Innovation Catalyst Grant

“Alberta”

$250,000.00

Maximum Eligible Amount

Government Grant

Fund Type

The Innovation Catalyst Grant program is boosting technology commercialization from Alberta’s universities, increasing the pool of highly talented people and enhancing public and private investment attraction to the province.

Overview

The Innovation Catalyst Grant (ICG) is a pan-Alberta entrepreneurial fellowship designed to support recent Master’s or PhD graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

This grant provides a 2-year runway for applicants to develop and commercialize innovative, science-based products and services that contain a hardware component.

It is designed to provide aspiring entrepreneurs with:

annual stipend
seed funding
lab and office access
technical mentorship
business development and networking

The ICG has annual intakes from 2022 to 2025 and is administered by the University of Alberta, University of Calgary, and University of Lethbridge, with participation and oversight by the Ministry of Technology and Innovation.

Read the ICG Program Guidelines for more information.

Eligibility

To qualify as an ICG Fellow, applicants must:

have completed a Master’s or PhD in a STEM discipline within the last 5 years
be the lead innovator(s) of a science-based technology with a hardware component
commit to the Fellowship full-time (no other employment or academic enrollment)
be a resident of Alberta with the legal right to work in Canada throughout the program
be prepared and able to incorporate the venture in Alberta or Canada once accepted and operate in Alberta for at least 3 years after the conclusion of the ICG Fellowship

Applicants will not be able to attend full or part-time educational training or maintain monetary-based affiliations with established companies during participation.

Eligible projects must:

be an innovative STEM-based technology with a hardware component
have secure (or be in the process of securing) intellectual property rights by the expression of interest stage
- Full access must be confirmed at the full proposal stage

Successful applicants (Fellows) will be awarded up to $250,000 over 2 years in stipend and seed funding.

How to apply

Applications are evaluated through a competitive, merit-based process as outlined in the ICG Program Guidelines. Reviewers include internal and external experts under non-disclosure agreements. Final decisions are made by host universities by the Ministry of Technology and Innovation.

Application steps:

Submit an expression of interest through the Innovation Catalyst Grant Application Form.
- Applicants are encouraged to submit early to receive feedback from program managers.
Submit a full proposal including a budget (by invitation only).
- Includes budget details.
- Template will be provided.
Interview and business pitch.
Evaluation by Expert Committee.
Final selection by universities.