Energy Innovation Program – Battery Industry Acceleration Call (Canada)

With a focus on influencing the pace and direction of energy system transformation, OERD targets the most impactful technologies to maximize environmental and economic outcomes. Leveraging over forty years of experience and unique science and technology expertise, OERD invests in key federal departments and agencies to undertake energy RD&D, as well as a wide range of Canadian small and medium enterprises, utilities, industry, and other firms, all in support of Canada’s energy innovation and climate change goals.

Energy Innovation Program Battery Industry Acceleration Call for Proposals

• Because batteries can accept, store, and release electrical energy on demand, they are becoming ubiquitous within a net-zero emissions economy enabled by the electrification of transportation and the storage of electricity from non-emitting sources. The global cumulative battery demand from 2022 to 2050 is set to increase nearly 150-fold to stay on track to meet the 2050 net-zero goal. However, without innovative solutions, the ability for the supply chain to meet this increasing demand will be constrained.
• The expected growth of battery demand presents an important opportunity for Canada to develop innovative solutions, strengthen the battery value chain, and create high quality jobs while moving towards its 2035 targets and 2050 net-zero goal.

Battery Industry Acceleration Call Priorities

• This call for proposals (“the call”) will fund research and development (R&D) projects and demonstration projects that will help accelerate battery value chain decarbonization, security, and competitiveness for Canada. The call will also contribute to federal efforts to strengthen the network of Canadian battery innovators to help grow world-class Canadian firms in the battery value chain.
• The call will fund projects addressing one of four call priorities:
  • Improved performance, affordability, supply chain resiliency, and/or environmental footprint of batteries
  • Demonstrating improved performance and/or cost of batteries for mobility and/or stationary storage applications
  • Scale-up of non-commercial chemistries, advanced manufacturing processes, and/or processing techniques of battery production
  • Novel use cases and/or business model innovation for batteries

Funding Information

• This call is open to R&D projects that request between $500,000 and $3,000,000 (comprising up to 75% of total project cost) and demonstration projects that request between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000 (comprising up to 50% of total project cost), both over a period of up to a maximum of five years. Projects must start on or after April 1, 2025, and no later than March 31, 2026.

Eligible Canadian Applicants

• This call is open to for-profit legal entities validly incorporated or registered in Canada. Canadian subsidiaries of internationally-based companies are eligible, provided that the organization is legally registered and has an established presence in Canada.
• An applicant can submit more than one application, provided that each application is for a distinct project.
• Academic institutions, community groups, not-for-profit entities, and governments (including provincial, territorial, regional, and municipal departments, and agencies) are not eligible to apply for this call.
• Project Partners
  • Applicants are permitted to work with partners on their project, including partners that do not qualify as eligible applicants. This could include academic institutions, government labs, other for-profit or non-profit organizations, Indigenous communities, or other entities. Foreign entities are eligible to act as partner organizations for the project.
  • Project partners do not need to be confirmed in order for an Expression of Interest (EOI) to be submitted. Details of each partner’s role and level of commitment will be required at each stage of the application process and will be taken into consideration when evaluating the application.
  • Projects that are invited to submit Full Project Proposals (FPP) will be required to provide a letter of support for each fully committed partner. A letter of support must include the organization’s name, the name and signature of the individual representing the organization and endorsing the letter, the amount and timing of funding, the type of contribution to the project (cash and in-kind), and any conditions that funding is dependent upon. Note that the strength of the letters of support will be considered during the FPP review.

For more information, visit Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).