Cannabis Growers don’t need to see their profits go up in Smoke

The Grid Innovation Fund offers grants of up to $2.5 million to pilot and/or develop innovative conservation programs, practices, products and technologies that lead to/promote the conservation of electricity. Funding is available for private business and not-for-profit organizations. Eligible expenses include:

• Equipment, and supplies such as software, diagnostic and testing tools
• Professional and contracted services including training
• Permitting and licensing fees
• Training, salaries and benefits for employees directly involved in project
• Marketing, communications and workshops
• Monitoring and evaluation of project impacts, including data collection and analysis

Funding limits are as follows:

• Creation and/or development of a new conservation program (up to 75%; maximum $500,000)
• Development and assessment of new energy management tools such as mapping tools or policies (up to 75%; maximum $500,000)
• Piloting new training programs (up to 75%; maximum $250,000)
• Creating of a Community of Practice, a network to share information and best practices (up to 75%; maximum $250,000)
• Strategic research that leads to pilot projects (up to 75%; maximum $100,000)
• Development and demonstration of near-commercial, emerging technologies or processes (up to 75%; maximum $500,000)
• Strategic Opportunities: up to 50% will be provided for large scale energy reduction initiatives, such as the development of incentive programs to encourage energy reductions, i.e., pay-per-performance energy reduction programs to be implemented across a franchise, service providers creation of energy use monitoring software and programs to encourage conservation.

Projects focused on reducing electricity demand from indoor agriculture facilities will be prioritized for funding, specifically those that:

• Accelerate the adoption of cost-effective demand-side solutions by greenhouse growers
• Demonstrate the efficacy of demand-side options to address local transmission and distribution infrastructure capacity need(s)
• Explore unknowns in the operationalization of demand-side options and the impact on greenhouse productivity

Projects must last no longer than 3 years to be considered for funding. The next open intake window is November 18, 2019 to February 14, 2020.

Don’t think this funding program is a fit? Check out some other government grant programs:

1. Receive up to $75,000 for export market development: CanExport Program  
2. Up to $16,000 to hire a graduate: Green Internships Stream 
3. Reducing GHGs: Climate Action Incentive Fund (up to $250,000) )