Climate Innovation Grant Program

Expression of interest intake for the 2024 grant stream is now closed.

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We want your groundbreaking, innovative, and low-emissions projects. 

We know that Calgary and Edmonton need support to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That is why we offer funding to a variety of organizations for local low-carbon solutions, so you can take your remarkable emission reducing project from idea to reality.

Download Grant Guidelines

We can make a difference by doing things differently. From technology demonstration to collective impact, and policy advancement, we support a variety of projects that inspire innovation and create tangible benefits in our communities. Most importantly, we want to support and strengthen those working on groundbreaking solutions to the climate emergency.  Plus, we only support solutions that can be scaled up, and have the potential to make a meaningful difference for the long haul.

All program criteria are available on this page, or you can download a PDF of the grant program guidelines.

Contact our Program Specialists in advance of your EOI to discuss project fit (book a 30-minute call with Stefanie or Adil).

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We recorded short videos to explain the Climate Innovation Grant Program focus areas, challenge statements and application process.

Watch the Climate Innovation grant program videos

These videos shed more light on the challenge statements in our Focus Areas and highlight the type of initiatives that we support through this program.

Watch the Climate Innovation grant program videos

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Focus Areas

Projects are eligible for funding if they align with a Challenge Statement in one of our four focus areas.

  1. 1

    Overarching or Foundational

    1. Groups trying to advance actual climate solutions run into unexpected roadblocks. Projects in this category will address systemic, regulatory, and/or policy barriers to the deployment of low carbon products, technologies or processes.
      Project example: Reducing the additional costs incurred when developing large scale solar project; addressing social and technical barriers to enable heat pump installations.
  2. 2

    Building Better and Retrofitting Wiser

    1. Our current building stock must be retrofitted rapidly and the performance of new buildings must improve faster than what energy codes currently mandate. Projects in this category will increase capacity or advance efforts to build and retrofit residential and commercial buildings on a pathway to emission neutral standards.
      Project example: Home Performance Stakeholder Council (HPSC) in British Columbia.
    2. Considering the whole life cycle of a building, including the embodied carbon - the greenhouse gas emissions arising from the manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance, and disposal of building materials - provides an opportunity for further reductions beyond targeting the operations of a building. Projects in this category will explore the impact of considering embodied carbon in the construction and retrofitting of buildings. 
      Project example: BEAM - Building Emissions Accounting for Materials estimator tool for assessing the carbon footprint of building materials.
  3. 3

    Moving on Mobility

    1. Active transportation, as an alternative to single occupancy vehicles, can be encouraged in numerous ways that doesn't always involve large scale changes to existing infrastructure. Projects in this category will identify practical, tangible, or low-cost improvements, such as minor infrastructure changes, adoption of software, tools, or new systems, to encourage active mobility.
      Project example: Software solutions addressing accessible routes for those who wouldn’t normally consider active transportation, neighborhood-level infrastructure improvements for cycling.
    2. To support the transition to zero emissions vehicles, we will require a robust public charging network. Projects in this category will accelerate publicly accessible fast-charging infrastructure for zero emissions vehicles.
      Project example: Deployment of strategic publicly accessible fast-charging stations
    3. Vehicles that drive a lot, such as taxis and delivery vans, have a bigger impact when they are replaced with low emissions options. Projects in this category will deploy tactics or tools to decarbonize urban freight and/or vehicle for hire activity.
      Project examples: Demonstrating the efficacy of electric-cargo bikes or low emissions vehicles as a last-kilometer solution.
  4. 4

    Decarbonization and Renewable Energy

    1. As we electrify our buildings and transportation sector, reducing the usage of emissions intensive fuels and minimizing the strain on our electricity grid will be necessary. Projects in this category will enable electrification at the building or neighborhood scale, while minimizing the strain on the grid and/or enable alternative low emissions fuels to move towards emissions neutral neighborhoods, buildings and transportation.
      Project examples: SunAlta Power Inc. project on distributed generation, Passive House Alberta’s exploration of load sharing devices
    2. Modeling suggests that removing carbon from the atmosphere is necessary to reach net zero emissions. Projects in this category will remove and sequester carbon in urban centers via technology solutions. 
      Project examples: Alberta Ecotrust Foundation's Carbon Capture for Nonprofits pilot in partnership with Clean O2.

Get up to $100,000

We support a diverse range of activities in both Calgary and Edmonton. You can request up to $100,000 in funding.

  1. 1

    Calgary

    $525,000 is available for projects that benefit Calgary.

  2. 2

    Edmonton

    $400,000 is available for projects that benefit Edmonton.

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Are you eligible?

Organizations are able to submit more than one project at the Expression of Interest stage, but only one full application will be accepted per City, per grant round.

