Ecosystem Development Partnerships Program

Building Alberta’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and creating competitive advantage through collaboration.

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Program at a Glance

Program Status: Active
Priority Area(s): Building Alberta’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and creating competitive advantage through collaboration.

Eligibility

Program Status: Active
Alberta-based: No

Overview

The Ecosystem Development Partnership Program aims to enhance the research and innovation ecosystem in Alberta. By working together to converge services and initiatives, we will foster provincial strengths, new industries and enhance value throughout the entire system and its operations. Click the image to view a larger version.

Partner with us as we build a research and innovation economy in Alberta that serves as a competitive advantage for innovators and simultaneously transform products and services for Albertans.

The program is managed across multiple business units at Alberta Innovates, including Entrepreneurial Investments, Post-secondary Investments and Emerging Technologies, Health Innovation, Health Platforms, and Agri-Food Innovation.

Program priority areas

The program is focused on the following priority areas*:

  • Health Innovation projects aim to strengthen economic competitiveness and enhance well-being in Alberta by fostering a thriving health innovation community.
  • Entrepreneur ecosystem projects focus on working together with the community, supporting diversity and inclusion, and filling gaps in services for technology entrepreneurs, from the early idea stage to scaling up their businesses.
  • Agri-food innovation projects aim to connect technology development with practical use in the agri-food industry through collaboration and service-driven initiatives.
  • Technology innovation hub projects bring different activities and research together to strengthen Alberta’s technology development community, helping us discover, develop, and use new technologies. The goal is to create stronger industries and bring more value to our province.
  • Clean Energy projects focus on boosting economic growth and decarbonization in Advanced Hydrocarbons and Clean Technology by fostering collaboration and leveraging resources, accelerating innovative ideas to fruition.
*Projects outside of our priority areas that demonstrate high value to the entrepreneur client journey may be considered. Alberta-wide initiatives preferred. Regional initiatives and gaps should be address with your local regional innovation network.

Open Intakes

​​Ecosystem Development Partnership Program​ - Intake

Due date: Continuous

More details

Eligibility

Qualified applicants are those focused on:

  • Providing communities, services and supports for inventors and entrepreneurs traversing the client journey.
  • Building capacity, platforms and/or networks.

This program is not meant to help individual applicants directly. Instead, its purpose is to support innovators in Alberta and promote collaboration and opportunities within the ecosystem. The program does not provide support for research projects, sponsorships, or product development projects at companies or post-secondary institutions

How To Apply

This program is accepting applications continuously, as of July 27, 2023.

  1. Complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) form in our online application portal (SmartSimple) for evaluation. Successful applicants will be invited to submit a Full Proposal and assigned a Project Advisor.
  2. Submit Full Proposal for evaluation. Applicants will have four (4) weeks from EOI approval to submit the Full Proposal. Applicants may be requested to present their proposed project and/or provide additional information throughout the review.

Depending on volume, applications received after December 1, 2023, may be held until April 1, 2024.

Evaluation Process

All applications are reviewed and evaluated to determine fit with the Ecosystem Development Partnerships Program objectives and intended outcomes. Alberta Innovates’ staff and external expert reviewers are engaged to evaluate applications.

For more information, consult the Program Guide.

Support Resources

Contact

Dayna Misener

Business Partner, Entrepreneurial Investments


Open and Upcoming Intakes

​​Ecosystem Development Partnership Program​ - Intake

Building Alberta’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and creating competitive advantage though collaboration.

Funded Projects

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