Deadline: 31-Jan-24
The Regulatory Innovation Capacity Building under the Smart Grid is seeking applications to support innovation in the economic regulation of Canada’s electricity systems.
This will be accomplished by funding projects that are related to regulatory experimentation, regulatory sandboxes, and capacity building within organizations for regulatory innovation. These projects should promote cooperation and information sharing among actors operating within Canada’s electricity systems, enable the creation and adoption of innovative approaches for the economic regulation of these systems, and create the conditions for meaningful participation and engagement in the regulatory ecosystem.
Objectives
- Specifically, the objectives of this focus area are to:
- Promote regulatory experimentation necessary to support electrical grid modernization.
- Support the development of the skills, knowledge, and expertise required for enabling regulatory innovation and experimentation in grid modernization.
- Accelerate the adoption of flexible regulatory procedures needed for the adoption of innovation in the electrical grid and increase participation and learning from innovation in a regulatory context.
- Advance inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) in the electricity sector.
Funding Information
- Program funding for this call is open to projects that request between $250,000 and $1,500,000 (comprising up to 75% of total project costs).
- Duration: 4 Years
Eligible Activities and Project Examples
- Activity Type: Research, Analysis, and Related Science Activities
- Activity Description: Development of software and decision-making tools, modelling, analysis, studies, assessments, protocols, standards development activities, including establishing, being a member of, and participating in forums, industry or technology seminars, workshops, and conferences.
- Project Examples:
- Roadmap for regulatory and technological change
- Exploring innovative regulatory tools and mechanisms such as rate design and performance-based regulation, performance incentive mechanisms, and updated frameworks for cost-benefit analysis
- Activity Type: Staffing and Training
- Activity Description: Hiring staff, contractors and interns, financing or creating professional development and training programs or services.
- Project Examples:
- Regulatory innovation analyst at a regulatory agency or utility
- Resourcing a regulatory sandbox
- Activity Type: Engagement and Consultation
- Activity Description: Processes to involve actors through a variety of activities including workshops, studies, interviews, surveys, and market scans. This may also include coordination, communication, and information sharing activities such as meetings, workshops, and website and web-based tools development
- Project Examples:
- Intervenor resources for regulatory engagement
- Business model innovation and market scan
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible Canadian recipients will be:
- Legal entities validly incorporated or registered in Canada including:
- For profit and not-for-profit organizations;
- Community groups; and
- Canadian academic institutions.
- Provincial, territorial, regional, and municipal governments and their departments and agencies, where applicable.
- Indigenous
- Indigenous communities or governments;
- Tribal Councils or entities that fulfill a similar function (e.g., general councils);
- National and regional councils, and tribal organizations;
- Indigenous (majority owned and controlled by Indigenous people) for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.
- Legal entities validly incorporated or registered in Canada including:
- For the purposes of this Applicant Guide, the term “Indigenous” is understood to include Inuit, Métis, First Nation, Status Indian and non-Status Indian individuals, or any combination thereof.
- It is expected that the proponent, i.e., the entity that will sign a contribution agreement with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), will be the majority owner of any assets purchased in full or in part through funding provided by NRCan.
For more information, visit Natural Resources Canada.