Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative in British Columbia

• Expression of Interest form
• Financial statements for the last two years
• Interim financial statements for the last six months
• Funding confirmation from all sources
• Business plan or pitch deck, for businesses

Who is eligible?

• Incorporated businesses in British Columbia
• Not-for-profit organizations
• Indigenous organizations and Indigenous-controlled businesses benefiting their communities
• British Columbia municipalities and provincial or Crown organizations

Eligible expenses

• Wages and benefits
• Equipment and machinery
• Marketing
• Technology development and commercial demonstration costs
• Intellectual property costs and professional, advisory, and technical services

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Basic and applied research and development
• Land and buildings
• Salary bonuses and dividends
• Hospitality and entertainment
• Refinancing existing debt

Eligible geographic areas

• British Columbia

• Eligibility and fit with program objectives
• Broad benefits for British Columbians
• Clear economic benefits for British Columbia
• Financial capacity and management capability
• Market demand, technology readiness, and responsible AI approach

• Step 1: Review requirements
  • Review the eligibility requirements.
  • Contact PacifiCan for more information about the process.
• Step 2: Create portal profile
  • Create a user profile in the application portal if needed.
  • Wait for an invitation to submit an Expression of Interest.
• Step 3: Prepare and submit EOI
  • Complete the EOI form in the portal.
  • Upload the required financial and project information.
  • Submit the EOI through the application portal.
• Step 4: Full application if invited
  • If the EOI is successful, complete the full application.
  • Provide the additional project details requested.

• Expressions of Interest are reviewed after submission and only complete submissions are assessed.
• Applications are evaluated against eligibility, program objectives, financial capacity, management capability, market demand, technology readiness, and data governance.
• Only the strongest projects move to the next stage, and funding is not guaranteed.
• Applicants are notified of the funding decision, and successful applicants must report on project progress.
• A technical assessment may be completed by NRC-IRAP or another external party.

• Successful applicants must report periodically on project impact, and an external technical assessment may be completed by NRC-IRAP or another party contracted by PacifiCan.
• Applicants can submit only one Expression of Interest per organization per year or intake, and only one funded project at a time is allowed.
• Information provided by applicants may be shared with other federal departments and agencies, provincial/territorial governments, and municipal governments to review projects and determine eligibility for other Government of Canada programs.
• Additional funding has been announced to expand and enhance the Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative, and PacifiCan will continue to deliver RAII in British Columbia.