Innovator Support Services

The ISS program is designed to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) funded by Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) to advance their projects and overcome non-technical barriers that may limit the commercialization of their technology. The program provides eligible companies with up to 60 hours of mentorship and support. Eligible companies who wish to apply must complete a self-assessment using an online tool that has been developed for the program. This self-assessment will help ERA identify the areas where a company can benefit from support in their commercialization journey, and is part of the application process.

ERA will review the application to ensure eligibility and determine if the SME would benefit from commercialization services. Successful applicants will be referred to a selected Service Provider, contracted by ERA, who will contact the ISS client to learn more about the barriers they are facing to commercialization and propose targeted services to address those barriers. The ISS client will develop an Action Plan with the Service Provider and submit this to ERA for approval.  Once the Action Plan is approved, the Service Provider will administer the services outlined in the Action Plan. Both the Service Provider and SME are required to complete reports or surveys after service delivery to help ERA assess the performance and effectiveness of the program.

Eligible proponents are SMEs approved to receive funding from ERA and require additional support to successfully complete their project, commercialize their technology, and grow their company.

The program is offered at no cost to the proponent.

In the first phase of the program, ERA will invite funding recipients from the Emerging Innovator Challenge (EIC) to submit an application. Funding recipients will receive an email detailing the application process. Future phases of the program will be rolled out to other ERA project proponents once the demand from EIC clients has been met.

The information is used by the Service Provider to assess a company’s needs and recommend targeted services. The data is also used by ERA to establish a baseline, which will be compared to information collected after all services have been provided. This helps us assess the impact and success of the program.

Applications are considered on an ongoing basis, so there is no application deadline. However, we encourage SME proponents to apply as soon as they can, as funding is limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Applicants can expect to receive an email from ERA within 10 business days to confirm if the application is successful.

Services will include advisory and consulting services, mentorship, coaching, structured acceleration or development interventions, individualized training, on-demand support and educational services. Services would address challenges related to people and talent, funding and financial management, market fit, go-to-market strategy, business model scalability, product development and delivery strategy, intellectual property strategy, regulatory compliance, and internationalization and exporting strategy.

In early 2024, ERA initiated a Request for Proposal process. Service Providers were selected based on their applications. ERA will determine which Service Provider is the best fit to address each company’s commercialization needs and facilitate a referral.

Only services outlined in the approved Action Plan are covered under the ISS program. The services are designed to support companies with non-technical barriers or challenges they may be facing to advance their commercialization journey.

If a company is currently receiving contracted services from one of the ISS Service Providers, those services are not covered under the ISS program. A successful application to the ISS program does not prevent a company from continuing to receive those services. Successful applicants are free to contract with the Service Provider for other services outside of the ISS program. To avoid any conflicts of interest or billing confusion, ERA asks that proponents notify us of any additional services they are receiving.

Successful applicants must commit the necessary time to participate in the program and complete a report or survey after services are completed. Successful applicants will also be asked to complete surveys one, two, and three years after the program’s completion to evaluate the long-term impact of the program.

Up to 60 hours of services are provided. The timing of service delivery will be outlined in the Action Plan. Services are generally expected to be delivered over a period of 4-6 months but will depend on the needs of the proponent as assessed by the Service Provider.  

The Service Providers that ERA has contracted for the ISS Program have specific skills and expertise to inform the design of services tailored to the needs of the ISS client. The Action Plan captures the understanding between the ISS client and the Service Provider about the key actions that will support commercialization. It also serves as a reference to measure progress and report on the performance of the program.

If the ISS client’s needs change after the Action Plan is approved, they can work with the Service Provider to amend the Action Plan. Major adjustments to the total hours or types of activities must be approved by ERA. Adjustments of hours between activities only require concurrence of the ISS client and Service Provider.

The ISS program is intended to facilitate a constructive working relationship between the ISS client and the Service Provider. The expectation is for open and constructive dialogue to enable the Service Provider to understand the client and design services tailored to their needs. ISS clients can contact ERA’s program coordinator at issprogram@eralberta.ca if they have questions about the fit of the Service Provider with their needs.

ERA assigns a Projects Advisor (PA) to support each ERA-funded project. Proponents can discuss an application to the ISS program with their Project Advisor, who may be able to provide advice about the suitability of ISS for their needs. PAs may also be consulted by the Service Provider or ISS program manager during application assessment or while services are being delivered.

Action Plans will only be approved while you have an active project or funding offer from ERA. Once approved, services may continue after your funded project with ERA is completed if there are unallocated hours remaining in the Action Plan.

If you have additional questions, please contact ERA’s ISS program manager at issprogram@eralberta.ca.