Accelerating Cleantech Innovation Competition
The Accelerating Cleantech Innovation Competition is a CRIN-led initiative, coordinated by MaRS.
With a total of $12 million available, this nationwide initiative will allocate up to $2 million for selected late-stage technologies (TRL 6 to 9) that deliver measurable environmental and economic benefits across Canada’s oil and gas sector and other hard-to-abate industries.
The competition is now open and accepting submissions.
Register here for the informational webinar, taking place on February 3rd, 2026
Challenge description
The Accelerating Cleantech Innovation Competition is seeking to advance cleantech deployment in Canada’s oil and gas industry to improve environmental performance, support economic growth and create high-value jobs. This competition is designed to advance technology solutions in the oil and gas industry, with the intent for broad adoption across Canada’s industrial sector and internationally.
Who should participate
- Technology developers
- Researchers/academics
- Ventures, accelerators and incubators
- Small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
- Multinational enterprises (MNEs)
- Oil and gas producers
- All sectors that can provide digital solutions within designated focus areas (see below)
See which solutions are in scope and out of scope under the “Solutions” tab
Opportunity
Up to $12 million in funding is available, subject to the discretion of CRIN. Technology focus areas for this competition include:
- Carbon capture, utilization and storage/Value-added products (CCVAP)
- Methane emissions reduction
- Land and wellsite reclamation
- Novel hydrocarbon extraction (NHE)
- Cleaner fuels and products
- Water technology development
- Digital oil and gas/Data and automation
When are applications due?
This competition is now open and accepting applications. Register for the information webinar here. Submissions will close on February 26, 2026 at 5 p.m ET.
The challenge
Canada’s oil and gas sector faces increasing pressure to shrink its environmental and emissions footprint while maintaining global competitiveness. At the same time, cleantech innovators need help demonstrating their solutions in industrial settings. The oil and gas sector can play an important role in helping commercialize cleantech products and services that have applicability across different industrial categories.
The Accelerating Cleantech Innovation Competition will fund the advancement and commercialization of innovative late-stage technologies that have measurable environmental benefits and strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of Canada’s energy and industrial sectors while also supporting job creation, workforce development, Indigenous participation and regional economic growth.
This initiative plays a critical role in delivering on CRIN’s vision to position Canada as the global leader in cleaner hydrocarbons from source to end use.
Competition objectives
This competition is designed to advance technology solutions or high-priority environmental challenges in the oil and gas industry with the intent for broad adoption across Canada’s industrial sector and internationally. All projects supported through this competition must demonstrate a clear and justified value proposition for reducing the environmental footprint of the oil and gas industry, supporting the economic growth and competitiveness of Canadian companies, and creating high-value jobs.
CRIN is seeking proposals for technological solutions for oil and gas industry operations, spanning new developments and retrofit opportunities. The focus of this competition is limited to innovative breakthrough solutions with significant environmental benefits that are at a minimum pilot phase and up to first-of-kind commercial implementation stage (see competition guide Section 2.2 on technology focus areas).
About CRIN
The Clean Resource Innovation Network (CRIN) is a federally incorporated non-profit organization that envisions Canada as the global leader in cleaner hydrocarbons from source to end use. By helping to identify challenges in the industry, CRIN is able to support a market pull to accelerate commercialization and widespread technology adoption by bringing together leaders in the sector, entrepreneurs, investors, academia, governments and many others.
CRIN enables globally exportable energy solutions that will be applied across Canadian industries to increase competitiveness and shrink the environmental footprint from source to end use. This powerful network facilitates connections and partnerships, amplifying ideas and expertise to produce unexpected solutions for global challenges.
Through funding from the Government of Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) and industry partners, we have supported 66 cleantech projects across Canada, including 41 late-stage technologies.
Technology focus areas
This competition is open to technology solutions aligned with one or more of the following technology focus areas:
- Carbon capture, utilization and storage/Value-added products (CCVAP)
- Methane emissions reduction
- Land and wellsite reclamation
- Novel hydrocarbon extraction (NHE)
- Cleaner fuels and products
- Water technology development
- Digital oil and gas/Data and automation
Each focus area encompasses a range of in-scope technologies that address environmental, operational and economic performance in Canada’s energy system.
1. Carbon capture and value-added products (CCVAP)
Examples may include:
- Development of advanced materials for carbon dioxide capture, including next-generation sorbent materials, such as metal organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), molten borates, membranes with attention to lower partial concentration of carbon dioxide in post-combustion sources.
- Advanced measurement, monitoring and verification (MMV) for sequestration hubs
- Pre-treatment and flue gas conditioning, including flue-gas cleanup (NOx/SOx/particulates), corrosion and foaming mitigation
- Energy optimization and operability and operability integrations (e.g., waste-heat recovery, combined heat and power), along with advanced control systems that reduce net capture energy
- Production of advanced materials (including carbon fibre, activated carbon, synthetic graphite, hard carbon, and asphalt binder) from hydrocarbons, such as bitumen.
