HOUSTON, TX (March 07, 2023) Today, NGIF Industry Grants, a division of NGIF Capital Corporation, in collaboration with the International Gas Union, announced the launch of a $10MM (CAD) Global Cleantech Challenge at the RICE Alliance Energy Venture Day in Houston.
The Challenge is a funding call to energy small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups from around the world with clean technology solutions to access grant funding, demonstration host partners, technology validation for product market fit and future energy customers in Canada.
The Global Cleantech Challenge will allow NGIF Industry Grants to provide funding, from its 14 energy company participants, to support the development and demonstration of novel clean technologies from anywhere across the world. Each demonstration project undertaken in Canada is eligible to receive up to $1MM CAD, representing as much as 50% of a project’s qualifying expenses.
The Winners of the Challenge will be announced at the IGU’s International Gas Research Conference (IGRC2024) in Banff, Canada in May 2024. Participants at that Conference will have first access to these entrepreneurs and their important innovations.
NGIF Industry Grants is accepting applications from global SMEs and start-ups in the following three key investment focus areas:
- Responsibly Sourced Natural Gas (TRL 6-8): Breakthrough technologies that can improve the environmental performance of natural gas across its value chain. The focus is on leading technologies in areas such as Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage; Methane Mitigation; Energy Efficiency; Emissions Monitoring; Waste-heat Utilization; and Water Management to improve the efficiency and resiliency of the natural gas industry.
- Alternate Gases (TRL 6-8): Emerging technologies on Hydrogen production, transportation, storage, and end-use; Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) to reduce emissions for the natural gas production, transmission, and distribution network.
- Natural Gas Applications (TRL 6-8): Innovative technologies, processes, and business models that can create new markets for gas or increase the share of gas demand through Heat and Power Generation; NG Heat Pumps; Value-Added products; Fuel-Switching; LNG; and Transportation applications.
“I am excited to see this first-of-kind Global Cleantech Challenge bring startups from around the world to Canada to access the NGIF platform,” said John Adams, President and CEO of NGIF Capital Corporation and Managing Partner of NGIF Cleantech Ventures. “NGIF Industry Grants and its focus on de-risking clean technologies through field trials and pilots are part of NGIF’s integrated model of industry validation, customer creation, and market commercialization.”
“Innovation has always been front and centre for the natural gas industry in Canada. Committing $10 million to this Global Competition is the latest demonstration of this focus, and of the determination to keep the industry in the lead on the global innovation agenda for energy,” said Timothy M. Egan, President and CEO, Canadian Gas Association and Chair, NGIF Capital Corporation.
“The IGU’s International Gas Research Conference (IGRC) has been the leading technical RD&I conference for three decades. We are proud to work alongside NGIF and the CGA to help bring technical innovations to life and advance the deployment of new critical, environmentally friendly technologies. We look forward to celebrating at IGRC2024 with the winners and the responsible, cleaner energy sources they will provide for the world,” said IGU Secretary general, Milton Catelin.
NGIF Industry Grants Investors
Collaborating Partners, Global Cleantech Challenge
Strategic Partners, Global Cleantech Challenge
About NGIF Industry Grants
NGIF Industry Grants is a first-of-kind, industry-led grant organization to fund early-stage startups developing solutions to environmental and other challenges facing Canada’s natural gas sector. NGIF Industry Grants develops, demonstrates, and de-risks these technology solutions through field trials and pilot projects to drive innovation and support environmental goals in Canada. NGIF Industry Grants’ investment focus is on existing natural gas production, transmission, distribution, storage, and end-use applications, as well as projects that will lead to the expanded production of emerging gaseous fuels like renewable natural gas and hydrogen. The organization has built a portfolio of startups, trusted partnerships with the government for co-funding opportunities, and a robust technical evaluation investment model. NGIF Industry Grants is operated by NGIF Capital Corporation.
About NGIF Capital Corporation
NGIF Capital Corporation is a Canadian venture capital (VC) firm offering grant and equity financing for startups that deliver solutions to the environmental and other challenges facing the natural gas sector. NGIF Capital Corporation is unique in how it brings Canada’s energy industry leadership to every investment. Like other VCs, it takes new companies and their ideas from concept to commercialization. Unlike other VCs, NGIF Capital Corporation has strong connections to every part of the gas value chain, from production through to end-use, offering it a means to test, develop, and accelerate the commercial implementation of innovative gas technology wherever it fits in the sector. The model benefits consumers, investors, and Canadian society as a whole. NGIF Capital Corporation operates NGIF Industry Grants (the original Natural Gas Innovation Fund), the NGIF Emissions Testing Centre, and NGIF Cleantech Ventures. NGIF Capital Corporation is wholly owned by CGA Enterprises, a venture of the Canadian Gas Association.
About CGA
The Canadian Gas Association (CGA) is the voice of Canada’s gaseous energy delivery industry, including natural gas, renewable natural gas (RNG) and hydrogen. CGA membership includes energy distribution and transmission companies, equipment manufacturers, and suppliers of goods and services to the industry. CGA’s utility members are Canadian-owned and active in eight provinces and one territory. CGA members meet 38 per cent of Canada’s energy needs through a network of over 577,000 kilometres of underground infrastructure. The versatility and resiliency of this infrastructure allows it to deliver an ever-changing gas supply mix to over 7.4 million customer locations representing approximately two-thirds of Canadians. CGA members ensure Canadians get the affordable, reliable, clean gaseous energy they want and need. CGA is also working to constantly improve that gaseous energy offering, by driving forward innovation through the Natural Gas Innovation Fund (NGIF).
About the International Gas Union (IGU)
The International Gas Union is a worldwide non-profit organization founded in 1931. IGU members represent 90% of the global industry, across the value chain. The mission of IGU is to advocate traditional, renewable (including hydrogen), decarbonized and low carbon gases as an integral part of a sustainable global energy system, and to promote the political, technical, and economic progress of the gas industry. The IGU’s IGRC Conference is the world’s leading gas research, development and innovation event which bring together key stakeholders from across the industry every three years.
Fund Information:
John Adams
President and CEO, NGIF Capital Corporation
Managing Partner, NGIF Cleantech Ventures
613-748-0057
jadams@ngif.ca
Media Information:
Ayoola Ajibare
Communications Coordinator, NGIF Capital Corporation
(403) 389-2212
aajibare@ngif.ca
NGIF Investors and Project Partners
