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Find similar grantsAI Compute Access Fund (ACAF) is sponsored by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.
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The AI Compute Access Fund is not currently accepting applications. The most recent Call for Proposals closed at 11:59pm ET on July 31, 2025 and has received a high degree of interest and proposals representing projects from across Canada that span multiple industries. Review and assessment of applications is ongoing.
About the AI Compute Access Fund Program Do you need access to AI compute to power your innovation? The AI Compute Access Fund offers financial support to help small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) access the compute power they need to scale and commercialize innovative AI projects. Save money and stay competitive right here at home.
The AI Compute Access Fund will support successful projects with compute costs ranging from $100,000 up to $5 million by: Covering two-thirds of your eligible costs for Canadian, cloud-based AI compute services Covering half of your eligible costs for non-Canadian, cloud-based AI compute services The call for applications closed on July 31, 2025 for the AI Compute Access Fund which was announced on December 5, 2024, as part of the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy .
Through an investment of up to $300 million, this fund seeks to combat the high cost of AI compute resources and the limited availability of domestic capacity.
The objectives of the AI Compute Access Fund are to: Accelerate Canadian AI innovation and commercialization by supporting the costliest component in the AI innovation value chain – compute; Target support to Canadian AI SMEs engaging in research and development (R&D)/compute projects with a concrete pathway to commercialization; and Support use of a diverse range of external compute suppliers so companies can stay competitive in a rapidly changing industry.
The call for proposals closed on July 31, 2025. Should a new call for proposals be issued, this program may be for you if you meet all of the following criteria. To be eligible, you must: Be a Canadian-registered for-profit company developing AI products or services.
Consortiums of organizations need to apply through one eligible corporation as the project lead applicant; Have fewer than 500 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees; Be revenue-generating and/or able to demonstrate investor interest through a minimum of Series A financing; Have a research and development (R&D) team based in Canada and be willing to carry out project activities in Canada; Develop AI products or services, and have a commercialization plan to demonstrate a clear path to market, including key milestones, target customers, competitive advantages, and strategies for scaling and sustaining the project; and Have contracts, invoices, or other documentation for compute services either in place or in progress at the time of application.
Applicants who do not yet have a compute services agreement in place at the time of application are still eligible to apply; however, they will be required to demonstrate an active contract before a Contribution Agreement can be finalized. Your project can include compute costs ranging from $100,000 to $5 million over a period of up to three years.
This does not have to represent the full value of the company's compute costs but only those eligible costs that fall within the program range will be considered. Successful applicants can receive financial support in one of three forms: non-repayable, conditionally repayable, or repayable. The type of funding offer you receive will be determined during the assessment phase and outlined in your Contribution Agreement.
Non-repayable funding may be offered if your project shows strong alignment with program goals, delivers significant benefits to Canada, and presents a manageable risk profile. Repayable funding may apply if your proposal is strong but doesn't demonstrate significant public benefits.
Conditionally repayable funding may allow for repayment to be waived if you meet specific milestones – such as achieving commercialization, making significant intellectual property registrations in Canada, or maintaining public benefits. Please note that the most recent application period closed on July 31, 2025. The AI Compute Access Fund operates on a competitive basis.
The application process includes four main steps: Create an account and verify your identity . Step 2: Submit your Statement of Interest Submit your Statement of Interest at least ten days before the close of applications to tell us about your project.
To submit your Statement of Interest, you'll need to provide some standard business information and a basic overview of your project proposal, including how it will benefit from AI compute services, and contribute to AI innovation, your industry and Canada.
The team will evaluate your Statement of Interest to confirm basic eligibility and alignment with the program objectives and contact you with a decision within 5 business days of your submission. Applicants who are successful in step 2 will be invited to complete a full application once the application period opens.
If invited to complete a full application, you'll be asked to provide more detailed information about your company and project, its commercialization plan, and expected benefits to Canada. Once you've completed the full application, an in-depth evaluation of your business and project will occur. During the assessment stage, the program may reach out for additional information about your proposal via email.
Application results will be communicated via email. An application guide is available to help you prepare a strong application. Step 4: Implementation and monitoring If your application is successful, you will be invited to enter into a Contribution Agreement.
