Support for Business

Alberta Innovation Voucher Pilot Program

The application window for the second round of the Alberta Innovation Voucher Pilot Program has now closed.  Applicants will be notified of their staus in January 2010. 

About the Innovation Voucher Pilot Program

Innovation vouchers help small technology and knowledge-driven businesses in Alberta get their ideas and products to market faster. 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.

During the program’s pilot, preference will be given to businesses in emerging growth sectors such as clean technology, health, bio-tech and ICT.

Using Innovation Vouchers

Innovation Vouchers can be used as partial payment (75% of the total eligible cost of the services received or the maximum value of the voucher, whichever is  less) for services offered by approved service providers. Vouchers are valid for nine months from the date they are awarded. For additional information, please see the chart below and read the program guidelines.

Examples of project costs and associated maximum voucher value:

Voucher with a Value up to $10,000

Project Cost

Amount Voucher
Can Be Used For

Contribution From Business

$8,000

$6,000

$2,000

$13,335

$10,000

$3,335

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

Voucher with a Value up to $50,000

Project Cost

Amount Voucher
Can Be Used For

Contribution From Business

$44,000

$33,000

$11,000

$66,700

$50,000

$16,700

$80,000

$50,000

$30,000

Value

Vouchers are available in two denominations:

  • A voucher to a maximum value of $10,000 for smaller fee-based services such as marketing studies, business advice or business formation
  • A voucher to a maximum value of $50,000 for more substantial technology development activity such as product prototyping, lab verification, field testing, etc.

Businesses are eligible to receive (if successful in their application) one of each type of voucher through the program.

Eligibility 

The innovation voucher program is open to businesses that:

  • are technology or knowledge-driven
  • are developing new products or services for growing markets
  • are registered in Alberta or Canada
  • conduct more than 50 percent of its business in Alberta and will continue to do so for the next 18 months
  • have 50 or fewer staff
  • had a gross revenue that, in the preceding fiscal year, did not exceed $5,000,000

Contact Us

If you have questions about innovation vouchers, contact us at (780) 643 1925 or techcomm.services@gov.ab.ca.

Additional Information

News Releases

Current as of: November 21, 2009
Maintained by: Innovation Support Services, Technology Commercialization Division