Ecosystem Development Partnerships Program

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Filling the gaps in Alberta’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

The Ecosystem Development Partnerships (EDP) Program is designed to support entities to enhance the research and innovation ecosystem in Alberta. Entities are invited to converge services and initiatives working together to create provincial strengths, new industries and enhance value throughout the entire system and its operations. 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 and Platforms, and Agri-Food Innovation.

Qualified applicants

We are seeking qualified applicants for the Ecosystem Development Partnerships Program with services and initiatives that contribute to filling ecosystem gaps along the client journey.

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Qualified applicants are those focused on:

• providing communities, services and supports for inventors and entrepreneurs traversing the client journey;
• supporting key markets with the ability to implement and adopt innovations;
• accelerating the development and/or application of emerging technologies and technology companies, and
• building capacity, platforms and/or networks.

Program priority areas

The program is focused on the following priority areas*:

Digital health

A project or suite of projects focused on developing a robust and coordinated digital health economy in Alberta and supporting digital health implementation and adoption. We are seeking partners to: (i) support the implementation and adoption of made-in-Alberta health technologies, (ii) enable innovation culture through talent development and attraction initiatives, and (iii) accelerate health research using a data-enabled approach.

Entrepreneur ecosystems

A project or suite of projects focused on facilitating collaboration with the ecosystem, intentionally supporting equity, diversity and inclusion, and complementing existing technology entrepreneur and business services filling gaps along the client journey from Ideation to Scaleup. This includes non-duplicative opportunities that augment the ecosystem with specialized knowledge not addressed currently in the ecosystem.

Agri-food innovation

A project or suite of projects seeking to bridge the gap between technology development and commercialization and adoption in the agri-food sector through collaborative service-driven initiatives. This includes initiatives that leverage resources, reduce duplication, and broaden reach strengthen Alberta’s research and innovation ecosystem and create an unparalleled opportunity to accelerate the best ideas for a sustainable and diversified agri-food economy.

Innovative technology hubs

Multi-organizational collaboration projects focusing on collision of activities, research, and projects that strengthen and converge Alberta’s emerging technology development ecosystem and increase capacity to discover, develop and use emerging technologies in Alberta to create provincial strengths, new industries and enhance value throughout the entire system and its operations.

*Projects outside of our priority areas that demonstrate high value to the entrepreneur client journey will be considered. Alberta-wide initiatives preferred. Regional initiatives and gaps should be address with your local regional innovation network.

How the program works

Application process

Submissions to the Ecosystem Development Partnerships Program will be evaluated using a two-stage application process:

1. Application registration* – complete the Non-Confidential Summary section of the application Expression of Interest application form via the online application portal. Note for new users of the application portal: Account Registration is not the same a Registering an application for a competition. Please complete the required sections of the application form and save a draft.
2. Stage 1 expression of interest  – submit a complete Expression of Interest form via the online application portal
3. Stage 2 full proposal – success stage 1 applicants are invited to submit a complete Full Proposal application via the online application portal

The program is highly competitive, and only the highest quality projects will be considered for funding.

*Registered applicants will receive feedback on their proposal prior to the EOI deadline. Non-registered applicants may still submit an EOI by the deadline (August 24 at 4:00 pm MST). No extensions will be given for the EOI or full proposal deadlines.

Key dates

The Full Proposal deadline is at 4:00 pm MST on October 28, 2022.

Program resources

Program documents

• Ecosystem Development Partnerships program guide
• Online application portal
• Standard investment agreement
• Eligible and ineligible expenses

Related ecosystem investments

We are pleased to contribute funding to projects supporting and strengthening Alberta’s ecosystem. Read press releases here and here.

Related programs and services

• Alberta Scaleup and Growth Accelerator Program
• Regional Innovation Networks, connect with the innovation ecosystem and technology entrepreneur supports in Alberta.
• Health Innovation Platform Partnerships
• Connectica, a database to help connect Alberta’s innovative technology entrepreneurs to publicly funded or not-for-profit services, funding and facilities.
• Search other Alberta Innovates’ programs