The agreement will outline the unique terms of the financial contribution for your project and will be signed by both parties. Once the Contribution is in place, you can start claiming eligible costs. Regular check-ins will happen to see how your project is progressing and to ensure compliance with the Contribution Agreement.
At the end of the project, you will be asked to provide a final summary report.
After the application period closes, the team will review all proposals to conduct a due diligence assessment that considers factors such as: Sufficient economic, innovation and public benefits to Canada Degree of alignment with departmental or Government of Canada priorities (e.g. environmental considerations, job creation, developing Canadian intellectual property) Prior to selecting successful applicants, we will work with AI experts from both public and private sectors to ensure consistency and informed decision-making.
Funding selection will be based not only on the merits of individual proposals but also on achieving a balanced portfolio – considering factors such as regional representation, ownership diversity, business size, risk profile, and overall strategic alignment. For complete program details, please refer to the program guide . Still have questions?
Use our online contact form .
Key questions and narrative sections extracted from the solicitation.
How will your project benefit from AI compute services?
How will your project contribute to AI innovation, your industry, and Canada?
What is your commercialization plan with key milestones, target customers, competitive advantages, and strategies for scaling?
What are your company details and project specifics?
What are the expected benefits to Canada?
Scoring criteria used to review proposals for this grant.
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Canadian-registered for-profit companies with fewer than 500 full-time employees, developing AI products or services with a commercialization plan. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates Not specified Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is rolling deadlines or periodic funding windows. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
Yes — AI tools like Granted can help research funders, draft proposal sections, and check compliance. However, always review and customize AI-generated content to reflect your organization's unique strengths and the specific requirements of the solicitation.
Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.
AI Compute Access Fund is sponsored by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). The AI Compute Access Fund is a national initiative to help Canadian innovators and businesses (SMEs) access high-performance computing resources. It aims to accelerate the development and deployment of made-in-Canada AI solutions by offsetting the high cost of compute resources, particularly in sectors requiring significant computing capacity like life sciences, energy, and advanced manufacturing.
The AI Sovereign Compute Infrastructure Program (AISCIP) supports the design, construction, and operation of a national public AI supercomputing system in Canada. With approximately CAD $890 million allocated over seven fiscal years starting FY2026-27, this initiative is a core pillar of Canada's broader Sovereign AI Compute Strategy. The program funds hardware installation, data centre operations, and systems administration for high-performance AI-optimized compute infrastructure with Canadian data residency requirements. Successful applicants must demonstrate rapid deployment capability, scalable design, Canadian governance with data residency control, and broader economic benefits including domestic supply chain strengthening. This is distinct from the separately-funded AI Compute Access Fund, which subsidizes researcher access to existing compute resources. An informational webinar is available for prospective applicants.
Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) is a grant program from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) that funds Canadian small businesses to develop and validate innovative prototypes addressing government-set challenges. The program has two streams: the Challenge stream, where small businesses compete for funding to prove feasibility and build prototypes (up to $150,000 in Phase 1, up to $1 million in Phase 2); and the Testing stream, where the government purchases innovations for real-world testing. Eligible applicants are Canadian small businesses meeting specific challenge criteria. Active challenge areas include space communications, broadband networks, defence interoperability, and infrastructure maintenance. Individual challenge deadlines vary.
Creative Arts Business Specific Grant (October) is a grant from WomensNet (Amber Grant Foundation) that funds women entrepreneurs running creative arts businesses. Each October, WomensNet awards a ,000 category-specific Amber Grant to a woman-owned creative arts business, recognizing the diversity of women-led enterprises. Monthly grant winners also become eligible for one of three ,000 year-end Amber Grants. Founded in 1998 to honor Amber Wigdahl, the program issues at least ,000 in grants monthly across several categories, including startup and business-specific grants. Eligible applicants are women entrepreneurs with a creative arts business who submit the standard Amber Grant application—one application provides eligibility for all applicable grants. No lengthy forms are required.
Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program (Drought) is sponsored by U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The EIDL program provides low-interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit organizations in Missouri to offset economic losses caused by drought. These loans can be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could not be paid due to the disaster.