While most of ERA’s funding is distributed through competitive funding calls, projects are also considered through the Continuous Intake Program. This allows ERA to remain nimble in addressing gaps to ensure high-potential and strategically important projects can be evaluated outside the traditional call for proposals cycle.
Core to the Continuous Intake Program is the Partnership Intake Program, a referral process that allows ERA to evaluate proposed projects referred by Trusted Partners, organizations with rigorous, fair, and transparent processes comparable to ERA’s. This approach allows applicants to leverage funding from both ERA and Trusted Partner organizations. This allows ERA to work with other like-minded funders to accelerate technology development and has been an effective tool for capturing opportunities that might otherwise be missed and for addressing strategic gaps in ERA’s portfolio. The approach reduces red tape for industry and innovators to apply and get funding.
The Project Re-Entry Program allows for the re-intake of previously advanced projects that were paused or canceled, providing flexibility to reconsider funding for high-potential opportunities once barriers are resolved. The Building on Success Program also enables follow-on funding for previously supported technologies, ensuring continued progress and momentum in their development. Both programs are “invitation-only” to allow projects to proceed when ready and have all the elements for success to further advance to commercialization.
Funded Continuous Intake Program projects include:
Ambyint Inc.
Deploying Autonomous Oil & Gas Production Operations with an Adaptive Controller
ERA funding: $2,000,000 | Total project value: $6,600,000
Referred by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC)
Aqua Pure Technologies
Recycling Fracking Water to Combat Water Scarcity and Reduce Emissions in Alberta’s Oil and Gas Industry
ERA funding: $720,000 | Total project value: $1,400,000
Referred by Alberta Innovates
Aurora Hydrogen
Microwave Pyrolysis Process for Clean and Distributed Hydrogen Production
ERA funding: $3,000,000 | Total project value: $21,634,000
ARIX Technologies Inc.
Corrosion inspection robot and advanced analytics software for industrial applications
ERA funding: $3,000,000 | Total project value: $6,110,814
BioRefinex Canada Inc.
Lacombe Biorefinery
ERA funding: $10,000,000 | Total project value: $46,000,000
Referred by ERA’s Project Re-Entry Policy
Canadian Natural Resources Limited
Steam Additive Pilot to Enhance Thermal Recovery Efficiencies of Heavy Oil
ERA funding: $1,200,000 | Total project value: $3,200,000
Referred by Alberta Innovates
Canary Biofuels
Bioenergy Technology Upgrade
ERA funding: $4,700,000 | Total project value: $28,600,000
Referred by the Government of Alberta
CarboMat
Producing low-cost and high-value carbon fibres from low-value waste by-products, including oil sands asphaltenes.
ERA funding: $1,280,000 | Total project value: $5,080,000
Referred by Alberta Innovates
Carbon Upcycling
Carbon Nanoplatelet Production from Exhaust CO2 Emissions
ERA funding: $1,500,000 | Total project value: $11,000,000
Referred by XPRIZE Foundation
E3 Lithium Ltd.
Alberta Brines to Battery-Grade Lithium: 2024 Demonstration Program
ERA funding: $5,000,000 | Total project value: $13,200,000
Eavor Technologies Inc.
Eavor-Loop Demonstration Project
ERA funding: $1,000,000 | Total project value: $10,300,000
Referred by Alberta Innovates, NRCan, SDTC
ENMAX Power Corporation
Demonstrate a non-wire, digital grid management solution by connecting existing assets with a battery energy storage system and AI to optimize energy use.
ERA funding: $3,900,000 | Project Cost: $7,800,000
Referred by Project Re-entry Program
Eximius Environmental Solutions
The VelRay X™ Fine Particle Filtration System: Redefining Water Management for Hydraulic Fracturing Operations in the Alberta Oil and Gas Industry
ERA funding: $750,000 | Total project value: $1,500,000
Referred by Alberta Innovates
Imtex Membranes Corporation
Energy Efficient Propylene-Propane Separation
ERA funding: $3,000,000 | Total project value: $9,400,000
Referred by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC)
Lehigh Cement
Edmonton CCUS Feasibility Study
ERA funding: $1,400,000 | Total project value: $3,000,000
Referred by the Government of Alberta
Mariner Partners Inc.
Chiller Plant Model Predictive Control
ERA funding: $1,200,000 | Project Cost: $3,900,000
Referred by Alberta Innovates
Merlin Plastics Alberta Inc.
Develop a commercial-scale operation utilizing several proven technologies to divert hard-to-recycle plastic from landfills or incineration.
ERA funding: $2,000,000 | Project Cost: $10,950,000
Referred by Alberta Innovates
NanosTech
Demonstrate a turnkey, on-site oil extraction and upgrading process that improves operating margins and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
ERA funding: $5,000,000 | Total project value: $33,575,000
Referred by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC)
PIP Lethbridge Inc.
Implement an innovative Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system at its pilot scale food processing facility to fully decarbonize PIP Lethbridge’s process heat.
ERA funding: $3,000,000 | Total project value: $7,500,000
Referred by the Government of Alberta, Agriculture and Irrigation
Rotoliptic Technologies Inc.
All-Metal Positive Displacement Pump Expansion
ERA funding: $1,500,000 | Total project value: $3,000,000
Smarter Alloys
Extract Energy Heat Engine
ERA funding: $5,000,000 | Total project value: $12,500,000
SolarStream Inc.
Demonstrate a new solar thermal energy technology and storage system that will clean industrial heat in a wide range of weather conditions.
ERA funding: $2,800,000 | Project Cost: $6,180,000
Referred by Project Re-entry Program
Solartility Inc.
Agrivoltaics Research Park
ERA funding: $3.100,000 | Total project value: $6,300,000
Swan Hills Geothermal Power Corp.
Swan Hills Co-produced geothermal natural gas power project
ERA funding: $10,000,000 | Total project value: $28,900,000
Referred by Alberta Innovates
Sylvis Environmental Services
Mine reclamation using and organic residuals to augment soil quality and underpin a cleantech economy through short rotation willow feedstock production
ERA funding: $2,100,000 | Total project value: $14,000,000
Referred by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
Thread Innovations
Demonstrate scalability, viability, and consistency of its proprietary, low-cost, and efficient process for producing carbon fibre using Alberta bitumen in vacuum refinery residue (VRR).
ERA funding: $3,000,000 | Total project value: $7,950,000
Referred by Alberta Innovates
TransAlta
Procure, install, and operate a battery energy storage system (BESS) co-located at TransAlta’s Ghost Hydroelectric site near Cochrane, Alberta.
ERA funding: $5,000,000 | Total project value: $198,000,000
Referred by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
Varme Energy Inc.
Heartland Waste to Energy with Carbon Capture Pre-FID Completion
ERA funding: $2,800,000 | Total project value: $6,600,000
Winterhawk Well Abandonment Ltd.
Casing Expansion for Annular Wellbore Methane Leakage
ERA funding: $1,041,207 | Total project value: $350,000
University of British Columbia
Producing carbon fibre materials from asphaltene-based feedstocks extracted from bitumen through processes such as solvent de-asphalting.
ERA funding: $1,400,000 | Total project value: $5,430,000
Referred by Alberta Innovates