Distributed Energy Management Initiative (DEMI) Project Seed Funding

Value

Up to 50% of the budgeted project cost

Description

The Distributed Energy Management Initiative (DEMI) is a collaboration between NAIT, the University of Alberta, ATCO, Siemens Canada, and Alberta Economic Development, Trade and Tourism. The DEMI partners have launched the Project Seed Funding (PSF) program to de-risk and encourage Alberta small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to pursue grid innovation and distributed energy management technology projects, assisted by NAIT’s Centre for Grid Innovation. These types of innovations have applications in many sectors including, but not limited to, electricity/power, energy, alternative energy, and electronics.

Eligible Applicants

To be eligible for PSF, in addition to the general project scope and outcome boundaries defined above, SME applicants will need to demonstrate the following:
• Incorporation in Alberta with at least two years of corporate filings on record
• At least one (1) full time employee on staff
• A business plan to commercialize the proposed innovation
• Ability to make a cash contribution to the project equal to or greater than 25% of the proposed project budget at the start of the project
• In cases where the applicant’s 50% cost contribution to the project is not all cash, an ability to make a meaningful in-kind contribution of up to 25% of the proposed budget

Eligible Expenses

Budgeted costs include internal and external partner research staff time (including collaborating researchers in Alberta post-secondary institutions (PSIs)), commercial service provider fees, prototype materials, and specialized equipment.