Clean Growth Hub
Canada's clean technology advantage
The global transition to a low-carbon, low-pollution and resource-efficient economy is an economic opportunity for Canada. Canada's clean technology producers and users are well positioned to compete and win in this global market. That's why Budget 2017 announced more than $2.3 billion to support clean technology in Canada and the growth of Canadian firms and exports.
Dedicated help for clean technology projects
Get advice from our team of experts from across government who can help you find and understand what programs and services may be right for you. Whether you're in the early stages of research, conducting technology demonstration or growing your business and exporting, the Clean Growth Hub can point you to the support that fits your needs. Services are available to firms of all sizes in the clean technology space and across all sectors of the economy.
When you connect with us, we'll ask you for some basic details about your company and your project. We'll review your information and get back to you, answering any of your questions and connecting you to the programs and services that may be right for you. We can also help answer questions regarding policy, regulatory and procurement issues.
The Clean Growth Hub is a whole-of-government focal point for clean technology focused on supporting companies and projects, coordinating programs and tracking results. The Hub also advances the Clean Technology and Innovation pillar of the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, and is part of the Innovation and Skills Plan.
Clean technology programs
Here are a few of the main programs and initiatives that are specifically geared toward supporting clean technology projects:
Program/Initiative |
Description |
Status |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Innovation Program | Funding for clean energy research, development and demonstration for climate change mitigation. New stream: Breakthrough Energy Solutions Canada (BESC), an investment of up to $30 million, is a public–private initiative aimed at accelerating the development of clean energy technologies in the electricity, transportation, buildings and manufacturing sectors with the potential for substantial pollution reductions globally. |
Now accepting applications until September 11, 2019. |
| Agricultural Clean Technology Program | The Program is a $25-million, three-year investment (2018 – 2021), which supports clean technology activities across the innovation continuum through investments in, and promotion of precision agriculture and agri-based bioproducts. Support is available in the form of non-repayable contributions. |
Projects must be completed by March 31, 2021. Accepting applications from:
|
| Sustainable Development Technology Canada – SD Tech Fund | The SD Tech Fund supports the development and demonstration of pre-commercial clean technologies (renewed with $400 million over five years in Budget 2017). | Applications are accepted on a continuous basis. |
| Impact Canada Initiative – Cleantech Impact Program | A new initiative to help focus and accelerate efforts in solving Canada's big challenges. Cleantech Impact, part of Impact Canada, will invest $75 million over four years in five challenges. Challenge 1: The Women in Cleantech Challenge offers six women an opportunity to develop their idea into a marketable cleantech solution and compete for a $1 million prize. Challenge 2: The Sky's the Limit Challenge will stimulate the development of sustainable aviation fuel supply chains so that the Canadian aviation industry can further reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and lower the flying public's environmental footprint. The Challenge consists of two competitions open to a range of innovators:
Challenge 3: The Power Forward Challenge will award six teams up to $3 million to demonstrate solutions that can best integrate diverse energy resources into the existing grid in the most flexible, reliable and secure way. The team with the highest-performing technology will be awarded an additional $1 million. Each team must include both Canadian and British innovators. Challenge 4: The Crush It! Challenge will provide $10 million to support a breakthrough innovative process to crush and grind, or otherwise liberate valuable minerals from extracted rock. Initiative 5: The Generating New Opportunities: Indigenous Off-diesel Initiative will provide $20 million to support remote Indigenous communities move away from using diesel by developing cleaner community-led energy projects. Challenge 6: The Charging the Future Challenge will provide $4.5 million to accelerate the most promising Canadian battery innovations from lab to market. |
Sky's the Limit Challenge: The Green Aviation Fuels Innovation Competition is now closed and finalists will be announced in May 2019. The Cross Canada Flight Competition is now open and closes on January 1, 2021. The Charging the Future Challenge is accepting applications until October 28, 2019. |
| Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program | Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program (CASPP) is an investment of $50.3 million over five years to help facilitate the sector's ability to address emerging issues and capitalize on opportunities. The CASPP focuses on four priority areas: adoption of new technology; environmental sustainability; strategic development and capacity building; and, emerging issues. | Now accepting applications from:
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| Green Infrastructure – Demonstration component | National programs are investing more than $800 million in the demonstration and deployment of green infrastructure. Of this amount, $188 million will be used for demonstration projects across four streams: smart grids, reduction of diesel use in rural and remote communities, electric vehicle infrastructure, and energy-efficient buildings. Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Demonstration (EVID) Program Phase II: aims to accelerate the market entry of next generation clean energy infrastructure, by supporting demonstration projects of innovative EV charging and hydrogen refuelling technologies, which will lead to an increased uptake of zero-emission vehicles. |
Accepting applications until October 18, 2019.
