Alberta Invests in Pilot Program to Improve Access to Labs for Early-Stage Emissions Reducing Technology Developers
The Government of Alberta, through Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), is committing $1 million toward the Lab Services Incentive Program (LSIP) Pilot. Funding is sourced from the Government of Alberta’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) fund.
The pilot program is an outcome of the findings in ERA’s Barriers to Commercialization Study, which identified resources and financial constraints as primary reasons for startups and small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) not engaging with Alberta’s post-secondary research institutions.
LSIP aims to improve collaboration and access to lab services for early-stage technology developers in Alberta. It’s designed to provide easier access, greater efficiency, and enhanced affordability when it comes to lab services.
Continuous Intake
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Added benefits include moving projects up the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale toward commercialization, and fostering collaborations between post-secondary research institutions and SMEs, in order to grow a roster of technology solutions that could be eligible for ERA’s primary programming in the future.
Under the program, a lab services project can receive 60 per cent of the nominal project cost, up to a maximum of $60,000. The program will follow a continuous intake structure until December 31, 2025, or whenever funds are depleted.
WHO SHOULD APPLY
LSIP incentives will be provided to support services offered by participating post-secondary research institutions (PSIs) to Alberta-based, for-profit enterprises with no more than 499 employees. Participants are not required to be incorporated in Alberta but must have a material, demonstrable Alberta footprint and working to progress a technology in the areas of energy, environment, and emissions reduction.
LSIP services will be provided by Alberta-based PSIs. For the purposes of the Pilot, the three participating PSIs are the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, and the University of Lethbridge. If the program is successful, additional institutions or service providers may be considered for future program expansions.
Applications for LSIP incentives will be made by participating PSIs on behalf of SME clients and will be used to reduce the cost of lab services provided to the client by the PSI by up to 50%. No separate application to ERA by the SME is required. Engagement, coordination, planning, and contracting for specific lab service projects will continue to be managed by each PSI. It is incumbent upon interested SMEs to identify their lab services needs and to engage with participating PSIs to determine their eligibility for an LSIP incentive to support the work.
Information on the service offerings and support available at each PSI can be found at the following sites:
ELIGIBLE COSTS
LSIP funds must be used to provide lab services that are relevant to the program focus. Lab services are defined as activities conducted by a post-secondary research institution to test, validate, characterize, or otherwise advance elements of a novel technology solution under development by an eligible client. This may include, but is not limited to:
- Experimental design
- Empirical studies
- Sampling
- Testing
- Imaging
- Characterization
- Compositional analysis
- Prototyping
Out of scope expenses include:
- Purchase of land, buildings, or capital equipment
- Expenses relating to downstream research activities (such as writing and editing of publications) arising from the lab services work
- Legal expenses and regulatory fees
- Subscriptions or membership fees
- Costs to recruit personnel
- Travel costs
- Insurance
- Hospitality expenses
- Costs relating to marketing, communications, and media
ABOUT EMISSIONS REDUCTION ALBERTA (ERA)
ERA is funded by the Government of Alberta’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) Regulation. For 15 years, ERA has been investing the revenues from the carbon price paid by large final emitters to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative clean technology solutions. Since ERA was established in 2009, over $954 million has been committed toward 296 projects worth over $7.4 billion that are helping to reduce GHGs, create competitive industries, and lead to new business opportunities in Alberta. These projects are estimated to deliver cumulative reductions of 36 million tonnes of CO₂e by 2030 and 102 million tonnes of CO₂e by 2050.
ABOUT TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION (TIER) FUNDING
The Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) Regulation is at the core of emissions management in Alberta. The TIER system implements Alberta’s industrial carbon pricing and emissions trading system. TIER helps industrial facilities find innovative ways to reduce emissions and invest in clean technology to stay competitive and save money.