Alberta Launches $60 Million Agriculture, Water, and Land Challenge to Move Technologies from Pilot to Market

The competition is open to applicants from across agriculture, agrifood, forestry, water, land management, reclamation, remediation, and waste management. Successful applicants are eligible for up to $10 million per project, with a minimum request of $250,000. ERA funding must be matched by private funding on at least a 1:1 basis. Eligible cash and in-kind contributions from applicants and partners can count toward the match.

Expressions of Interest are due by December 16, 2026, 5 p.m. Mountain Time and must be submitted through Grant Manager. ERA will host an informational webinar on November 12, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Mountain Time. Hosted by Christophe Owttrim, Executive Director, Technology and Innovation, and Danielle Parent, Technology Project Analyst, this interactive session will cover eligible projects, funding requirements, key deadlines, and the application process. There will be a significant amount of time dedicated to questions, allowing prospective applicants to gain insights and strengthen their Expressions of Interest. Register HERE.

RESOURCES

• Call for Expressions of Interest Guidelines
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Expression of Interest Template
• Eligible Expense and Cost Instructions
• Privacy, Confidentiality, Data, and Security Policy
• Top 5 Application Tips

WHY THIS CHALLENGE

Alberta’s land, soil, and water are key components of the province’s natural capital and are integral to major sectors like agriculture, agrifood, forestry, and waste management. However, these systems are facing extreme weather, water pressures, soil degradation, growing reclamation liabilities, contaminated and disturbed sites, and rising waste volumes. Tight margins and escalating costs make it hard for operators to take on the risk of trying new technology.

Solutions in these sectors need field testing, scaling and operational validation before producers, processors, operators, municipalities, and landowners will adopt them. Funding for pilots, demonstrations and first-of-kind deployments generates evidence that end users trust and reduces the technical, commercial, regulatory and adoption risks that slow new technologies down.

Strong projects connect measurable environmental outcomes, such as reduced or avoided greenhouse gas emissions and improved water, soil, land, biodiversity, ecosystem or waste outcomes, with what end users care about: yield, quality, affordability, input and labour efficiency, reliability, risk reduction, serviceability and payback.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

This Challenge is open to a broad range of lead applicants, including farmers, ranchers, processors, forestry organizations, landowners, technology developers, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), industrial facility owners and operators, utilities, industry associations, Indigenous communities and organizations, municipalities, not-for-profit organizations, applied research organizations, post-secondary institutions, government research laboratories and individuals.

Applicants are not required to be in Alberta, but all projects must be piloted, demonstrated, or deployed in the province. Applicants must show how the solution will benefit Alberta and could be adopted.

ELIGIBLE TECHNOLOGIES

The following non-exhaustive examples show the kinds of projects ERA expects to see:

OUT-OF-SCOPE PROJECTS

The Challenge does not support:

• Standalone laboratory research, engineering or feasibility studies, front-end engineering design, market studies or roadmaps
• Standalone software development or digital solutions without direct field deployment and end-user adoption
• Standalone facility or building-envelope improvements
• Routine integration of commercially available technologies using standard engineering practices
• Development of emissions protocols, measurement methods, reclamation policies or similar policy work
• Business-as-usual deployments, including fully commercial anaerobic digestion, biogas or landfill-gas systems without material innovation or deployment risk

Supporting research, studies and software development may be included within a larger project that culminates in an eligible deployment. Consult the guidelines for the complete scope and exclusions.

STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT

Expressions of Interest are invited for projects that will advance technologies to the stages of field pilot, demonstration, or first-of-kind commercial implementation by project completion, as described below.

• Field Test/Pilot: The technology or innovation is ready for field testing in an operational environment. Projects in this category may include the scale-up of prototypes to a representative pilot scale and subsequent in-field testing of pilot units.
• Commercial Demonstration: The technology or innovation is approaching the final commercial product, and representative systems have been built. Projects in this category may include demonstrating near- or fully commercial-scale systems in an operational environment.
• First-of-Kind Commercial Deployment: The technology is ready for first-of-kind commercial deployment. Projects in this category may involve the design, construction, and operation of the technology in its final commercial form, with the intention of operating the technology throughout its full commercial life.

PROJECT LOCATION

All projects must be piloted, demonstrated, or deployed in Alberta and provide clear benefits to the province. These may include emissions reductions, water savings or reuse, improved soil and land outcomes, accelerated reclamation or remediation, reduced waste, improved biodiversity, increased productivity, or stronger economic competitiveness.

APPROVAL PROCESS

Projects will be selected through ERA’s competitive two-stage review process: an Expression of Interest, followed by a Full Project Proposal for shortlisted applicants. A team of subject matter experts will assess proposals, overseen by an independent Fairness Monitor. Evaluation considers the technology opportunity, project readiness, emissions reductions, other environmental and socioeconomic benefits, and commercial potential. ERA’s Board of Directors will make the final funding decisions.

KNOWLEDGE SHARING

All ERA funding recipients are required to report on project outcomes, achievements and lessons learned, including emissions reductions and other environmental, economic, and social benefits. Recipients will share data with ERA and prepare public reports so others can assess the potential for wider adoption and may be asked to take part in workshops or other knowledge-sharing activities.

APPLICANT SUPPORT

For questions about project fit, the guidelines, or the application template, contact applications@eralberta.ca. For assistance with Grant Manager or applying, contact IMS@eralberta.ca.

Applicants should review the Call for Expressions of Interest Guidelines, Expression of Interest template, and Frequently Asked Questions before contacting ERA. Please allow at least one week for responses to email inquiries.