Energy Innovation Program

Innovation Ecosystem Enablers – Call for proposals

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Advancing energy innovation requires more than breakthrough technologies — it requires a strong and robust innovation ecosystem. Bringing new energy solutions from development to deployment relies on a set of foundational enabling conditions:

  • shared infrastructure that gives innovators access to the spaces and tools they need
  • intellectual and technical capital that sustains a skilled, capable workforce
  • market validation that builds confidence in emerging technologies
  • generation of knowledge and evidence that informs sound policy, regulatory, and market-shaping decisions

When any of these elements is absent or underdeveloped, the innovation pipeline can stall — regardless of the quality of the technologies within it. This call for proposals (CFP) aims to support these important key enabler projects across the energy innovation system to drive clean energy solutions for Canada.

Objectives

This CFP will support projects that deliver broad-based ecosystem benefits across Canada's energy innovation landscape, with the aim of addressing the following objectives:

  • Strengthen Canada's capacity to develop and commercialize innovative energy solutions by funding enabling activities across multiple focus areas, each addressing a specific gap in Canada's energy innovation ecosystem.
  • Accelerate the transition of energy innovations from development to deployment by addressing critical gaps in shared infrastructure, intellectual and technical capacity, market confidence, and/or policy and regulatory framework.

Focus areas

The CFP will consist of multiple focus areas. Each focus area will accept applications on a rolling basis. Focus areas will target specific categories of ecosystem enabling projects, aligned with evolving program priorities and sector needs.

Process and technology testing facilities

This focus area will fund projects that address the following objectives:

  • Support broadly accessible testing facilities that respond to clear, unmet industry demands, protect client data and intellectual property (IP), and avoid duplication where adequate capacity already exists.
  • Strengthen Canada’s testing, validation, and workforce capacity to enable technology demonstration and validation, reduce reliance on foreign facilities, and reinforce Canadian value chains.

How to apply

Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until all available program funding has been allocated. There is currently no fixed date by which the CFP will close to applications. To apply, applicants must complete and submit their Expressions of Interest (EOI) via the application portal.

The CFP’s project selection process has two phases:

  • Expression of interest (EOI) phase, open to all eligible applicants
  • Full project proposal (FPP) phase, open to invited applicants only

While there is currently no fixed deadline for applications, with submissions reviewed on a rolling basis, it should be noted that the time at which submissions are received may impact the order of priority for project review and selection.

Application guidance

Further details on the CFP and additional eligibility criteria can be found in the Applicant guide. For general information for EIP applicants, see Process and guidance for applicants of the EIP.

To apply, applicants must complete and submit their EOI via the application portal.

Contact us

For questions about this opportunity, please contact NRCan at eipiee-piefei@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca. During regular operations, NRCan will strive to respond within two business days.

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