The NRCan-backed program will support decarbonizing and increasing the competitiveness of Canada’s EV battery supply chain
The Federal Government is looking offering companies millions of dollars for applications to its Battery Industry Acceleration Call program to increase success and competitiveness of Canada’s battery sector.
The NRCan-backed program will support decarbonizing and increasing the competitiveness of Canada’s EV battery supply chain
The Federal Government is looking to offer companies millions of dollars for applications to its Battery Industry Acceleration Call program to increase the success and competitiveness of Canada’s battery sector.
The program, which opened for applications this month, is focussing its investments in four key areas of the supply chain: materials, components, cells and packs.
“The global cumulative battery demand from 2022 to 2050 is set to increase nearly 150-fold to stay on track to meet the 2050 net-zero goal,” reads the government announcement.
“This call for proposals (“the call”) will fund research and development (R&D) projects and demonstration projects that will help accelerate battery value chain decarbonization, security, and competitiveness for Canada. The call will also contribute to federal efforts to strengthen the network of Canadian battery innovators to help grow world-class Canadian firms in the battery value chain.”
The funding call is part of the Office of Energy Research and Development’s newly created battery innovation portfolio. The Energy Innovation Program — which will deliver the funding — is under the umbrella of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).
Only for-profit entities are eligible to submit applications.
What is the Energy Innovation Program?
The Energy Innovation Program (EIP) has quietly been making investments in clean technologies since 2019. It is under direct management from the Office of Energy Research and Development (OERD).
“OERD’s programs target “missions” to realize a clean energy future and a sustainable natural resources sector,” reads the Office’s website.
Previous calls for funding covered smart grids, carbon capture, clean fuels and on-road decarbonization technologies.
Battery Industry Acceleration priorities
The Battery Industry Acceleration Call is open to applications for projects requesting $500,000 to $3,000,000 for R&D (up to 75 per cent of total project cost) and demonstration projects requesting $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 (comprising up to 50 per cent of total project cost).
The funding will cover a maximum of five years. Projects must start on or after April 1, 2025, and no later than March 31, 2026.
The Battery Industry Acceleration identifies four key funding priorities for projects to address:
- Improved performance, affordability, supply chain resiliency, and/or environmental footprint of batteries
- Demonstrating improved performance and/or cost of batteries for mobility and/or stationary storage applications
- Scale-up of non-commercial chemistries, advanced manufacturing processes, and/or processing techniques of battery production
- Novel use cases and/or business model innovation for batteries
“The innovation of the project must take place inside the cell, and target the materials (anode or cathode active materials or precursors), a component (such as electrolyte, current collector, additives etc.), or the design of the cell itself,” reads the applicant guidelines.
Projects that focus on pack design, integration or application are not eligible for funding.
Details on how to apply may be found here.