2. Methane emissions reduction
Examples may include:
- Emissions reduction from oil and condensate tanks, pneumatic devices, compressors, dehydrators and chemical pumps.
- Facility-level strategies and pilot or pre-commercial ready technologies to eliminate fugitive emissions from instruments, valves and pneumatic devices.
- Integration with control systems to reduce venting and flaring.
- Monitoring tools to assess surface casing vent flow and migration behaviour prior to cement injection.
- Solutions for faster and more accurate leak detection and repair (LDAR).
- Advanced methane tracking systems, including sensor networks, trucks, drones, hand-held and satellite-enabled systems.
- Addressing emissions reductions from incomplete combustion and flares, including unlit flares, burners, turbines and methane slip management from internal combustion engines.
- Dome-based containment for dump yards or agricultural methane sources.
3. Land and wellsite reclamation
Examples may include:
- Hyperspectral imagery, LiDAR and drone-based platforms for vegetation, soil and wildlife assessment.
- Technologies for tracking habitat use, species recovery and ecological connectivity.
- Remote sensing and acoustic tools for non-invasive biodiversity assessment.
- Organic, mineral and bio-based additives to improve soil fertility and plant establishment.
- Feasibility tools to assess amendment performance and site-specific suitability.
4. Novel hydrocarbon extraction (NHE)
Examples may include:
- Solvent-assisted processes for steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) operations resulting in reduced emissions and water consumption.
- Next-generation materials for enhanced oil and gas recovery.
- Lower-impact drilling technologies
- Novel steam generation methods, such as geothermal-assisted steam generation, renewable or low carbon–powered electrified steam generation, hybrid integrated waste heat recovery.
5. Cleaner fuels and products
Examples may include:
- Renewable natural gas (RNG) production from agricultural, municipal or industrial waste.
- RNG Injection into existing gas networks and compatibility with CNG stations and operations.
- Lifecycle emissions reduction through infrastructure reuse.
- Advanced formulations that improve combustion efficiency and reduce carbon intensity for heavy-duty vehicles.
- Staged or blended fuels tailored for fleet, rail or marine applications that are compatible with existing engines and distribution systems.
- Hydrogen fuel cell systems for long-haul and fleet vehicles.
- Low-carbon hydrogen via pyrolysis, electrolysis or hybrid systems.
- Integration of hydrogen with dual-fuel systems and fuel cell platforms.
- Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) derived from bio-waste, municipal solids or industrial byproducts. Exclusion of first-generation crop-based feedstocks (e.g., vegetable oils).
6. Water technology development
Examples may include:
- Modular treatment technologies that reduce freshwater use and enable recycling.
- Above-ground water containment alternatives to reduce ground disturbance.
- Solutions that enable progressive tailings reclamation, closure planning and long-term monitoring systems.
- Water technologies that support soil recovery, vegetation growth and wildlife habitat restoration.
- Real-time sensors and analytics for water quality, flow and treatment efficiency that enable operators to optimize water use and reduce risk.
7. Digital oil and gas/Data and automation
Examples may include:
- Intelligent systems for real-time optimization in drilling, completions and well performance.
- Fully automated solutions for wellsite and facility management, enabling remote adaptive control.
- Technologies addressing cybersecurity, data sovereignty and privacy across operational environments.
- Digital-ready hardware, such as sensors, edge devices and facility-level hardware that enable seamless integration with digital platforms.
- Environmental impact software and tools that reduce emissions, improve reporting and support regulatory alignment for methane, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide.
- Tools that enable credible monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of emissions across supply chains (e.g., digital tracking, standardized data systems, blockchain-based quantification) to support market access, climate competitiveness and potential carbon credit generation.
Please review the competition guide Section 2.2 for more information and details on eligible technology focus areas.
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
This Competition is open to project teams (each, a “Project Team“) consisting of one (1) eligible organization, acting as the lead applicant (the “Lead Applicant“) and may be comprised of additional eligible organizations acting as project collaborators (the “Project Collaborators“). Subject to the organization eligibility requirements set out below, the Competition is open to all categories of Lead Applicant and Project Collaborator organizations, including technology developers, oil and gas producers, industry associations, academic institutions, multinational enterprises (MNE), municipalities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), and others.
Note: Each Lead Applicant must designate one (1) authorized representative (an “Authorized Representative”) to register for the Competition on behalf of the Project Team.
