Government Initiatives

The Alberta government has established a number of development initiatives in partnership with the information and communications technologies (ICT) sector. The aim of these initiatives is to stimulate investment and entrepreneurship in ICT businesses.

Access to Capital Programs

The Government of Alberta supports several programs that improve access to capital for ICT companies. These programs often involve networking between ICT companies and potential business investors to help secure capital for future growth.

  • Alberta California Venture Channel (ACVC)

    The ACVC is a non-profit organization that matches Alberta technology investors and entrepreneurs with business markets, expertise and capital raising opportunities in California.
     
  • Alberta Deal Generator (ADG)

    The Alberta Deal Generator is a non-profit venture that screens and links Alberta’s high growth technology companies with potential investors.
     
  • AVAC

    AVAC is a non-profit organization specializing in investments towards Alberta’s value-added industry sectors, including the ICT sector.
     
  • Banff Venture Forum

    The Banff Venture Forum is one of the premier company financing events in the West. It is designed to showcase the hottest hi-tech companies, provide insights into key issues in the industry, provide a premium networking opportunity and a chance to learn from world-class professionals in the investment community.
     
  • VenturePrize Program

    VenturePrize is a program established by the non-profit group, TEC Edmonton. The Venture Prize Program assists aspiring entrepreneurs to transform high-growth ideas into solid business plans.

    • VenturePrize Business Plan Competition
      The VenturePrize Business Plan Competition awards $150,000 in prizes to the top three VenturePrize Program business plans in the Fast Growth and post-secondary student categories.

Endowment Funds

The province has established a number of endowment funds and programs as primary mechanisms to fuel innovation and diversify the provincial economy. Endowment funds provide capital for a number of industry funding support programs.

  • Access to the Future Fund

    The Access to the Future Fund is a $3 billion endowment established by the Government of Alberta to support innovative post-secondary initiatives.
     

  • Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions

    Building on the strengths and successes of the former Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions supports internationally competitive biomedical and health research through a $1.5 billion endowment fund.

  • Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures

    Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures provides funding and services to technical industries in order to help them develop products and move technologies to market. Among their programs is the Alberta Ingenuity fund, a $1 billion science and technology endowment fund created by the Government of Alberta to encourage innovation.

Ongoing Support Programs

The Alberta government provides ongoing funding and support to help ICT companies build the infrastructure and recruit the personnel necessary to stimulate growth and development. 

  • Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures

    Alberta Innovate's Alberta Ingenuity endowment fund established by the Alberta government supports a number of funding programs for basic and applied science and engineering research projects.

  • Alberta Science and Research Investments Program (ASRIP)

    ASRIP supports science and research initiatives of strategic importance to Alberta by investing in research infrastructure that will put Alberta research teams at the forefront of their fields.
     
  • Innovation Vouchers

    Companies can apply for vouchers worth up to $10,000 or $50,000 to use at Alberta's public and not-for-profit service providers for business and technology development services.
     
  • Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Credit

    Alberta’s scientific research and experimental development (SR&ED) tax credit program provides a refundable tax credit to corporations for SR&ED expenditures incurred in Alberta.

Strategic Documents

Review the following documents that outline Government of Alberta strategies for Alberta’s ICT and related technology sectors.

  • Alberta’s Action Plan – Bringing Technology to Market

    Alberta’s Action Plan will assist Alberta entrepreneurs in getting more of their ideas off the research bench and into consumers' hands. It builds on our strength in the advanced technology sectors of clean energy, information and communications technology, life sciences and nanotechnology. From tax credits to venture capital, the actions included in the plan provide a supportive environment for companies to grow and become successful in world markets.
     
  • Alberta Nanotechnology Strategy

    On May 2, 2007 Premier Ed Stelmach unveiled the province’s strategy to capture a $20-billion market share of the world’s burgeoning nanotechnology market and announced a $130-million investment over 5 years to expand research capacity and develop new commercial applications that will support Alberta's traditional economic strengths and spur economic growth.

Related Information

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Date Updated: Jan 14, 2010
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