|
Clean technology research, development and demonstration projects in Canada's energy, mining and forest sectors ($155 million over four years). Funding will be allocated to projects that receive support from provinces and territories. |
Program application is now closed. |
Program/Initiative |
Description |
Status |
|---|---|---|
| Business Development Bank of Canada | Making available both new equity and debt financing to help promising clean technology firms grow and invest in assets, inventory, talent and market expansion. | Contact BDC's Cleantech practice to talk about investment possibilities. |
| Export Development Canada | Specialized project finance to help advance high-impact clean technology projects. | Contact EDC to discuss your project. |
Program/Initiative |
Description |
Status |
|---|---|---|
| International Business Development Strategy for Clean Technology | The Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) will deliver an international business development strategy to help Canadian clean technology firms become world leaders and capitalize on growing global market opportunities. | Contact the Clean Technology Team. |
| Cleantech Global Workshop Series | The TCS will work with export partners to deliver a series of workshops across Canada over the next three years to tell clean technology and green infrastructure firms about government programs that can help them capitalize on growing global market opportunities. | Contact the Clean Technology Team. |
| Climate Finance Business Development | The TCS will deliver services to better prepare Canadian firms to take advantage of the significant business opportunities generated by climate finance in emerging markets. | Contact the Climate Finance Business Development Team. |
Program/Initiative |
Description |
Status |
|---|---|---|
| Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program | Funding is available to deploy a network of zero-emission vehicle charging (level 2 and higher) and refuelling stations in more localized areas where Canadians live, work and play ($130 million over five years, 2019-2024). Support is also available for strategic projects for electric vehicle and/or hydrogen infrastructure for corporate fleets, last-mile delivery fleets, and mass transit. | The first Request for Proposals focuses on Public Places and On-Street and is now open for applications until September 18, 2019. |
| Fisheries and Aquaculture Clean Technology Adoption Program | Assists industry-driven adoption or adaptation of market-ready clean technologies, processes and/or sustainable practices in the operation of aquaculture facilities, wild capture harvesting and seafood processing to improve environmental performance. | Now accepting expressions of interest and complete applications. |
| The Northern Responsible Energy Approach for Community Heat and Electricity (REACHE) program | The Northern REACHE program provides $10.7 million over two years (starting in 2016-2017), and $53.5 million over ten years (starting in 2018-2019) for reducing Northern communities' reliance on diesel for heating and electricity by increasing the use of local renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. | Applications are accepted on a continuous basis. |
| Green Infrastructure – Deployment component | National programs are investing more than $800 million in the demonstration and deployment of green infrastructure. Of this amount, approximately $481 million will be available for deployment projects across four streams: smart grids, renewables, reduction of diesel use in rural and remote communities, and electric vehicle infrastructure. | Program application is now closed. |
| Low Carbon Economy Fund (LCEF) | Funding to support Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change commitments related to buildings, the industrial sector, agriculture and forestry and other priorities. The LCEF supports market-ready technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. |
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There are two parts: $1.4 billion is being invested through the Leadership Fund, which is open to provinces and territories. The remainder is being invested through the Challenge Fund, which is broken into two streams: Champions (over $450 million) and Partnerships ($50 million). Energy Savings Rebate Program (Leadership Fund): funding to eligible retailers to support point of sale rebates for energy efficiency products in Ontario, aimed to reduce energy use, save money and address climate change. Approximately $200 million is available for eligible retailers to provide rebates. |
Energy Savings Rebate Program:
|
Program/Initiative |
Description |
Status |
|---|---|---|
| Strategic Innovation Fund | Provides financial support to projects that will improve Canada's innovation performance while providing economic, innovation and public benefits to Canadians. Stream 1: Encourage R&D that will accelerate technology transfer and commercialization of innovative products, processes and services; Stream 2: Facilitate the growth and expansion of firms in Canada; Stream 3: Attract and retain large scale investments to Canada; and Stream 5: Support large-scale, national innovation ecosystems through high impact collaborations across Canada. |
Open for applications on a continuous basis. |
| Innovative Solutions Canada | New innovation procurement program with over $100 million dedicated to supporting the scale up and growth of Canada's innovators and entrepreneurs by having the federal government act as first customer. Plastics Challenge – Development of Next-Generation Bio Based Foam Insulation: Natural Resources Canada is seeking the development of novel foam insulation products that are bio-based, and offer similar insulation values as petroleum-based products and are comparable in terms of cost. |
Check out the site for the current list of challenges. Plastics Challenge – Development of Next-Generation Bio-Based Foam Insulation is accepting proposed solutions until August 27, 2019. |
| Innovation Superclusters Initiative | Strategic investment of nearly $1 billion to strengthen up to five of Canada's most promising clusters. This is a cooperative effort where private sector, academic institutions, not for profits and others come together to energize economies and create stable, well-paying jobs. | Program application is now closed. Canada's new superclusters have been announced. Learn more about how to get involved. |
Clean technology data strategy
The Government is taking action to improve data on clean technology development and use in Canada.
The next data releases will be posted in News.
Events
- View the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service's 2019-2020 Calendar of Activities supporting Canadian clean technology exporters around the world.
- September 21-25, 2019, Chicago, United-States : The Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference
- January 27-29, 2020, San Francisco, United-States - Cleantech Forum
- February 11-13, 2020, Vancouver, British Columbia - GLOBE Forum
News
News archives
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