To be eligible to participate in the Competition: (i), the Project Team’s Lead Applicant and/or Project Collaborators must include:
- At least one SME (small or medium-sized enterprise)
and
- At least one oil and gas producer
Note: a single organization may satisfy both SME and oil and gas producer requirements; (ii) all organizations participating on the Project Team (i.e., Lead Applicant and Project Collaborators) must be incorporated pursuant to laws of Canada or a Canadian Province or Territory (However, Lead Applicant organizations and Project Collaborator organizations are not required to have operations in any particular Canadian Province or Territory); and, (iii) all Project Team members must be members of CRIN. Should a Project Team be selected as an Ultimate Recipient (see definition in the glossary) and found not to be a CRIN member at the time of selection, CRIN will require the team to obtain membership prior to the award of any funding. (iv) Employees, representatives, agents, Competition judges and contractors (and those with whom such persons are living, whether related or not) of CRIN, MaRS and MaRS subsidiaries and affiliates, are not eligible to participate in the Competition.
Roles for Project Team members should be clearly delineated, along with clear monetary and/or in-kind contributions to the proposed project and a firm commitment from authorized persons from each Project Collaborator organization must be evident and supported by letters in the Project Team’s Competition application.
SME is defined as a small or medium-sized enterprise with less than 500 full-time employees. For this Competition, an SME can be a technology innovator/developer, a service company, and/or an oil and gas producer.
An oil and gas producer is a company of any size incorporated pursuant to the laws of Canada or a Canadian province or territory with the capability to conduct one or more of the following:
- Upstream exploration for hydrocarbon resources
- Upstream development (production) and sale of hydrocarbons
- Midstream trading and transportation of hydrocarbons and/or hydrocarbon-based products
- Downstream purchase of hydrocarbons for manufacturing (refining) and sale of hydrocarbon-based products
Examples of eligible Project Teams include:
- Lead applicant is an oil and gas producer that is also a SME
- Lead applicant is a SME collaborating with an oil and gas producer
- Lead applicant is a SME collaborating with an academic organization and an oil and gas producer
All submissions must be completed by the Lead Applicant organization that will serve as the primary contact point with MaRS and CRIN throughout the application process. Each Lead Applicant must designate one (1) authorized representative (an “Authorized Representative“) to register for the Competition on behalf of the Project Team, and such authorized representative must: (i) be a resident of Canada who has reached the legal age of majority in his/her province/territory of residence; and (ii) must be authorized at the time of registration (and must remain authorized during and after the Competition) by the Lead Applicant organization, and as applicable, each Project Collaborator Organization, to: (i) provide to CRIN any and all required information that relates to the project and the Project Team for the purposes of administering the Competition in accordance with this Guide; (ii) register for the Competition on behalf of the Project Team; and (iii) legally bind the Project Team to the terms and conditions of this Guide. The Lead Applicant may change the Authorized Representative at any time by notifying MaRS and CRIN in writing of such change.
There is no restriction on the number of submissions by any applicant in the Competition. However, applicants are encouraged to be selective and bring forward only the most promising and highest quality applications. In addition, each submission must refer to a unique project.
Eligible projects
Projects must be at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 6–9, as described below, as well as demonstrate clear, quantifiable environmental, economic, and public benefits, and show a credible pathway to commercialization and broad adoption.
- TRL 6: Product and/or process prototype demonstration in a relevant environment: Prototypes are tested in a relevant environment. Represents a major step up in a technology’s demonstrated readiness. Examples include testing a prototype in a simulated operational environment.
- TRL 7: Product and/or process prototype demonstration in an operational environment: Prototype near or at planned operational system and requires demonstration of an actual prototype in an operational environment.
- TRL 8: Actual product and/or process completed and qualified through test and demonstration: Innovation has been proven to work in its final form and under expected conditions. In almost all cases, this TRL represents the end of true system development.
- TRL 9: Actual product and/or process proven successfully: Actual application of the product and/or process innovation in its final form or functionTechnology has been fully proven in operational environments and is actively deployed under real-world conditions
Project location
All projects supported through this Competition must demonstrate a clear and justified value proposition for economic, environmental, and public benefits in Canada. Technology solutions can originate from anywhere globally, but must be piloted, demonstrated, or implemented in Canada and at least 90 percent of total eligible costs must be incurred in Canada by a Canadian-incorporated entity. Projects that involve demonstration, deployment, or implementation of a technology at multiple Canadian sites are eligible for funding under this Competition.
Total funds available
CRIN will provide up to $12 million in total funding through this competition, subject to the discretion of CRIN availability of funds. The maximum funding request per project is $2 million. There is no minimum funding threshold.
Projects must be funded through a combination of CRIN support, industry contributions and other eligible partners. CRIN can contribute up to 50 percent of total eligible project costs, with industry collaborators required to provide at least 25 percent in cash or in-kind support. In addition, total government funding from all sources cannot exceed 75 percent of a project’s eligible costs.
