Process and guidance for applicants of the Energy Innovation Program (EIP)

While the Energy Innovation Program application process may vary from call to call based on the specific design (intended to ensure maximum impact), the standard application process includes 7 steps.

Sample EIP application and review process

Step 1: Expression of interest (EOI) intake and review

  • When a call for proposals is launched, applicants have access to the tools that they need to submit an EOI, including an Applicant Guide. In addition, applicants can contact the EIP and the applicant portal technical support by email before the deadline if needed.
  • To apply, applicants must submit the EOI through the applicant portal by the deadline.
  • EOIs are assessed based on the call’s evaluation criteria by technical and investment review committees. Committee members undergo a stringent assessment to ensure no conflict of interest and to uphold fairness in the process.

Step 2: EOI results notifications

  • All applicants receive notification of the EOI results through the applicant portal, with some invited to submit a Full Project Proposal (FPP).

Step 3: Full project proposal (FPP) intake and review

  • Applicants invited to the FPP stage must submit the FPP and other required documents through the applicant portal by the deadline to continue in the process.
  • FPPs are assessed based on the call’s evaluation criteria and recommended for funding by the technical and investment review committees.

Step 4: FPP project selection/notification

  • All applicants receive notification of the FPP results through the applicant portal, with some selected for funding, conditional on successful completion of Due Diligence and signing of a Contribution Agreement.

Step 5: Due diligence

  • Financial: Applicants must demonstrate that they have an appropriate project budget and can secure other required funding, if applicable.
  • Legal: Applicants must demonstrate their ability to legally receive funds from the government and to implement their project, including registration in Canada and intellectual property requirements, if applicable.
  • Regulatory: Applicants must demonstrate that they fulfill all federal regulatory, permitting, and licensing requirements, such as environmental assessment and Indigenous consultation, if applicable.
  • Technical: Applicants must demonstrate that projects are technically sound with risks mitigated during implementation. The project’s statement of work is assessed, and an internal risk assessment is completed.

Step 6: Contribution agreement

  • Upon successful completion of due diligence, a contribution agreement is signed by both parties.

Step 7: Reporting

  • Proponents are required to submit a series of reporting documents quarterly, annually, at the end of the project, and on the anniversary of the project’s completion each year thereafter, for 5 years.
  • In addition, at the end of the project, proponents must provide a public report describing the project and its results.

Guidance for applicants

OERD applicant portal

All EIP funding calls are managed through OERD’s applicant portal, a secure platform that can be accessed by GCKey or Interac Sign-in Services.

Communicating with the EIP

During the application and evaluation processes, you may contact the EIP by:

  • Emailing the OERD applicant portal support team for IT support: oerdportal-portailbrde@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca
  • Emailing the call-specific email address that is published in the Applicant Guide for each call. Contact this mailbox for inquiries related to the call and your application. The EIP may also use this email to reach out to you with other information or opportunities, depending on the permissions that you indicate in your proposal.

Updates and notifications on results will be emailed from oerddonotreply-brdenepasrepondre@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca. Applicants should save this address as a trusted sender.

Application tips – planning and timing

Deadlines are not recommendations

To ensure fairness and integrity, exceptions will not be made for late applications. Any issues with the applicant portal must be flagged before the deadline, or applications will not be accepted.

Be proactive

Give yourself time. Begin your application in the portal early. Support is available for technical issues and to clarify program requirements. Engage partners early and give yourself time to gather letters of contribution.

Before you begin your application
  • Every call has an associated applicant guide, which is the main source of information on eligibility and call requirements. Be sure to carefully review it and fully understand what the call is asking for.
  • Before you begin your application, download a blank read-only version of the application form, read it thoroughly, and take time to understand the questions and carefully plan your responses.
  • If you have questions about the applicant guide or need further clarification on other application materials, please reach out to the call-specific email address.
Completing your application
  • When completing your application, clearly demonstrate how your project is eligible and has merit.
  • Carefully review all questions, and make sure you don't miss any of the subcomponents. Questions may be multi-faceted; ensure that you are responding to each question fully.
  • There are no trick questions. Ensure that you answer all questions directly.
  • Ensure that you consider the character count and weight of each section when developing your responses. This will help you understand which sections to apply more time and resources to.
  • The EIP will clearly indicate which, if any, supplementary documents are eligible. All ineligible attachments will be discarded. Follow the criteria laid out for attachments, and only include what is asked for.
  • Ensure all Letters of Contributions are submitted using the template provided. Project partners are evaluated based on their appropriateness for the specific project and their ability to advance the project successfully.
  • Do not refer to external sources – all necessary information to evaluate your application should be included in the application form and eligible supplementary documents.
Reviewing your application
  • Ensure consistency throughout your application and between eligible attachments.
  • Avoid referring to responses in previous questions (e.g. “as stated above”). If a point is relevant to multiple sections, reiterate it so the response can stand alone.
  • Any claims made throughout your application need to be fully supported. For example, all assumptions informing claims about the technology or your GHG reduction calculations must be clearly articulated.
  • Although each section is evaluated separately, strong applications always have a cohesive narrative. Read through your responses to ensure all the components clearly connected.

