Innovation Catalyst Grant

ICG News

• ICG News Release link: Innovation Catalyst Grant NR
• ICG Website: https://www.alberta.ca/innovation-catalyst-grant.aspx

Overview

The Innovation Catalyst Grant (ICG) is an entrepreneurial fellowship designed to support recent graduates (Master’s or PhD) in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This program provides a 2-year runway for entrepreneurs to develop and commercialize innovative, science-based products and services that contain a hardware component.

The ICG is administered by partner universities (University of Alberta, University of Calgary, and University of Lethbridge) with participation and oversight by the Ministry of Technology and Innovation.

The program has intake windows in each of the next two years; 2024 and 2025.

The ICG is designed to provide aspiring entrepreneurs with:

• annual stipend

• seed funding

• lab and office access

• technical mentorship and support

• business development and networking

Government of Alberta Strategic Investment

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit applications that align with Alberta’s research and innovation priorities. Alignment with these priorities does not preclude the submission of applications in other technology areas, particularly those of potential high impact; however, priority will be given to applications that support the ATIS priorities.

Objective

The Innovation Catalyst Grant is designed to:

• Accelerate spin-out of high-quality, science-based companies.
• Encourage university graduates to pursue tech entrepreneurship in Alberta.
• Enable the translation of disruptive research to deployable and scalable technology solutions.
• Expand access to private capital and increases investment deal flow.
• Leverage and support new investment in Alberta’s research and innovation capacity.

Eligibility

The applicant must be:

• A graduate of an advanced STEM program (Masters, Ph.D.) within the last five years;
• The primary technology innovator of a science-based business/product concept with a hardware component;
• Able to demonstrate access or reasonable steps toward the legal right to commercialize the underlying intellectual property (IP);
• Be able and willing to incorporate and operate in Alberta, and when reasonable, continue to operate in Alberta for at least three years after the conclusion of the ICG FellowshipFull-time participant in the program for the two-year term; applicant will not be able to attend educational training or maintain monetary-based affiliations during the program; and
• A resident of Alberta with the legal right to work in Canada throughout the program

Program Contacts

University of Alberta – Claire Kay, claire.kay@ualberta.ca

University of Calgary – Miranda Stahn, mstahn@innovatecalgary.com

University of Lethbridge – Agility, agility@uleth.ca

Featured Applicants