The following organizations are eligible to apply for the Climate Innovation Grant Program:

  • Nonprofit and Qualified Canadian Donees (charitable) organizations are eligible to apply for projects based in Calgary or Edmonton.

  • The Cities of Edmonton and Calgary.

Contact our grant team if you are unsure if you can apply

Book a call with a Program Specialist

Program Timeline

  1. 1

    January 29-February 26: Expression of Interest Stage

    The application portal will open on January 29, 2024 at 9 a.m. MST. Expressions of Interest must be submitted by February 26, 2024 by 6 p.m. MST. We strongly encourage you to meet with our program team to discuss your project prior to submitting an Expression of Interest.

    During the call, staff will:

    • Get to know your organization and project objectives and work directly with you to ensure your project fits within the Climate Innovation funding focus areas.

    • Connect you with additional resources and partners, if applicable.

    • Build a relationship with you and help you improve the quality of your application.

    Book a 30-minute call with Stefanie for Edmonton based projects or book a call with Adil for Calgary based projects. 

  2. 2

    February 27-March 13: EOI Screen

    • Our team will screen all Expressions of Interest, utilizing the evaluative criteria detailed in the Application Scorecard. 

    • Then we will invite a short list of applicants to submit full proposals.

    • We’ll offer direct feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

  3. 3

    April 1-April 30: Full Applications

    • Our team will work closely with those invited to apply. We will assist you in technical and financial due diligence, providing feedback and direction from the Expression of Interest stage.

  4. 4

    May-July: Decision Making

    • Our Grant Review Committee will decide which projects to fund. Whether or not you are successful, we will reach out to you to confirm and discuss.

  5. 5

    August-September: Feedback

    • All unsuccessful applicants will be offered feedback regarding the decision and their project from AEF staff.

Resources for Applicants

About the Climate Innovation Fund

This program is funded through the Climate Innovation Fund which aims to accelerate urban climate solutions in Calgary and Edmonton.

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What our grantees are saying...

  • “We need to better understand the materials and technologies we are utilizing in the housing economy to reduce our footprint. We will research the potential emissions savings from building new homes using 3D printed concrete technology vs. traditional methods and materials. The project also has significant co-benefits as we demonstrate this technology in a Veterans Village in the neighbourhood of Evansdale to provide economical, efficient pocket homes in an infill neighborhood that can help our veterans transition to permanent housing and live in harmony within our neighbourhoods again.”
    Yasushi Ohki, Executive Director, Green Violin Development Company
  • “The Climate Innovation Grant from Alberta Ecotrust provides us with seed funding that allows the Institute to start engagement of private and public sector partners, collaboratively design the demonstration project in a manner that is equitable and allows various stakeholders to gain valuable lessons, as well as share the learnings widely through Calgary and beyond. Enabling EV charging in apartments allows more Albertans to literally bring home the important energy transition that is happening around the world.”
    Binnu Jeyakumar, Director, Clean Energy, Pembina Institute
  • “We need to better understand the materials and technologies we are utilizing in the housing economy to reduce our footprint. We will research the potential emissions savings from building new homes using 3D printed concrete technology vs. traditional methods and materials. The project also has significant co-benefits as we demonstrate this technology in a Veterans Village in the neighbourhood of Evansdale to provide economical, efficient pocket homes in an infill neighborhood that can help our veterans transition to permanent housing and live in harmony within our neighbourhoods again.”
    Yasushi Ohki, Executive Director, Green Violin Development Company
  • “The Climate Innovation Grant from Alberta Ecotrust provides us with seed funding that allows the Institute to start engagement of private and public sector partners, collaboratively design the demonstration project in a manner that is equitable and allows various stakeholders to gain valuable lessons, as well as share the learnings widely through Calgary and beyond. Enabling EV charging in apartments allows more Albertans to literally bring home the important energy transition that is happening around the world.”
    Binnu Jeyakumar, Director, Clean Energy, Pembina Institute

Projects we've funded

  • Landscape shot of Edmonton downtown

    Policy Tools for Low-Energy and Emission Buildings

    Community Energy Association is exploring regulatory and incentive structures the City of Edmonton can use to reduce emissions in new construction.

  • Machine 3D printing a home.

    3D Printed Homes to Reduce GHG Emissions

    Green Violin’s is aiming to use low carbon in their 3D Concrete Printed House technology to bring affordable and efficient homes to Edmonton.

Frequently Asked Questions

Resources for Grantees

Contact our grant team if you have further questions: grants@albertaecotrust.com or by calling 403-209-2245, or 1-800-465-2147 (outside of Calgary).

Thank you to our grant program contributors.

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