Resources

Current investments

Learn more about our contributions to research, development and demonstration projects in Canada.

Video information sessions

Watch the information session videos to learn more about the following topics:

  • An overview of the Office of Energy Research and Development and the Energy Innovation Program

    Transcript

    Energy Innovation Program (EIP) Information Session:

    Script for Video Recordings

    Title: The Office of Energy Research and Development and the Energy Innovation Program

    Slide 1 - The Office of Energy Research and Development and the Energy Innovation Program

    • This video provides an overview of the Energy Innovation Program (or “EIP”) – the flagship funding program of the Office of Energy Research and Development (or “OERD”) at Natural Resources Canada.

    Slide 2 - OERD Description

    • Relying on technical, policy, and program expertise, OERD leads the Government of Canada's efforts in delivering energy research, development, and demonstration funding to advance energy innovation. This is also known as RD&D

    • We support energy RD&D projects across Canada, in all provinces and territories, and aim to maximize environmental and economic outcomes by informing the pace and direction of energy system transformation.

    Slide 3 - OERD Background

    • OERD has 50 years of experience working in the energy innovation space, and leverages in-house expertise and networks across the energy landscape

    • Our current work continues this legacy of strong partnerships and collaboration to advance innovation and create economic opportunities in the energy sector while reducing emissions

    • Since 2016, OERD has played an active role in funding clean energy projects in Canada, to the tune of over $1.4B across more than 850 energy research, development, and demonstration projects.

    • A major strength of OERD is our interdisciplinary, in-house expertise. Made up of, but not limited to the program team who are experts at designing call materials, Science and Technology teams who work closely to refine the scope of calls, evaluate proposals, and work with proponents through Due Diligence, AND we also have the Grants and Contributions team who are contract experts that work with applicants throughout the due diligence process, drafting and signing of contribution agreements, and throughout contribution agreement implementation

    Slide 4 – OERD Missions

    • OERD employs “missions” to realize a clean energy future and a sustainable natural resources sector. These missions are to:

    • Improve Energy Efficiency and Processes to Reduce Emissions from Energy End-Use;

    • Accelerate Electrification and maximize benefits of renewable heat and power; and to

    • Develop cleaner fuels pathways; and

    • Reduce Reliance on Diesel in Rural, Remote, and Indigenous Communities

    Slide 5 - OERD's Collaboration and Engagement

    • OERD engages with a wide range of partners and collaborators to maximize the impact of our funding programs

    • These relationships include other federal departments, federal labs, regional entities such as provincial and territorial governments and other funding organizations, some of which are Trusted Partners with whom we have targeted agreements for collaboration

    • These partnerships ensure that OERD is factoring in unique regional, sector, industry, and ecosystem context into call scope, design, and evaluation

    Slide 6 - Energy Innovation Program

    • As noted, the Energy Innovation Program is OERD's flagship funding program.

    • The EIP’s core objective is to advance clean energy technologies that will help Canada meet its energy transition goals

    • The Program funds activities and innovation within the federal government, and innovation through external funding programs. These external funding programs support energy RD&D projects that reduce GHG emissions while increasing competitiveness, affordability, and reliability in Canada’s energy sector

    • The Program targets a wide range of sectors and technology types. These include CCUS, battery innovation, transportation, clean fuels, grid innovation, and many more

    Slide 7 - EIP Approach to Innovation Funding

    • All individual funding calls under the Energy Innovation Program begin with an in-depth analysis of the technical, market, and policy barriers and opportunities in the clean energy innovation space, including areas that require de-risking and investment from the federal government

