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Program at a Glance

Program Status: Active
Strategic Initiative: Hydrogen Centre of Excellence
Business Area: Clean Technology
Priority Area(s): Funding projects to further develop hydrogen technology and its effect on Alberta's economy.

Eligibility

Program Status: Active
Alberta-based: Yes
Organization Type: Academic Institutions & Researchers
Government or Public Entity
Individual or Sole Proprietor
Not-for-Profit
Post-Secondary Students
Small to Medium Enterprise

Overview

Funded projects will activate the centre’s objectives of:

  • Developing and deploying hydrogen-focused technologies;
  • Strengthening Alberta’s environmental, social, and corporate governance credentials while spurring economic growth;
  • Building a sustainable and self-sufficient clean hydrogen economy in Alberta; and
  • Increasing Alberta’s technology strength in clean hydrogen technology deployment.

Alberta’s Hydrogen Roadmap

The program is directed towards developing projects that support the goals of Alberta’s Hydrogen Roadmap, which you can view here, following the identification of hydrogen as an emerging market in the Natural Gas Vision and Strategy. Funding aims to achieve the integration of clean hydrogen into Alberta’s domestic energy system for use in mobility, heat, power generation, and renewable energy storage, and industrial applications, in addition to establishing the province as a major global supplier in clean energy exports. Projects that contribute towards the Hydrogen Roadmap outcomes and targets will be considered within the scope of this competition.

Eligibility

(a) Applicant Eligibility Criteria

Competition 1 is open to technology developers, industry, industrial associations, small and mediumsized enterprises, research and development (R&D) organizations, post-secondary institutions, municipalities, not-for-profit organizations, and government research labs, providing they are legally able to execute the Investment Agreement, a draft of which is provided on the HCOE Competition 1 web page. Note that the final version of this Investment Agreement may differ slightly from the posted draft. Applicants are not required to be based in Alberta but must demonstrate a clear value proposition for the province.

All corporate Applicants must:

  • have a physical presence in Alberta, or intend to create a physical presence in Alberta;
  • be a legal entity:
    • incorporated in Alberta; or
    • incorporated federally or in another jurisdiction AND extra-provincially registered in Alberta; or
    • a General Partnership, Limited Partnership or Limited Liability Partnership AND registered in Alberta.

All applicants must be in good financial standing with Alberta Innovates and its subsidiaries InnoTech Alberta and C-FER Technologies.

Proposed projects that demonstrate HQP capacity building in Alberta will receive additional consideration for funding.

Collaboration with other project partners is highly encouraged and projects that demonstrate end user engagement and formal partnerships will receive additional consideration for funding.

(b) Project Partner Eligibility Criteria

The project partner(s) is(are) required to satisfy the following criteria:

  • demonstrate the relationship between the applicant and the project partner(s) does not create a conflict of interest;
  • be in good financial standing with Alberta Innovates and its subsidiaries InnoTech Alberta and C-FER Technologies;
  • an industry or other end-user project partner is recommended but not required for post-secondary institution applicants; and
  • federal funding agencies (e.g. NSERC, NRCan, etc.) are considered eligible project partners.

(c) Project Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for funding all projects must:

  • be structured with critical “go/no go” milestones;
  • be completed within the 24-month term; and
  • submit to other criteria that Alberta Innovates may develop from time to time.

How To Apply

  1. Register on SmartSimple, our online application portal.
  2. Attend the Competition 1 Webinar to hear about the details of the funding call and tips on how to complete the applications.
  3. Access, complete, and submit the Clean Resources Intake form.
  4. Await review and notification of outcomes.
  5. Submit your detailed proposal.
  6. Execute an Investment Agreement.

Consult the program guide for further details.

Evaluation Process

Alberta Innovates and the HCOE leverage internal staff and external expert reviewers to evaluate Applications submitted. Alberta Innovates and the HCOE retains the sole right to determine the evaluation process and does not disclose the names of its external reviewers to ensure their objectivity and impartiality. All external parties are subject to confidentiality, non-disclosure, and conflict of interest policies set by Alberta Innovates.

Consult the program guide for further details.

Proposal evaluation is now complete for Competition #1. A public announcement concerning successful applicants was released on February 21, 2023, which you can read here.  You can view the funded projects here.

Support Resources

Contact

David Van Den Assem, B.Sc., MEDes, MBA, LEED Green Associate

Director, Clean Technology


Closed Intakes

Advancing Hydrogen - Competition 1 Intake

Building a hydrogen economy while leveraging Alberta’s existing natural resources and human capacity in the hydrogen economy is a critical component of innovation in the province.

Closed

Registration closed: September 6, 2022 12:00 am

Funded Projects

View All Projects

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