For more information on cost sharing and details on how funds will be allocated, please refer to Section 4: Terms of Funding in the Competition Guide and the CRIN Eligible Costs Guide in the appendix.
How to apply
Application to the competition is a single submission/evaluation process. Only applications submitted through the competition webpage will be accepted. The complete application package, including submission form and required documentation, must be either completely in English or completely in French.
In order for an application to be considered for the competition, the authorized representative of a project team applicant must complete and submit the following documents by the closing date and time (February 26 2026, 5 p.m. EST) through the competition website. Applicants must complete and submit the following:
- Become a member of CRIN
- Create a profile on challenges.marsdd.com
- Click “Accept Competition” on the competition webpage
- Review the competition guide carefully to ensure you meet all eligibility requirements and have included all required information.
- Complete and include the following in the submission:
- Submission form (Required)
- Project overview document (Required)
- Letters of support/commitment (Required)
When preparing the required documents, applicants must ensure their application materials clearly demonstrate how the proposed project meets the evaluation criteria outlined in Section 6 of the Competition Guide on Evaluation, including industry need, environmental and economic benefits, and realistic implementation and financing plans.
Note: Only the information described above will be reviewed. Any additional attachments, materials or information will not be considered during the evaluation.
Submission deadline
Applications must be complete, submitted in English or French, and received before the deadline. All required documents and the Submission Form must be submitted by February 26, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET. Late, partial or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Applicants are encouraged to submit well in advance of the deadline.
All submissions will be screened to ensure they meet the eligibility requirements outlined in Section 3 of the competition guide. Eligible applications will then be evaluated by an external panel of judges based on the merit criteria listed below, each with an assigned weighting. Lead applicants are encouraged to keep these weightings in mind when completing the submission form.
| Criterion | Weighting |
| Innovation potential | 30 Total |
| 1 Technology and innovation | 10 |
| 2 Market and end-user potential | 10 |
| 3 Commercialization and knowledge sharing plan | 10 |
| Impact | 45 Total |
| 4 Economic benefits | 15 |
| 5 GHG and environmental benefits | 20 |
| 6 Public benefits | 10 |
| Implementation | 25 Total |
| 7 Work plan and risk management | 10 |
| 8 Budget and financing plan | 5 |
| 9 Project team and partnerships | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
For more information on how to address each evaluation criterion, including specific requirements and guidance, please refer to Section 6: Evaluation in the competition guide.
Timeline
Useful Links
FAQ
The lead applicant to a project that has been selected for funding will enter into an ultimate recipient agreement with CRIN. Once an ultimate recipient agreement has been executed, the project will be governed as per the terms outlined in the agreement, including changes in project plan, budget, etc. as well as acts of default. The specific situation will be managed as per the terms of the agreement and evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
- No. CRIN signs one URA per project, with the Lead Applicant, who becomes the Ultimate Recipient (UR).
The Lead Applicant is responsible for coordinating all other project collaborators, partners, and participants. CRIN funds one project through one Ultimate Recipient, and that UR is accountable for managing all relationships, contributions, and responsibilities within the project team.
A single SME (Lead Applicant) may submit multiple projects with different partners. If all projects are selected, that SME would sign separate URAs for each project as the UR.
In unique or exceptional cases, CRIN may allow multiple Ultimate Recipients for a single project, but this is rare and assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Yes, there are no restrictions on the source of private/industry funding for this competition.
Yes. The oil and gas producer serving as the industrial partner must be an entity incorporated in Canada.
Any Project IP developed through the CRIN-funded project will be owned by the Ultimate Recipient and any eligible co-inventor collaborators. CRIN does not take ownership of your IP.
Yes. Any IP generated as a result of this project cannot be sold or exclusively licensed to a non-Canadian entity for a minimum of five (5) years after project completion, without penalty.
Yes
The funding is meant to deliver measurable environmental, economic, and public benefits for Canada. Outcomes reporting helps track the real-world impact of the funded projects, including emissions reductions, job creation, technology deployment, and other benefits, to ensure accountability and demonstrate the value of the innovations supported.
Knowledge sharing ensures that insights, data, and lessons learned from funded projects can benefit the broader Canadian energy ecosystem. This may include contributing to case studies, showcasing results, or providing non-confidential project insights that help accelerate innovation across the sector.
CRIN membership provides support for your innovation journey now and beyond this competition. There is no cost to join, and the many benefits include knowledge sharing, project amplification and networking. CRIN membership registration:
https://www.crincanada.com/member-services/register/
While we do not provide direct matchmaking or introductions to industry collaborators as part of the Competition, there are several avenues available to help you identify potential partners. In particular, CRIN membership provides access to a national network of industry partners, innovators, funders, and support organizations, which may help facilitate connections with technology developers or industry participants interested in licensing and scaling solutions such as your 2sDTC process.
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