Alberta-Germany Collaboration Fund for Product Development and Commercialization
Background
The Alberta-Germany Collaboration Fund for Product Development and Commercialization is a joint program established by Alberta Government`s Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and delivered by the German-Canadian Centre for Innovation and Research.
Goal
The overarching goal of this program is to help participants become more globally competitive by developing innovative technologies and research based alliances with the potential to foster economic growth. Further goals include:
- Connecting industry players and researchers across multiple jurisdictions;
- Development of new models of collaboration between Alberta and Germany that leverage key research & technology capabilities, address common priorities, and accelerate the commercialization of technology; and
- Launching revolutionary product development and commercialization projects that aim to bring new products and services to market, and deliver economic benefits to citizens in both jurisdictions
The GCCIR program has been essential in helping to create strong international cooperation with our German partner as we lead the way to a new industry shaping technology. We are excited and grateful to the programming!
GCCIR’s support for this project has enabled us to spend more time at our customers’ facility and to commit more resources to the partnership than would otherwise have been possible. Due to the long distances and cultural differences involved, the support has most critically allowed us to spend more time directly working with Sonnenbatterie’s development team, building the trust, understanding, and collaborative relationships that are major contributors to the success of such projects.
Who can apply?
Albertan small and medium-sized enterprises (1 to 499 employees and less than $50 million in gross revenues, Source: Industry Canada, Statistics Canada) are welcome to apply to the Alberta-Germany Collaboration Fund for Product Development and Commercialization. German partners can be small or medium-sized enterprises, as well as larger companies or independent research institutions. However, please not that there must be at least one german SME to apply to our German funding partner ZIM (“Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand”), but research institutions and universities are also eligible for funding on the German side. All proposals to the program must involve an industry partner from each jurisdiction with an interest in commercialization.
Funding
At present the maximum project contribution by GCCIR is 250,000 CAD, which would be granted to the Albertan applicant. The funding can be split between different projects, if approved. The Alberta company is expected to match GCCIR funding through cash and in-kind contributions to the project. Funding for the German partner will come from ZIM, following their parallel application process. Should the German company be too large to apply to ZIM, then the requirement for their participation in the project will be to match the funding contributed by GCCIR. All funding sources must be disclosed.
Product Requirements and Scoring Considerations
- Indicate clearly identified commercialization goals consistent with project objectives (how does the project address and provide economic benefits - qualitative and quantitative - for both Alberta and Germany)
- Demonstrate expertise (management, technical, and operational) in the field of the project and propose a strong joint team
- Indicate the respective human expertise contribution(s) to the project
- Leverage proven methodologies
- Include a risk assessment complete with mitigation strategies
- Provide realistic economic indicators (NPV, IRR suggested)
- Demonstrate financial capacity and commitment to contributing the company’s portion of the project funding
- Clearly demonstrate development of long-term innovation capacity
- Delineate the potential return on investment for all participants in the proposal
- Identify how intellectual property will be managed
Project Evaluation
All applications to the Alberta-Germany Collaboration Fund for Product Development and Commercialization will be peer-reviewed by industry experts from different sectors. This leads to a ranking of the applications. The final decision making authority is a Steering Committee consisting of one industry member, one member of the Alberta Government, and one GCCIR Board Member.
Project Selection Criteria
Previous calls have required projects to focus on one of the following areas of technology: Clean Energy and Environmental Technology; Advanced Materials (including Micro/Nanotechnology); Industrial Bio-Technology; Health; Information and Communication Technology. Future calls will be open to initiatives or projects focusing on developing innovative products, technology-based services, or methods in all technological and application areas, which have strong market potential. Eligible projects can be in any of the following stages:
- Applied research and development
- Product development
- Proof of concept
- Prototype development
- Technology demonstration
Looking for German Partners?
We organize a matchmaking trip to Germany for Albertan companies every year (usually in late fall). Please contact us for more information on our next matchmaking mission.
Application forms for the Alberta-Germany Collaboration Fund
This program is no longer available. Please apply through the Alberta-Europe Collaboration Fund.