CICE is proud to partner with B.C. university entrepreneurship programs (EPs) to accelerate venture development and commercialization of climate solutions from B.C. universities by introducing a pathway to early-stage funding.
CICE will consider awarding $75,000 to $ 100,000 in up-front funding to university-nominated ventures.
Apply by May 7, 2025 through our EP partners.
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>> DOWNLOAD THE 2025 UNIVERSITY CALL FOR INNOVATION APPLICATION GUIDE
The funding opportunity
The pathway from research, concept, validation, and establishing a venture with a commercial strategy is complex and uncertain. The uncertainty can persist due to a lack of funding for venture development that is necessary to maintain momentum for early-stage concepts on a path to commercial viability.
In response to this critical need, CICE has partnered with entrepreneurship@UBC-V, entrepreneurship@UBC-O, UVic Innovation Centre, SFU VentureLabs, BCIT Entrepreneurship Program, and UNBC’s Innovation Program to bridge the funding gap that typically hinders ventures between early solution validation and the development of a commercialization strategy (Technology Readiness Levels 4-9). Ventures must apply through their EP and be incorporated in British Columbia.
CICE will award up-front, non-dilutive investments of $75,000 to $100,000 to university-nominated ventures, which must detail their planned use of the funds.
The university call will consist of EPs from the respective B.C. universities nominating their top climate technologies or innovations that show a direct relationship to GHG emissions abatement, with a priority given to those that align with CICE’s core focus areas for decarbonization:
- Battery technology and energy storage
- Bio and synthetic fuels
- Carbon management
- Low carbon hydrogen
How to apply
Clean energy ventures that are interested in applying will need to seek nominations from their respective B.C. university entrepreneurial program. Participating entrepreneurial programs and designated leads are listed here:
| University | Program | Lead | |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of British Columbia | entrepreneurship@UBC-V | Sean Lumb | sean.lumb@ubc.ca |
| University of British Columbia Okanagan | entrepreneurship@UBC-O | Kayla Cartlidge | kayla.cartlidge@ubc.ca |
| University of Victoria | UVic Innovation Centre | Jerome Etwaroo | icead@uvic.ca |
| Simon Fraser University | SFU VentureLabs | Todd Farrell | todd@venturelabs.ca |
| British Columbia Institute of Technology | BCIT Entrepreneurship Program | Vidya Vankayala | vidya_vankayala@bcit.ca |
| University of Northern British Columbia | UNBC’s Innovation Program | Mark Barnes | mark.barnes@unbc.ca |
For full details on how to apply, download the 2025 UNIVERSITY CALL FOR INNOVATION GUIDE.
The 2025 University Call Timeline
If you have any questions, please contact your entrepreneurial program lead (found above).