SDTC looking for ‘next wave of innovative cleantech entrepreneurs’
by Cleantech Canada Staff
Head of SDTC called Canada "a hotbed of entrepreneurial spirit"; said the cleantech sector "is at the nexus of responsible resource development"
OTTAWA—Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) has opened a pair of its funding opportunities to “the next wave of innovative cleantech entrepreneurs,” the federally-backed agency has announced.
The not-for-profit foundation announced its $590-million SD Tech Fund and its $30-million SD Natural Gas Fund are now open for applications as SDTC seeks out new technology in clean air, soil, water and climate change.
Through the SD Tech Fund, SDTC is looking for technology solutions in priority areas including:
- Responsible resource development: Mitigate environmental impacts associated with Canada’s natural resource sector through technologies in the oil and gas, mining, and forestry sectors
- Resource and energy efficiency: Technologies that encourage energy efficiency in buildings and industrial processes, with a focus on industrial water use efficiency
- Clean energy: Technologies that enable clean energy production, distributed power generation and energy storage as well as technologies related to carbon capture and storage, integrated energy systems, and biorefinery/biochemical production
- Northern and remote communities: Innovative technologies and solutions for self-sufficiency in smaller communities, such as food security, heavy-lift transportation, small-scale renewable energy and microgrid applications
- Next generation transportation: Technologies related to next generation vehicles having reduced emissions and higher energy efficiency, with a focus on freight transportation
- Agriculture: Technologies that increase yield and improve temperature and drought resistance of agricultural crops, mitigate land-use changes and biodiversity loss and diversify farm incomes
The SD Natural Gas Fund, a collaboration with the Canadian Gas Association (CGA) launched in February 2014, is focused on priority areas including:
- Residential: Small-scale affordable combined heat and power (CHP) units, ultra-efficient water heaters, technologies that improve the efficiency of residential heating and/or cooling
- Commercial: Technologies that improve the efficiency of heating systems, measurement and data management to better control natural gas consumption, natural gas cooling systems
- Industrial: Higher-efficiency industrial heating equipment, carbon capture systems, less energy-intensive hydrogen production
- Power generation: Higher efficiency power generation, emissions control technologies, natural gas storage solutions for remote locations
- Transportation: More efficient and lower emission natural gas engines, alternative natural gas engines, lower-cost solutions
- Renewable natural gas: Technologies that improve cleanup economics, cost-effective small-scale anaerobic digesters
“Cleantech is at the nexus of responsible resource development and environmental goals,” Acting SDTC president and chief executive Jane Pagel said in a statement.
“Canada is a hotbed of entrepreneurial spirit, and SDTC is eager to work with those entrepreneurs to get their technologies to market. These funds will put investments to work supporting job creation and SME business growth opportunities, helping Canada make its mark in a market valued at over $3 trillion.”
Both the SD Tech Fund and SD Natural Gas Fund are open for applications from Feb. 18 to April 15, 2015.
To learn more or apply for SDTC financing, log on to the SDTC website.
