2024 Wildfire Tech Call for Innovation Priorities – Canada

In British Columbia and across Canada, escalating wildfires are fueling emissions and threatening the safety, well-being and prosperity of the first line responders and the communities they protect. With wildfire frequency, size and intensity growing annually, effective wildfire management is critical. CICE is ready to help BC-based innovators step up to this challenge and take wildfire tech to a whole new level.

The objective is to identify high impact projects that accelerate the reduction of wildfires, global greenhouse gases (GHGs) and enable a net-negative emissions future. With a changing climate, these projects will also contribute to a comprehensive understanding of their impact on emission removal, reduction, and avoidance to unlock the potential of innovative wildfire management solutions.

The second priority is supporting B.C. innovators (working on either technology or business model innovations) as they grow and amplify their impact by scaling from first demonstration to local, repeated implementation, and potentially to global deployment.

The Opportunity 

• This total budget allocation may be distributed between multiple projects at the discretion, depending upon the strength and number of proposals received. While proponents may request up to $3 million per project, preference will be given to requests lower than $750K to accommodate multiple solutions. CICE reserves the right to not fund any projects. CICE will contribute funding to projects in the form of non-repayable grants, paid in increments upon successful completion of project milestones.

What projects are eligible?

• The 2024 wildfire tech call for innovation provides an opportunity for furthering commercial development of technology and business model solutions pertaining to wildfire management in B.C. CICE will favour proposals to scale wildfire management solutions across the value chain that directly address associated emissions such as:
  • Prevention solutions: Predictive modeling tools, proactive land management practices, and fire-resistant materials.
  • Mitigation technologies: Early wildfire detection systems, communication and information technologies, firefighting technologies, spread halting, sustainable fire retardants, and the development of specialized equipment.
  • Adaptation innovations: Solutions to increase forest and community resiliency, post-fire recovery, and business model innovations to integrate climate change adaptation strategies into land/vegetation management practices.
• CICE will prioritize solutions that have significant co-benefits such as integrating additional carbon reduction into projects, promoting ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation, and enhancing community resilience and socio-economic benefits through wildfire management efforts.
• Project activities may include, but are not limited to, demonstrations and pilot projects, innovative implementation solutions, novel linkage of system components, mitigation or monitoring technologies, and business model innovations.

Who can apply? 

• This program is focused on companies located in B.C. with projects in B.C.; however, CICE will consider applications from companies based outside of the province with a project in B.C.
• Companies must demonstrate their ability to complete the proposed project with sound management, operational capability, and overall financial support to advance the commercial potential of the company.
• CICE is particularly interested in supporting projects that drive for development of scaling wildfire management solutions, whose innovation can be replicated across multiple jurisdictions to enable global climate impact.
• Consortia of companies working together to complete a project are acceptable and welcomed. In such cases, it is recommended that a single lead company should become the applicant.

For more information, visit B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE).