrighting).

Eligible geographic areas

• Canada.
• Alberta.
• International applicants are eligible.

• Project objectives and scope, including the technology’s innovation and unique value proposition compared to incumbent competing technologies. (No point score specified)
• Relevance to the oil & gas value chain, including the end-user value proposition, environmental benefits, business case (economics), and addressable market. (No point score specified)
• Project work plan quality, including a clear and appropriate plan showing how key technology development and commercialization constraints/success factors will be identified and addressed. (No point score specified)
• Demonstration of the technology pathway to commercial deployment. (No point score specified)
• Project financing and budget, and the management capability of the company and project partners (e.g., relevant technical/commercial experience and project delivery capacity). (No point score specified)

• Step 1: Access the application portal
  • Use the NGIF Accelerator Industry Grants portal to start your application.
  • Register for an account if you are a new user.
• Step 2: Complete the online application
  • Fill in the required information in the portal.
  • Submit the expression of interest through the online system.
• Step 3: Wait for the next stage
  • Applications are reviewed through a staged process after submission.
  • Selected applicants may be invited to continue to the next stage.

• Applications are reviewed through a stage-gated assessment process.
• Eligible projects are evaluated by industry and technical experts.
• Funding decisions are made by an independent committee for TIER matching funding.
• Approved applicants must sign a Contribution Agreement before funds are released.

• The program is designed as a fixed-intake model with three competitive intakes (cohorts) planned between November 2025 and December 2027.
• Each cohort cycle is anticipated to span approximately six to eight months from intake to project selection, followed by a contracting phase where project scopes may be refined based on due diligence outcomes.
• Successful projects are expected to proceed into an eighteen-month delivery period once contracts are executed.
• Only expenses incurred after the funding approval letter are eligible for payment using the approved Industry Grants program funds (even if a project starts earlier).