March 2021 Innovation Funding Bulletin!
Hello Everyone - The Best - It's Spring 2021!!
INNOVATION FUNDING UPDATES & NEW FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENTS
WD's Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSP) is accepting expressions of interest from now until April 14, 2021.
The DND program has announced a strategic alliance with BDC- this is very important for innovators to be able to secure financing via BDC as they will need it thereby opening up more opportunities for SME's.
In a similar line of thinking - the Alberta and Federal funding programs are the best - if all of these grant funding agencies could also offer a repayable loan option at some point along the TRL 3 to TRL 9 pathway, technology driven businesses would get to markets faster with economic and job growth to follow. TECTERRA programs fill this gap for geospatial innovation - it would be good to see a financing offering coupled with grant funding for all Alberta innovators.
Call to discuss your initiatives coming up. Being apprised of funding 6 months ahead of time and preparing funding submissions at least 4 months ahead of the project start date makes the TRL 3 to TRL journey more efficient and easier.
Discovery
In recently working with a client researching funding programs, discovery didn't disappoint - a myriad of programs were sourced - the next step being one of selecting the programs that fit the best for project work.
Training
Would your company like to learn more about innovation funding? And, are there a good number of funding programs that your company is eligible for? Preparing a funding submission and all of the supporting documents is a time consuming albeit a rewarding task. Here are 2 options for you.
Contract my company to train someone on staff on how to prepare funding submissions and the supporting documents. With a dedicated person in-house focused on learning about and securing funding, your company will save time and money and may also become more engaged in learning more about funding opportunities thereby securing more funding - all leading to your company's future growth.
Another option if the above option can't be done is retaining my company for a certain number of hours each month so that you can access consulting services at any time throughout the year instead of negotiating a contract each time. With being on retainer, I will be able to steer you to more funding opportunities throughout the year vs your taking time to do this yourself.
Kudos
Kudos to ACTia's AB Cleantech Investment Summit and congratulations to all participants and winners!
Propel’s ‘Fuel the Future’ - June 16 - 17, 2021
Register soon!
Alberta's Covid 19 Response
A new Alberta department has been formed to look into the possibility of manufacturing the vaccine in Alberta.
Decency
The Biden administration is shifting the government’s vocabulary. “Words matter, tone matters and civility matters,” said Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary. But, hasn't this always been the way? Still these words are affirming.
May More be Given!
The Critical Worker Benefit is a joint federal-provincial program that will see $465 million go to approximately 380,000 Alberta public and private sector workers as $1,200 cash payments.
Alberta - A Humble World Leader
With so many stresses everywhere with one being discriminating against someone based on the color of one's skin, we can be proud of Alberta’s history. Alberta’s multi-cultural initiative was launched in the 70’s - Alberta has been a groundbreaking leader almost 50 years ago! There's more to go but just think of the thought and care that went into this in the 1970's. And, let me add in Alberta's humble world leadership and commitment to building breakthrough oil extraction technologies and greening the energy sector.
The Covid Shift
Are you like me wondering what will become of us as Covid is defeated? There are major shifts underway. The 6 main shifts that I see are: the huge adoption of communication technologies worldwide; the value we place on humanity and relationships where more people are aware of others and provide care and support even if it is a 5 minute conversation, and, the women's movement appears to be coming into its own - worldwide would be wonderful - with time. Also, there is the shift to focusing on humanity - reducing and/ eliminating discriminatory ways. Social innovation also is coming to the fore. Lastly, love of the planet and commitment to going green. Put all of these together, it's like humanity's tectonic shift happening in the 2020's!
Humorous & Sage Quotes
Mr. Buffett sang the praises of buybacks — at Berkshire and at the companies it invests in — writing, “As a sultry Mae West assured us: ‘Too much of a good thing can be … wonderful.’”
John Maynard Keynes "The difficulty lies not so much in new ideas as in escaping from old ones. Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent."
Also an interesting thought - are we in a time when growth is paired with momentum vs paired with revenues?
Lastly, something beautiful from Voltaire: "All is a miracle. The stupendous order of nature, the revolution of hundred millions of worlds around a million stars, the activity of light, the life of all animals, all grand and perpetual miracles." Voltaire found these words leading us all to wonder, realization, discovery and more discovery.
Soon we will be back together - I can hardly wait! Be back to you in April or May.
Best Regards
Eileen Ashmore, MBA, CMC Management Consultant - Technology Funding Specialist
403 252 0799 eileenashmore@strategictimelines.com
HOW IS YOUR TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS BEING FUNDED?
Strategic Timelines works with your company to prepare top notch funding submissions with compelling positioning strategies to significantly increase your company’s opportunity for securing funding, financing and/or investment.