Natural Resources Canada sent out an initial call August 2 for Letters of Interest in a new program, the federal government’s ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative (ecoEII), with $97 million in funding for a comprehensive suite of research and development and demonstration projects. The program’s objective is to support energy technology innovation to produce and use energy in a “more clean and efficient way.”
Activities funded under ecoEII will be in five strategic priority areas:
• Energy Efficiency
• Clean Electricity and Renewables
• Bioenergy
• Electrification of Transportation
• Unconventional Oil and Gas.
The Initiative consists of two separate funding streams: one for R&D projects, and one for demonstration projects. Both are being launched with requests for Letters of Expression of Interest (LOIs).
NRCan explains that an LOI is not a complete project proposal but rather an outline of what a complete project would be, with preliminary cost estimates and timeline. The approach allows potential project proponents time to develop collaborations and consortia, and to build upon their initial project idea with those collaborators, before committing to preparing a full project proposal.
Applicants of LOIs that are accepted for consideration for funding from the ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative will be asked to prepare a full project proposal that will include:
• full details of the project, including a work plan, milestones, collaborators and identification of risks
• identification and confirmation of collaborators
• confirmation of their ability to undertake the project, both in terms of capacity and capability
• confirmation of their financial commitment to the project
For details, visit http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/eneene/science/ecii-eng.php.