British Columbia opens second Innovate BC funding call for early-stage tech demonstrations

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BC Innovate BC funding call

Highlights

Innovate BC's second funding intake covers up to 40% of eligible project costs per tech demonstration, capped at $500,000, targeting sectors like health, forestry, transport, and mining.
The program aims to support British Columbia tech companies advancing toward commercial adoption, responding to U.S. tariffs and aiming to reduce economic reliance on the U.S.
Applications for this round, following a first call that distributed nearly $3.5 million, open Sept. 28 and close Oct. 30, 2026, as part of B.C.'s $41.5 million Look West strategy.

Funding round targets commercialization gap

As reported by BC Gov News, the second intake is aimed at B.C. tech companies developing new technologies that need funding to demonstrate products in real-world settings, pivot toward new markets and advance toward commercial adoption. The program supports pilot-scale demonstrations and is designed to prepare companies for other Innovate BC offerings, including the Integrated Marketplace.

The Province says it will cover as much as 40% of eligible project costs, with a cap of $500,000 per project. The funding focuses on technologies that could benefit sectors including air and marine transport and logistics, health, forestry, emergency management, maritime, mining and critical minerals.

Adrian Dix, acting Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth, says the measure is part of the government’s response to punitive and unjustified U.S. tariffs, with a focus on building a stronger economy that is less reliant on the U.S. Peter Cowan, president and CEO of Innovate BC, says proving solutions in the environments they are built for is a critical step toward adoption and market impact.

Look West strategy underpins expansion

Following the first intake, which supported 14 projects across British Columbia, the second call is intended to extend opportunities for local companies to validate technologies in operational environments. Applications will be accepted through SurveyMonkey Apply from Sept. 28 until Oct. 30, 2026.

The first call provided nearly $3.5 million in total funding, with awards of up to $500,000 per project, across five sectors. The Province also says its broader investment in the Integrated Marketplace includes as much as $41.5 million from the Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth and $11.7 million from the Government of Canada through PacifiCan.

The initiative forms part of British Columbia’s Look West plan for jobs and industry, which is focused on diversifying markets, accelerating major projects and expanding targeted sectors such as technology, aerospace, marine, AI and quantum, life sciences, agriculture and construction innovation. Meiz Majdoub Jr., CEO of Mostar Labs, says the program helps hardware startups secure proof in real conditions, citing the company’s deployment of its LilyPad floating clean-energy platform at a remote coastal site.

In our earlier article, we covered the escalation in the U.S.-Canada trade dispute as Washington announced new bans and higher tariffs on a range of Canadian imports, prompting retaliatory measures from Ottawa. We noted that the widening tariff conflict was increasing uncertainty for cross-border industries and adding to broader market anxiety.

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