Energy Innovation Program: Artificial Intelligence for Canadian Energy Innovation New!

Program Category: Clean Energy

Program Sub-Category: Renewable Energy, Innovation

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Status: Open

Funder

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)

Deadline Details

To apply, applicants must complete and submit their Expression of Interest (EOI) via the application portal by 1:00 p.m. ET on December 4, 2025.

The Call’s project selection process has two phases:

Expression of Interest (EOI) phase, open to all eligible applicants
Full Project Proposal (FPP) phase, open to invited applicants only, with deadline to submit in Spring 2026.

Funder Organization Type

Federal Government

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Canadian Energy Innovation Call for Proposals (the “Call”) will fund applied research, development and demonstration (RD&D) of AI solutions that accelerate the pace of, and lower the costs associated with, energy technology innovation. This Call aims to fund high-impact projects that catalyze national expertise to develop and use novel Canadian-made AI solutions to accelerate domestic energy innovation.

This Call will support projects that address the impact statement by meeting all three of the following call objectives:

Develop and use AI solutions to lower the cost, time and/or energy use of traditional methods to advance new energy innovations
Bring together AI and energy technology innovators to promote knowledge exchange
Promote Canadian energy data availability, accessibility and security across the energy innovation ecosystem

The Call’s project selection process has two phases:

Expression of Interest (EOI) phase, open to all eligible applicants
Full Project Proposal (FPP) phase, open to invited applicants only

To apply, applicants must complete and submit their Expression of Interest (EOI) via the application portal by 1:00 p.m. ET on December 4, 2025.

Eligible Community

Eligible Canadian Recipients will be:

Legal entities validly incorporated or registered in Canada including:

Provincial, territorial, regional and municipal governments and their departments and agencies where applicable.
Indigenous:
- Indigenous communities or governments
- Tribal Councils or entities that fulfill a similar function (e.g. general councils)
- National or regional Indigenous councils, or tribal organizations
- Indigenous (majority owned and controlled by Indigenous people) for-profit or not-for-profit organizations

For the purposes of this Applicant Guide, the term “Indigenous” is understood to include Inuit, Métis, and First Nations individuals, or any combination thereof.

Required Community Contribution

Community contribution required (please see program website)

Funding Stacking Restrictions

Yes

Stacking of funding (i.e. total government support for a project) will be supported to a maximum of 100% of the Total Project Cost. However, preference will be given to applicants who leverage funding from non-government sources. Note that this does not apply to Indigenous applicants, given their eligibility for a contribution of up to 100% of the Total Project Cost.

Other Eligible Applicants

Indigenous Economic Agencies
Indigenous-owned Businesses
Businesses / For-profit
Indigenous Organizations
Non-governmental Organizations / Not-for-Profits
Academic Institutions

Legal entities validly incorporated or registered in Canada including:

For-profit and not-for-profit organizations
Community groups
Canadian academic institutions

Range of Funding Available per Project

From $100 000 to $1 000 000
Over $1 000 000

Description of Funding

The Call is open to projects requesting a call contribution percentage up to 75% of total project costs, or up to 100% for Indigenous applicants. The minimum contribution from EIP is $500,000, and the maximum contribution is $1,500,000. Funding is available between April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2030.

Eligible Costs

Capital Costs
Equipment/Material Purchase
Staff Costs
Training

Eligible expenditures for an approved project must be directly related to, and necessary for, the implementation and conduct of a project and will include:

Salaries and benefits for employees on the payroll of the Recipient for the actual time spent by the employees on the project.
Training and workshops.
Professional, scientific, technical and contracting services.
Travel expenditures, including meals and accommodation, based on National Joint Council Rates, adjusted to reflect costs in Northern and remote areas, where appropriate.
Capital expenditures such as the purchase, installation, testing and commissioning of qualifying equipment, materials and products, including diagnostic, testing tools and instruments, and original equipment manufacturer equipment warranty (including extended warranties where deemed appropriate to mitigate risk and lack of capacity).
Other expenses related to the project or activity including:
- Laboratory and field supplies, and materials;
- Printing services and translation;
- Data collection services, including processing, analysis and management;
- Facility costs for seminars, conference room rentals etc. (excluding hospitality);
- Construction Insurance;
- Accreditation;
- License fees and permits;
- Honoraria;
- Training; and
- Field testing services.
Overhead expenditures, provided they are directly related to the conduct of the project and can be attributed to it. Overhead expenditures can be included as Eligible Expenditures to a maximum of 15% of Eligible

Expenditures. Overhead expenditures include:
- Administrative and corporate support provided directly to the project by the Recipient's employee(s), valued on the same basis as professional staff time;
- Routine laboratory and field equipment maintenance, based on the actual expenditure to a Recipient;
- Office operating expenses directly related to the conduct of the project (e.g. faxes, telephone, photocopies, internet, SAT phones, and office equipment);
- Costs associated with further distribution of funding; and
- A predetermined overhead percentage (based on evidence provided by the Recipient of expected overhead expenditures at the time of contribution agreement negotiation), may be set and subsequently applied to each claim, in order to avoid unnecessary administrative burden to funding Recipients.
GST, PST or HST, net of any tax rebate to which the Recipient is entitled.

Ineligible Costs

Any costs incurred prior to signing a funding agreement
Building Purchase Costs
Land Acquisition

Costs ineligible for reimbursement from the Call (but permitted as part of the proponent’s contribution to the Total Project Cost) will include:

All costs incurred within the Total Project Cost period but outside the Eligible Expenditure Period are considered as Ineligible Expenditures.
Overhead expenses exceeding 15% of Eligible Expenditures may be included as Ineligible Expenditures and count towards the proponent’s portion of the Total Project Cost provided that the sum of overhead expenses
(Eligible plus Ineligible) does not exceed 15% of the Total Project Cost.
The reimbursable portion of Federal and Provincial Taxes.
In-kind costs.

Reporting Requirements

Progress reports and final reports

Expected Timeframe for Funding Decision

Notification of EOI results will be Winter 2026

How to apply:

Phase 1. Expression of Interest (EOI)

Determine your eligibility to apply – Review the Applicant Guide.
Complete and submit an EOI.
EOI Evaluation – EOIs will be reviewed by the Technical Review Committee.
EOI Results – NRCan will notify applicants of the EOI evaluation results and invite successful applicants to the FPP phase.

Phase 2. Full Project Proposal (FPP) - Invited Applicants Only

Complete and submit an FPP.
FPP Evaluation – FPPs will be reviewed by the Technical Review and Investment Review Committees.
Project Selection – NRCan will notify applicants of the FPP evaluation results.