The NOVEMBER 2022 FUNDING BULLETIN!
Hello Everyone!
Here’s an update on what I am learning about our technology community, innovation grant funding, and, the employment & training grant funding programs.
Mega Projects in Alberta
Peter Koning’s posting in the October Energy Shift News caught my attention: “Energy Shift: Canada Risks Getting Behind the US on CCUS”. In this article, Peter Koning discusses the “Oil Sands Pathways to Net Zero Alliance Project" as a massive project to capture CO2 emissions, and if executed, would position oil production from Alberta as among the lowest emission barrels in the world.” (A fantastic possibility for Albertans & Canadians to celebrate!)
And, to follow up on this, here’s a news feed from PJVA written by Matt Ng, Senior Geophysicist, P.Geo at Entropy Inc. “Alberta sits on some of the largest oil reserves in the world and its geology also gives the province an advantage in carbon capture utilization and storage. CCUS technology is now key to the province’s hopes of aligning oil sands operations with Canada’s current emissions reductions targets. This year, plans for a massive oil sands carbon capture storage hub will be a key talking point at COP 27. According to the Pathways Alliance, its scope is 10 times larger than any existing CCS project in the world and preliminary on the proposed project is well underway. It involves a 400 km pipeline to connect 20 or more oil sands facilities transporting carbon from Fort McMurray and
Christina Lake for permanent storage at Cold Lake and is just one of twenty-five Alberta carbon hub proposals.” Check out PJVA’s January 2023 presentation - CCUS – The State of the Industry and the Pathway to Commerciality. Wednesday January 18th 11:30 to 1:00 PM at the Calgary Petroleum Club. (It's open to non-members.)
Economic growth and jobs will come from this CCUS project along with spin off innovation, and, innovation that can be exported and all. We enjoy Alberta’s blue skies, green landscapes, golden crops, fresh air, cold winters (broken by Chinook winds). Alberta is a Going Green Province, and, a model for the world. Our Province and our Energy Sector including so many organizations like CRIN, PTAC & ERA are leading the world by investing in green innovation to reduce emissions. This is what Alberta is going to do next not just for Alberta but for Canada and for every oil producing company worldwide!
Check out this news heading: Alberta’s oil production booming but majority of revenue leaving province – Edmonton – Global News.ca. Why? The majority of investors in Alberta's oil and gas companies are not Albertans.
ERA's Net-Zero Funding for Alberta's Industrial Sector
Quote from ERA’s Website: “Alberta’s industrial sector accounts for approximately two-thirds of the province’s greenhouse gas emissions. ERA’s new $50 million Industrial Transformation Challenge will advance technology opportunities with significant environmental and economic benefits across Alberta’s major industries. The Challenge is focused on technology opportunities that will be key solutions for achieving net-zero emissions and securing the competitiveness of existing and new industries.” The Government of Alberta is committing up to $50 million through Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) for
the Industrial Transformation Challenge. Funds are sourced from the Technology
Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) fund.” Sonya Savage, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, Government of Alberta; and Justin Riemer, CEO, ERA launched the funding opportunity at COP27 in Egypt on November 14, 2022.
The Industrial Transformation Challenge is open to all industrial sectors in Alberta. Funding
is up to $10M per project (minimum $250,000 per project. ERA funding is up to 50% of project costs. The expression of interest deadline is January 19, 2023 – call for assistance
as you may require with this EOI! (You might also like to check out ERA's "Energy Savings for Business Program.")
I will be going to ERA’s 1 day “Maximizing Cleantech Funding Potential on Monday November 28” to get updated on ERA’s programs. (Last I heard this event was oversold or I'd give you the link - you might like to check it out anyway just in case.)
Securing Innovation & Employment/Training Grant Funding
Never before have there been so many innovation grant funding opportunities, and, employment/training grant funding opportunities. The good news is that Innovation & Employment/Training grant funding programs can be packaged together to maximize total grant funding from R&D Start-Up to Market Launch and to full Commercialization. Grant funding is a small contribution to overall TRL 3 to TRL 9 project costs compared to a company’s total innovation, employment, training, and, marketing expenditures. Even though grant funding is a small amount compared to total innovation and/or employment/training expenditures, it’s encouraging to innovators – and innovators benefit a great deal from the technical advice and experience of the funders like Alberta Innovates, IRAP, Global Trade and all.
As many of you know it takes time to learn about grant funding programs, and, it takes time to learn how to prepare funding submissions and the supporting documents and most importantly becoming successful at securing funding. Step 1 starts with developing an understanding of the Alberta / Canada funding landscape. Step 2 is to match your company’s funding requirements as per the key innovation, employment/training and global trade grant funding programs by building a Grant Plan. Step 3 – building a competitive winning submission.
When it comes to submission preparation and especially a first submission, call for
assistance – a third party critical review will ensure for a competitive submission by adding positioning statements for impact that get a funder’s attention whether your company is Starting, Growing, Innovating, Hiring/Training and/or are Going Global or involved in all five initiatives!
With regard to employment and training funding applications – they take less time to prepare and are easy to prepare but they need to be well written along with being peppered with strong positioning statements.
Past Events!
There have been so many technology events this fall for technology companies and for their suppliers. Here’s a couple that I attended: Schachter Energy Report on Saturday, Oct 22nd, and, The Future of Energy – a PTAC / CRIN event held on Oct 25th to 27th. Famous Five’s – 93RD Anniversary of the ‘Persons’ Case, and, The Queen & Canada! ’ was very inspirational. Check out - www.famousfive.ca
New Events!
It’s Innovation Week in Calgary Nov 21 to Nov 27th! Check out: Innovation Week YYC See you at Platform Calgary’s Launch Party 2022 this Thursday! (Also worthy of checking are the CRIN, PTAC & ERA events.)
Today I’m going to Platform Calgary’s Launch Party, and, on Monday ERA’s Maximizing CleanTech Funding Potential. Hope to see you at both events!
TECTERRA
TECTERRA will no longer be providing funding for businesses and will start providing support for community oriented youth programs. The end goal is to “co-build programs that assist youth to build geospatial thinking and skills”.
TECTERRA’s first new program is a community oriented youth program. TECTERRA will work with existing youth-focused organizations to co-build programs that assist the youth to build geospatial thinking and skills. The second new program is aimed at post-secondary institutions and providing support for students seeking an education in Geomatics, Geospatial, and or Geography. The TECTERRA Geomatics Bursary is currently available to four post-secondary institutions - University of Calgary, the University of Lethbridge, SAIT and NAIT. A one-time contribution of $100,000 will be provided per institution for a five year program which provides full tuition, books, and fees for between two and three students in the final years of their program.
Calgary’s Key Sectors
Check out Calgary Economic Development’s Key Sectors | Opportunity-Rich City | Calgary Economic (calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com)
COP27
COP27: Delivering for people and the planet | United Nations (The UN Climate Change Conference has been meeting since 1995.) “The annual conferences bring together those that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - an international environmental treaty addressing climate change” - 30 years ago.
Also to note is that Canada is assisting Ukrainian families via the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel (CUAET).
Wishing you a Happy, Successful and Productive November!
Be in touch – there is no question about funding that is too small or too big to discuss – all to get your company learning more about funding, and, most importantly moving forward by securing innovation, employment, and/or training funding.
Best Regards - Eileen Ashmore, MBA
Innovation & Employment & Training Grant Funding Specialist
403 252 0799, eileenashmore@strategictimelines.com
Be in touch - Strategy First on Twitter or Linked (Eileen Ashmore).
Go Further with a Sound Grant Strategy, &, an Executable Grant Timeline!
Call today to learn more!