Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) is committing $50 million through its new Circular Economy Challenge to accelerate the province’s transition towards a low-emissions economy. The investment from the Government of Alberta is focused on advancing innovations that will reduce the impacts of material production, processing, and disposal, and support economic diversification.
Circular Economy solutions can contribute to widespread environmental, economic, and social benefits by reducing the impacts of material production, processing, and disposal and supporting economic diversification into lower-emissions products. Funding can accelerate the transition to a circular economy and keep valuable materials out of landfills while driving investment in our province, bolstering economic activity, creating jobs, and reducing emissions.
Successful applicants are eligible for up to $10 million with a minimum request of $500,000. ERA will match private contributions to a single project for up to 50 per cent of the project’s eligible expenses. The application deadline is Thursday, May 26, 2022, at 5 p.m. (MST). Late submissions will not be accepted. ERA’s Steve MacDonald, CEO, Mark Summers, Chief Strategy Officer, and Justin Wheler, Executive Director of Technology and Innovation, hosted an informational webinar on Thursday, April 14, 2022, at 9 a.m. (MST).
Who should apply?
Innovators, technology developers, Indigenous communities, industrial facility owners and operators, industrial associations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), research and development organizations, universities, municipalities, not-for-profit organizations, government research labs, and individuals are invited to apply.
Partnerships are encouraged. Consortiums help attract and retain highly skilled workers, increase Alberta’s innovation capacity, engage local communities, and leverage complementary resources. Applicants are encouraged to partner with Alberta’s post-secondary and research institutions, Indigenous communities, co-operative organizations, and municipalities where they can.
FOCUS AREAS
Projects of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Novel solutions for treatment and upcycling of wastewater and solid wastes; waste-to-value-add products (e.g.: upcycling of agriculture, forestry, construction, municipal, and mining wastes).
- Novel mineral sources (e.g.: lithium brines, carbonates, etc.) and high-value material extraction from waste streams/products (e.g.: tailings, fly ash, lignin, etc.)
- Metals and minerals recycling and reuse.
- Innovative solutions for agriculture/food waste reduction and/or upcycling (e.g.: fertilizer production from waste).
- Advanced plastics recycling and circular plastics technologies.
- Green materials (e.g., hemp, novel forest products, novel cement chemistries, novel plastics, etc.)
- Feedstock substitution (e.g.: biogenic inputs, material recovery, industrial symbiosis, etc.)
- Advanced manufacturing including digitization and automation of product manufacturing and logistics.
- Carbon dioxide conversion or utilization.