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Saskatchewan Advantage Innovation Fund

Source: https://innovationsask.ca/research/saskatchewan-advantage-innovation-fund

The Saskatchewan Advantage Innovation Fund (SAIF), is a research and development (R&D) funding program managed by Innovation Saskatchewan (IS). It is intended to support and accelerate commercialization of game-changing technological innovations in the province’s core economic sectors.

Through SAIF, IS provides non-repayable grants for approved projects proposed by a group of companies. To apply, please refer to the “Program Guidelines” downloadable below.

Target Sectors

Projects developing technologies relevant to the following sectors are eligible for funding:

  1. Mining
  2. Energy
  3. Agricultural Technologies
  4. Manufacturing
  5. Education
  6. Healthcare

Eligibility Criteria

All applications must meet the following criteria to be considered for funding:

  1. Proposed by a group of active private sector partners. Ideally, the group should be representative of the project’s full value chain, including researchers, those involved in the production/supply process, and customer/end users.
    • Active partner: participating in the project either through cash and/or in-kind contribution, equity investment, and/or letter of intent to purchase.
    • The lead proponent must be a private entity based in Saskatchewan.
    • Priority is given to proposals that also have an academic partner from a Saskatchewan post-secondary or research institute.
  2. Demonstrate how the technological innovation will solve a specific industry-wide challenge and benefit the sector as a whole, not just individual companies.
  3. Development of novel and innovative solutions.
  4. Demonstrate a feasible path to commercialization, benefits expected, and how those impacts will be sustained in the long-term.
  5. Industry partners providing half or more of the proposed project’s budget. The amount requested from IS is no more than 30% of the proposed budget.

Intake Periods

Intakes for SAIF are held twice per fiscal year. Prospective applicants are to submit an EOI and complete the “Eligibility Questionnaire” before the EOI deadline to be considered for funding. Only selected applicants will be invited to submit full proposals. Shortlist decisions made by IS’ internal selection committee are final.

In years where applicants exceed available funding, only proposals determined to be most strategically aligned with the province’s R&D priorities will be invited to submit full proposals. The number of grants approved per year will be based on budget availability.

Below are important dates for each intake periods:

Intake Period 1:

April 30 – Deadline for EOIs

May 31 – All invites for full proposals sent

July 31 – Deadline for full proposals

September 30 – Funding decisions made

Intake Period 2:

September 30 – Deadline for EOIs

October 31 – All invites for full proposals sent

December 31 – Deadline for full proposals

February 28 – Funding decisions made

 

For more information, visit https://innovationsask.ca/research/saskatchewan-advantage-innovation-fund or contact Kevin Chung at kevin.chung@innovationsask.ca.

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