Accelerating Innovations into CarE (AICE) – Validate Program
“Alberta. Alberta Innovates”
$300,000.00
Maximum Eligible Amount
Government Grant
Fund Type
Accelerating Innovations into CarE (AICE) - Validate is an opportunity for Alberta's health-tech innovators to accelerate commercialization of digital and data-enabled health innovations. AICE-Validate supports innovators in rapidly progressing towards market across the key domains of: Product Development, Business Readiness, Product-Market Fit, and Regulatory Compliance.
Overview
The AICE program supports Alberta health technology ventures to grow and generate the evidence needed along their journey to achieve validation, market access, and start scaling. The objectives are to mitigate the risks faced by innovative Alberta health technology SMEs that require preclinical and clinical evidence to get to market by providing non-dilutive funding and access to advice and partners along the way.
AICE offers two funding streams, Validate, and Market Access, based-upon the proposed project activities and the stage of readiness of the technology, the product-market fit, the business, and regulatory compliance:
The roadmap is a guide to assess your stage of readiness and alignment to the program streams. Applicants will work closely with Alberta Innovates to determine which funding stream is most appropriate during the application process.
Funding Available:up to 75% of total eligible Project Costs depending on stream:
| Funding Stream: | AICE-Validate | AICE-Market Access |
| Funding limit from Alberta Innovates: | up to $300,000 | up to $300,000-600,000* |
| What the funding stream supports: | Technology refinement and early validation of technology safety, efficacy and value proposition. | Later stage efficacy validation and post-market studies to achieve market access and adoption in various jurisdictions. |
| Stage required before applying: | Readiness level 4 in all domains completed | Readiness level 6 in all domains completed |
*to apply for more than $300,000 under the AICE Market Access program stream see the Program Guide for details.
A minimum of 25 per cent of total eligible Project Costs must be provided by the Applicant as cash or in-kind contributions.
Term: Up to 24 months
The success of this program will be measured in aggregate across the portfolio of projects. While individual project outcomes are expected, all projects should align with the Program Objectives and contribute to the Indicators of Success outlined below:
Program Objectives:
Generate economic benefits to the province by commercializing Alberta- health technologies that will make a positive health impact, both locally and globally.
Outcomes
- Increase the number of Alberta health technologies that commercially advance, achieve regulatory compliance, enter the market and are available to patients and care providers; and
- Attract private investment, generate revenue growth, and create high quality jobs within Alberta’s health and life sciences industry.
Indicators of success
- (%) projects progressing along client journey.
- (#) products achieving regulatory approvals
- ($) investment attraction.
- ($) revenue generation.
- (%) growth in employees.
Open Intakes
AICE - Intake
Due date: Continuous
Eligibility
The AICE program is open to:
- Alberta-based for-profit Small-medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) with an Alberta footprint, which is determined by the following:
- Significant physical and corporate operational presence in Alberta.
- Appropriate Alberta ownership.
- Discernable intent that operational benefits will flow primarily within the province of Alberta;
with projects that include:
- Innovative technologies with potential to directly improve health outcomes and require significant preclinical, safety or clinical efficacy evidence generation to ultimately achieve regulatory approval, reimbursement and/or market adoption
Generally NOT a good fit:
- business management and operational clinic or hospital backend software, natural health products, and unregulated products, such as digital health information apps, virtual communication platforms, direct to consumer goods, wellness products, etc..
Consult the Program Guide for further eligibility criteria and our website for other programs you may be eligible for.
How To Apply
- Self Assess Fit– Review the Program Guide (posted above) and Support Resources below to confirm fit to all eligibility requirements and program objectives.
- Intake Form– Complete the “AICE Intake Form” via SmartSimple, our online application portal. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit an Intake Form as early as possible, and no later than 6 weeks before a Full Application submission deadline.
- Intake Meeting– Wait for us to schedule an intake meeting with you to ensure program fit and provide support. Applicants who demonstrate appropriate readiness and meet basic eligibility requirements will be invited to apply.
- Full Application– Complete the Full Application via our online application portal. Full Applications are reviewed in multiple cohorts throughout the year. Upcoming application dates are noted below.
If you have any questions about the application process, feel free to contact Alberta Innovates at any time.
Application Deadlines
Applicants must submit Intake Forms at least 6 weeks in advance of the posted application deadline to be considered, and must submit their Full Applications by 4:00 pm Mountain time on the following submission dates:
- July 18, 2025 (Intake deadline: June 6, 2025)
- October 17, 2025 (Intake deadline September 5, 2025)
- January 16, 2026 (Intake deadline December 5, 2025)
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