    • This requires understanding the complexities of Canadian and global energy systems, including the implicated stakeholders, technologies, and regulations from providers to end-users

    • Our in house, interdisciplinary expertise, partnerships and collaboration help drive the development of impactful funding calls for proposals

    Slide 8 – Conclusion Slide

  • The Call for Proposals Process
    Transcript

    Energy Innovation Program (EIP) Information Session:

    Script for Video Recordings

    Title: Energy Innovation Program Call for Proposals Process

    Slide 1 – EIP Call for Proposals Process

    • This video provides an outline of the Energy Innovation Program call process, from scoping and design, project evaluation, reporting requirements, and everything in-between.

    Slide 2 – Pre-Launch Stages

    • The Energy Innovation Program call process begins by engaging with stakeholders, such as industry, academics and other government departments. This engagement is led by the technical experts within the relevant science and technology teams on a continuous basis, though it can also sometimes include targeted information gathering efforts.

    • This engagement aims to identify key barriers and opportunities to advance innovations in the clean tech ecosystem to inform the investment strategy and portfolio of the Office of Energy Research and Development (or “OERD”) at Natural Resources Canada, which in turn, informs the development of clear and targeted call scoping.

    • The design phase involves significant collaboration between technical experts and the program experts who lead the development of call products, ensuring consistency, fairness and transparency in all elements of the call, while maximizing the impact of public investments.

    Slide 3 – IDEA

    • OERD integrates Indigenous participation, and IDEA into the design and delivery of EIP funding calls to increase access to and participation in EIP and ensure program benefits accrue to diverse Canadians

    • OERD relies on a blend of in-house IDEA and Indigenous expertise, as well as the input and feedback of other sectors at NRCan and other departments to share and implement best practices.

    • The program has implemented several strategies, most recently with an Indigenous-specific stream in the Renewable Demonstrations call for proposals which had different timelines and offered a unique range of support options.

    • The Indigenous and IDEA lenses are also considered as part of the Investment Review Committee for all EIP calls.

    Slide 4 – EIP Sample Application Process

    • This is a high-level illustration of the standard Energy Innovation Program application process once the call is launched.

    • While the Energy Innovation Program has and will continue to use a variety of call designs, such as challenges, this is our standard application process.

    • The initial application intake of a call is the Expression of Interest, or “EOI” phase.

    • The EOI focuses on applicant and project eligibility, alignment with call priorities, and project impact and merit

    • From the EOIs, a selection of the top projects are invited to submit a Full Project Proposal, or “FPP”

    • Please note, the program does not provide feedback to applicants who do not advance beyond the Expression of Interest phase

    • The FPP asks questions that require more comprehensive responses, including through standardized templates provided by OERD for applicants to provide project details such as budget, statement of work, and estimated greenhouse gas impact

    • Letters of Contribution based on a template provided by OERD will also be requested at FPP for applicants to identify contributions from project partners

    • Projects selected at Full Project Proposal are sent a notification letter of conditional approval for funding, pending the successful completion of due diligence

    • Written feedback is available upon request for applicants who were not selected at Full Project Proposal

    Slide 5 – Application Review Process

    • As was previously described, most Energy Innovation Program calls undergo two stages of technical review, at Expression of interest and Full Project Proposal.

    • All applications are screened for eligibility based on call scope, applicant type, and project timelines and funding request. Eligible projects are then reviewed by technical experts from OERD, other Government of Canada departments relevant to the scope of the call, or Trusted Partner organizations.

    • Note, all reviewers go through a rigorous conflict of interest declaration and assessment process

    • At the culmination of the technical review, the portfolio of projects recommended for funding are examined through a broader policy lens that aims to ensure that the projects selected for funding advance call and government priorities

    • Once projects are recommended for funding, they must go through the governance process. During this stage, all projects recommended for funding are shared with multiple sectors at NRCan and other government departments in the energy innovation space to ensure that there is no duplication of federal funding across different programs, and to promote awareness between different government of Canada entities working in the energy space

    • Only after the technical review, portfolio assessment, and governance processes are completed are the notification letters sent to successful and rejected applicants. It is at this point that successful applicants are invited to begin the official Due Diligence process to work towards signing a contribution agreement

    Slide 6 – Due Diligence – Final Validation

    • Projects that are selected for funding will receive a notification letter of conditional approval, and begin to work through the due diligence process with OERD’s Grants and Contribution team

    • Receipt of a notification letter of conditional approval does not constitute a commitment of funding from NRCan. There is no commitment until a contribution agreement has been signed by NRCan and the proponent

    • NRCan’s due diligence process covers 4 areas: Financial, Legal, Regulatory, and Technical

    • Financial due diligence requires a review of your budget and financial stability. The applicant must provide evidence that they can finance their portion of the project and that they have secured other sources of funding, if applicable. Also, please note that your project may be selected for a 3rd party financial audit to evaluate financial stability. Although this is done on a case-by-case basis.

    • Legal due diligence requires the applicant to provide evidence of registration in Canada, completion of a Conflict-of-Interest Attestation and any IP requirements if applicable.

    • Regulatory due diligence consists of NRCan determining if the project is carried out on Federal lands, and whether an Environmental Assessment and/or an Indigenous consultation is required. The applicant will need to provide project location(s) and information about any necessary permits and licenses.

    • Technical due diligence will consist of a review of the project’s statement of work, and the performance of an internal risk assessment.

    Slide 7 – Contribution Agreements

    • Upon successful completion of due diligence, a draft contribution agreement based on the due diligence budget and statement of work will be generated and sent to the applicant for review

    • Please note that the contribution agreement is largely non-negotiable.

    • Once the project team and proponents finalize the content of the Contribution agreement and schedules, the package is ready for approvals

    • Approvals consist of preliminary internal approvals on our end, the proponent’s signatures, AND the final signature by the assistant deputy minister

    • On funding, our contribution agreements are based on a reimbursement model: the proponent will spend the money up front and is then reimbursed on a quarterly basis. In certain circumstances, monthly rather than quarterly reimbursement may also be possible.

    Slide 8 – Project Reporting

    • Once a contribution agreement has been signed, and a project has begun, the program has various reporting requirements.

    • These reports are critical to the Energy Innovation Program’s ability to accurately articulate its impact, and also target future program funding based on impact.

    • Required reports can broadly be divided up as: Quarterly/annual reports throughout the life of the project, completion and public reports at the end of the project, and post-completion follow-up reports over 5 years.

    • Quarterly/annual reports will consist of financial claims and progress reporting (generally quarterly) and year-end reports (annually alongside the fourth quarter claim)

    • The components of project reporting, which include narrative reporting, performance indicators, environmental outcomes, and non-proprietary reports, are relevant for quarterly or annual, completion, and post-completion reports.

    • In instances where it may be too early to report on certain components, FOR example environmental impact at a quarterly report, you will be required to indicate that it is premature to report on the specific component at this time.

    • At the end of your project, you will be required to provide the following:

    • A completion report including a final narrative to describe how the activities have contributed to the achievement of the objectives of the Project as described in Schedule A

    • A public report that describes the Project and its results for use on the public-facing NRCan website. For which a template is provided

    • A certification that the claims for payment of Eligible Expenditures of the Project have been Incurred and Paid

    • Once the completion documents are submitted and approved, the standard holdback which was applied to each claim can be released to the proponent. The post-completion follow-up will happen annually for five years after the anniversary of the project completion.

    • Thorough, and timely, completion of your reports will further strengthen the Energy Innovation Program’s ability to support the innovation ecosystem, and refer your specific project to other relevant funding programs within our network.

    Slide 9 – Conclusion Slide

  • Application Guidance
    Transcript

    Energy Innovation Program (EIP) Information Session:

    Script for Video Recordings

    Title: Energy Innovation Program Application Guidance

    Slide 1: Energy Innovation Program Application Guidance

    • This video provides some guidance that will help applicants understand the Energy Innovation Program (or “EIP”) submission process, who to contact should you require IT or program support, and on how to strengthen your applications

    Slide 2 – What is OERD Applicant Portal

    • All Energy Innovation Program funding calls are managed through OERD’s Applicant Portal (www.energy-innovation-energetique.canada.ca), a secure platform that can be accessed by GCKey or Interac Sign-in Services, and is administered by an in-house digital team.

      .

    Slide 3 – Communicating with the program

    • During the application and evaluation processes, there are two ways the program may contact you, or you may contact the program.

    • The first is through the OERD applicant portal support mailbox (oerddonotreply-brdenepasrepondre@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca). This will be used by the program after the application deadline, for updates for all applications related to the call, the portal, or the status of their application. As such, we recommend that you save the do not reply portal mailbox to your 'trusted sender' list.

    • The second mailbox is the portal support mailbox (oerdportal-portailbrde@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca), and the mailbox you should contact if you require any IT support related to the portal

    • Each call will publish a call specific mailbox in the applicant guide. Contact this mailbox during the application intake and throughout the call process for inquiries related to the call and your application. The program may also use this email to reach out to you with other information or opportunities, depending on the permissions that you indicate in your proposal.

    Slide 4 – Application Tips - Planning and Timing

    • Over the next few slides, we'll outline some useful tips and considerations to help strengthen applications.

    • First tip is that deadlines are not recommendations, and are not flexible

    • To ensure the fairness and integrity of our process, exceptions cannot be made for any late submissions

    • If you have any issues with the application portal, they must be flagged to the program team before the deadline, or applications will not be accepted.

    • The second tip is to be proactive

    • We recommend that you log on to the portal and begin your application as soon as possible

    • Support is available for technical issues, and to clarify program requirements - any issues should be flagged as soon as possible to increase the program's ability to provide impactful support

    • At the Full Project Proposal stage, Letters of Contribution serve as evidence of secured funding or in-kind support from partners to ensure project success. In some cases, these take time to bring together. Starting on your application earlier will give you more time to engage with partners and ensure completeness of your application before the funding call’s deadline.

    • Overall, starting your application as soon as possible and giving yourself the most time to complete and review the content you are submitting will never put you at a disadvantage.

    Slide 5 – Tips - Lay of the Land

    • When you first begin your application, make sure you have a good understanding of the funding call, eligibility, and applicability of your project

    • Every call has an associated applicant guide, which is the main source of information on eligibility and call requirements. Applicant and project eligibility criteria vary by call and are clearly outlined in the Applicant Guide – be sure to carefully review it and fully understand what the call is asking for. If you have questions or need further clarification, please reach out to the call mailbox.

    • When answering any questions, always ask yourself "am I demonstrating my project's alignment with, and eligibility to, the funding call?". Clearly demonstrate what makes your project eligible and strong

    • Before you begin your application, download a blank read-only PDF of the application form from the application portal once the call opens for applications. Read the form from top to bottom and take time to plan your responses. As important field validations are exclusively available on the web-based form through the portal, we do not provide editable blank versions of the application.

    • When answering the questions, make sure you don't miss any of the subcomponents of the questions. Questions may be multi-faceted, and you want to ensure that you are responding to question in full

    • Ensure that you consider the character count and weight of each section when developing your responses. Character counts and the weight for each section will help you understand which sections to apply more time and resources to.

    Slide 6 - Tips - Strengthening Applications (1/2)

    • When completing your application, please keep in mind that the program can only evaluate the content that you’ve included. Do not refer to external sources, and integrate all necessary content into the application and eligible supplementary documents

    • All eligible supplementary attachments will be listed in the applicant guide and any attachment that is not included in the list, or is not completed in adherence with program guidance, will not be included in the evaluation

    • Note that all Letters of Contribution should follow the template provided by the program, or they will not be included in the evaluation

    • Speaking of Letters of Contribution, note that project partners are evaluated based on their appropriateness for the specific project and their ability to advance the project successfully.

    • Ensure consistency throughout your application, and between eligible attachments and the application form.

    Slide 7 – More - Strengthening Applications (2/2)

    • Minimize references to previous sections of the application where possible – if a point needs to be repeated due to the relevance for multiple questions, reiterate the point so that reviewers do not need to jump back and forth from question to question while reviewing your project

    • Any claims made throughout your application need to be supported. Whether it be claims about the technology, the incumbent you aim to replace, or your GHG reduction calculations, all assumptions need to be clearly articulated

    • There are no trick questions. Read each question carefully, understand what is being asked for, and answer exactly that. Evaluation criteria is based on the question - it will help the reviewers if the response is directly answering the question.

    • And finally, although each section is evaluated separately, strong applications always have a cohesive narrative. Afterall, the questions are all about a single project.

    • Read through your responses with the critical lens of 'does this make sense as a single project? Are all the components clearly connected?’

    • The presentation of information is important, and will help ensure that your application is clear, easy to understand, and increase the likelihood it will score well

    Slide 9 – Conclusion Slide

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